Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services

Abstract

More than 20 years ago, concerns were raised about whether domestic violence and sexual assault agencies need for stable funding would conflict with the values that initiated these respective movements. Since then, the movements have evolved considerably. Therefore, it is timely to investigate the challenges domestic violence and sexual assault agencies face today. This exploratory study used focus groups and interviews to identify the challenges facing North Carolina domestic violence and sexual assault movements from the perspectives of agency directors and funding staff. Using an open-coding approach, seven challenges were identified including funding, sustainability, community norms, tension between grassroots versus professional service providers, lack of attention to sexual assault, the need for welcoming services for all survivors, and the need for comprehensive services to help survivors with co-occurring mental illnesses and substance abuse problems. The findings also pointed to recommendations for ways to address these challenges.

Mental health in violent crime victims: Does sexual orientation matter?

“…Conceptually, domestic violence and sexual assault both fall under a broader umbrella of ''relational violence'' and often involve common themes of intimate interpersonal control (Grothues & Marmion, 2006). Perhaps as a result of the commonalities between sexual assault and domestic violence, law enforcement (e.g., Chen & Ullman, 2010;Felson & Pare, 2005) and victim services (e.g., Macy, Giattina, Parish, & Crosby, 2010;Martin, Coyne-Beasley, Hoehn, Matthew, Runyan, et al, 2009;Zweig & Burt, 2007) often pair sexual assault and domestic violence together as well.…”

The Benefits and Challenges of a Regional Network to Address Campus Sexual Assault

“…Research has found that 50% of victim advocates experience secondary traumatic stress (Benuto et al, 2018), and the current study shed light on the extent of turnover in a short time frame among university staff working to respond to sexual assault. A national study identified several barriers for university sexual assault program staff such as a lack of funding, insufficient staffing, and minimal administrator/community buyin (McKinney, 2017), which are similar to challenges that are also reflected in community-based organizations working to address domestic violence and sexual assault (Macy et al, 2010), and are likely associated with high turnover in these environments.…”

Opening the Black Box: Identifying Common Practice Approaches in Urban and Rural Rape Crisis Centers

“…Survivors of sexual violence report a range of service needs including crisis intervention, advocacy, and mental health treatment, and they see rape crisis centers (RCCs) as the most helpful services for meeting their needs after experiencing a sexual assault (Macy, Rizo, Johns, & Ermentrout, 2013; Ullman & Townsend, 2007). Yet, little is known about the service sector charged with supporting survivors of sexual assault as they face short- and long-term consequences of violence (Macy, Giattina, Sangster, Crosby, & Montijo, 2009; Martin, 2005).…”

“…While there is evidence that RCCs are effective in serving survivors, little is known regarding the service sector itself, including the types of services and populations with which it engages. Macy et al (2009) described the sector as a “black box,” with well-articulated goals, but little clarity regarding the steps agencies take to achieve them. This opaqueness is particularly entrenched in the RCC service sector because of its grassroots nature, which has led to variation in terms of structure, services, and delivery mechanisms across agencies (Koss & Harvey, 1991; Macy et al, 2013).…”

“…This opaqueness is particularly entrenched in the RCC service sector because of its grassroots nature, which has led to variation in terms of structure, services, and delivery mechanisms across agencies (Koss & Harvey, 1991; Macy et al, 2013). Where we do have information regarding the RCC sector, data are frequently lumped together with domestic violence agencies, which have overlapping but not entirely equal populations, services, and aims (Macy et al, 2009). However, one clear dynamic within the RCC sector is the serious resource constraints faced by agencies seeking to serve survivors of sexual violence.…”