The impact of Covid-19 on recovery after sexual violence and abuse
Voices of help-seeking survivors and those individuals working within specialist support services in England
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7991069 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Emma Sleath (0000-0002-3333-5742, University of Leicester, corresponding author), Eleanor Lutman (0000-0003-0219-7567, Coventry University), Eleanor Lutman-White (Coventry University), Grace Carter (0000-0002-4344-2963, Coventry University), Sarah Brown (0000-0001-7699-4417, University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia; University of the West of England, United Kingdom), Sarah J Brown (0000-0002-5859-4214, University of the Sunshine Coast), Lorna O’doherty (0000-0003-0816-9321, Coventry University) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 31 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 135-155 |
| Publication date | 2024-10-22 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Review of Victimology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0269-7580 • E-ISSN: 2047-9433 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/02697580241284308 |
| OpenAlex | W4403630847 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 34 |
We examined the impact of Covid-19 on service delivery within specialist sexual violence services and the healing journeys of survivors of sexual violence and abuse through the experiences of 22 professionals and 221 service users in England. The pandemic posed challenges across all sectors and economies across the globe, but practices and innovations that emerged at that time could enhance future services and user experiences. Thematic analysis was used to identify key themes within the data. Overall, the negative impacts of Covid-19 outweighed the positive changes: survivors reported increased feelings of depression, anxiety, and worry, exacerbated by isolation and lost connections with friends and family, and access to strategies for managing their mental health. Difficulties/delays in accessing support, service provision, and disruptions to rapport, trust, and safety were widespread in participants’ reports. Conversely, for some, requirements to remain at home provided safety from the world, and space for healing, and even prompted survivors of non-recent abuse to seek help. Remote service delivery was beneficial where clients could be ‘at a distance’ in discussing sensitive issues. Together with insights from professionals about their own isolation, blurred boundaries, and concerns regarding client confidentiality and engagement, this research highlights an agile sector responding to an unprecedented situation. Moving forward, survivors’ preferences for flexible/remote support must be integrated into everyday delivery
2019-20 coronavirus outbreak · Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 · Criminology · Injury prevention · Medical emergency · Occupational safety and health · Pandemic · Poison control · Psychiatry · Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 · Sexual abuse · Sexual assault · Sexual violence · Suicide prevention · Clinical Psychology · Gender, Security, and Conflict · Human Factors and Ergonomics · Intimate Partner and Family Violence · Medicine · Psychology · Sexual Assault and Victimization Studies · Virology
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Thematic Analysis
Successful Qualitative Research
Domestic Violence During the Covid-19 Pandemic
The Impacts of Working With Victims of Sexual Violence
Sexual violence and Covid-19
A social ecological approach to understanding service utilization barriers among male survivors of sexual violence in three refugee settings
Different uses of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory in public mental health research
The Rapid Uptake of Digital Technologies at Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Organizations During the Covid-19 Pandemic
Navigating uncertainty, employment and women’s safety during Covid‐19
Social Reactions to Sexual Assault Disclosure, Coping, Perceived Control, and PTSD Symptoms in Sexual Assault Victims
Social Ecological Approaches to Individuals and Their Contexts
| Unique citing works | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 2 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |