Voices of Female Sexual Assault Survivors
Striving for Survivor-Centered Reporting Processes in the U.S. Criminal Justice System
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12005126 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Michiko Iwasaki (0000-0001-7421-7761, Loyola University Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA), Matthew Picchiello (0000-0001-5053-6805, Washington University in St. Louis, St Louis, MO, USA, corresponding author), Casie H Morgan (0000-0002-1515-6548, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA), Amy L Henninger (0000-0002-7042-2634, Loyola University Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Volume | 47 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 65-79 |
| Publication date | 2022-11-20 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Psychology of Women Quarterly (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0361-6843 • E-ISSN: 1471-6402 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/03616843221136869 |
| OpenAlex | W4309446960 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 31 |
In the present qualitative study, we analyzed voices of female sexual assault survivors to enhance the survivor-centered framework. We reviewed over 1,000 comments from a survey asking participants to share experiences following their sexual assault. Participants were 460 female survivors, including 163 reporters (those who reported their sexual assault to police officers) and 297 nonreporters. We identified four core themes ( safety, empowerment and choice, collaboration, and explanation of procedures) as desired characteristics for the five key response personnel groups: patrol officers, detectives, sexual assault forensic examiner nurses, State's Attorney's Office staff, and victim advocates. We identified the strengths and weaknesses of each group based on the shared experiences of culturally marginalized and nonmarginalized reporters. A general free-text question answered by participants reflected on the four core themes, but also stressed the need for multiple layers of intervention in responding to sexual assault, as seen in two secondary themes ( extra support and systemic change). Nonreporters also stressed barriers to reporting and regrets about not reporting. The power of survivors’ narratives can be used to guide the criminal justice system to uphold a truly survivor-centered approach. The complexities of gender and power inequality between the perpetrators, survivors, and response personnel should also be addressed
Criminal justice · Criminology · Empowerment · Intervention (counseling · Medical emergency · Narrative · Poison control · Political science · Power (physics · Psychiatry · Sexual assault · Suicide prevention · Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis · Intimate Partner and Family Violence · Law · Medicine · Psychology · Sexual Assault and Victimization Studies · Social Psychology
Understanding Rape Survivors' Decisions Not to Seek Help from Formal Social Systems
“Victim is Not Credible”
Dangerous Safe Havens
Marginalization
Examining the Relationship Between Male Rape Myth Acceptance, Female Rape Myth Acceptance, Victim Blame, Homophobia, Gender Roles, and Ambivalent Sexism
Attribution of blame in rape cases
“I Have Heard Horrible Stories . . .”
Prevalence of Past-Year Sexual Assault Victimization Among Undergraduate Students
The Effects of Gender and Family Wealth on Sexual Abuse of Adolescents
Race and the Criminal Justice System Response to Sexual Assault
A Systematic Review of Barriers and Facilitators to Minority Research Participation Among African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders
The impact of power and powerlessness on blaming the victim of sexual assault
Neutralizing sexual victimization
The Criminal Justice System’s Response to Sexual Violence
Reporting Sexual Assault
I’d Go from a Mountain Top and Tell My Story”
The Effect of Participant Sex, Victim Dress, and Traditional Attitudes on Causal Judgments for Marital Rape Victims
Why Women Are Blamed for Being Sexually Harassed
White Female Bystanders’ Responses to a Black Woman at Risk for Incapacitated Sexual Assault
Anti-Sexual Assault Activism and Positive Psychological Functioning among Survivors
Position Paper
Cultural myths and supports for rape
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1,5 |
| Citation span | 2024 - 2025 (2) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |