Alternative Reporting Options Across the United States
Documenting Each State’s Options for Sexual Assault Kit Collection Without a Police Report
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6451375 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Rachael Goodman‐william (0000-0002-9458-9703), Anthony Hanna, Katrina Henley, D L Abernathy (0000-0002-3533-003X) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 22 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 2127-2139 |
| Publication date | 2025-03-10 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Sexuality Research and Social Policy (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1553-6610 • E-ISSN: 1868-9884 |
| Publisher | Springer Science+Business Media (PUBLISHER • DE) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s13178-025-01102-x |
| OpenAlex | W4408298497 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 27 |
Introduction The Violence Against Women Act requires that sexual assault victims be able to have a sexual assault kit (SAK) collected without reporting the assault to police, but the details of this “non-report SAK” option vary from state to state. The goal of this study was to analyze non-report SAK policies across the United States. Methods Information about each state’s policy was collected from 80 practitioners from January 2024 to June 2024. A descriptive policy analysis was conducted, with specific focus on each state’s available options, age of access, forensic testing policies, storage location and timeframe, availability of free medical only exams, and crime victim’s compensation eligibility. Results All but one state has a formalized non-report SAK option, with six states offering multiple options. Eleven states grant minors access to these options in at least some circumstances. Four states require and five states provide optional forensic testing for non-report SAKs. Law enforcement agencies were the most common storage location, with storage timelines ranging from 90 days to 75 years ( M = 17.01 years, SD = 19.05 years). Twenty states offer a free medical exam without forensic evidence collection and 22 have extended victim’s compensation fund eligibility to victims who have a non-report SAK collected. Conclusions Non-report SAK policies vary widely across the United States, with victims in some states having many more options than in others. Policy Implications Policymakers should consider expanding the options available to non-reporting victims in states with few options available. Failing to offer free medical only exams, in particular, may have downstream consequences for victims and help-seeking systems
Computer security · Criminology · Internet privacy · Medical emergency · Poison control · Sexual assault · Sexual behavior · State (computer science · Computer Science · Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis · Human Factors and Ergonomics · Medicine · Policing Practices and Perceptions · Psychology · Sexual Assault and Victimization Studies · Social Psychology
Drug-facilitated, Incapacitated, and Forcible Rape: A National Study
The psychological impact of rape victims.
Female Victims of Sexual Violence, 1994-2010
Sexual Violence Survivors’ Experiences with the Police and Willingness to Report Future Victimization
Mandatory Reporting Laws and the Identification of Severe Child Abuse and Neglect
A National US Study of 906 Women’s Qualitative Accounts of Their Reactions During Sexual Assault
Community Approaches to Sexual Assault
Investigating the medical forensic examination from the perspectives of sexually assaulted women
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |