Logistics and Interdisciplinary Expertise of a Sexual Assault Response Team: A Case Study Through Observations and Interviews.

To more effectively respond to sexual assault in the United States, some jurisdictions have created sexual assault response teams (SARTs). SARTs involve members of multiple agencies tasked with responding to sexual assault within a jurisdiction, such as law enforcement, advocates, prosecutors, and sexual assault nurse examiners (SANEs). Despite hundreds of jurisdictions utilizing SARTs, and the Department of Justice establishing guidelines, SARTs vary across jurisdictions in their form and function.

The Importance of Multidisciplinary Trauma-Informed Training in Addressing Campus-Based Sexual Violence.

This study investigates the impact of a professional development training series among a multidisciplinary team (MDT) during establishment of a trauma-informed sexual assault response and prevention program at a midsized university in the southeastern United States. MDT members included forensic nurses, advocates, counselors, law enforcement officers, and relevant faculty and staff. After completion of a baseline survey assessing attitudes toward trauma-informed care and perceptions of the team climate within the MDT, team members engaged in a trauma-informed care (TIC) professional development training series consisting of (a) 4-hour-long didactic lectures with incorporated group discussion and (2) one 2-hour in-situ simulation-based training exercise.

Rape Myth Acceptance and Other Barriers to Formally Reporting Sexual Assault Among College Students With and Without Sexual Assault Histories.

Low rates of reporting sexual assault to law enforcement have been attributed to a culture of rape myth acceptance. Yet, rape myth acceptance rates and specific barriers to reporting have not been examined by sexual assault and reporting histories. This study compared the rape myth acceptance levels of reporting survivors, non-reporting survivors, and individuals without sexual assault histories.

Faculty and Staff Perceptions of Title IX Mandatory Reporting Policies at Two Institutions.

Most faculty and staff at postsecondary institutions are mandatory reporters who must disclose sexual assault to a Title IX Coordinator. However, scholarship examining their role is sparse. We address this gap by investigating perceptions and experiences of employees ( = 166) at two institutions.

Condemnation of Statutory Rape Based on Respondent Race, Perpetrator Race, and Victim Race.

Race impacts perceptions of crimes, perpetrators, and victims. Although statutory rape generally receives little empirical or media attention, it has important implications for victims and offenders across the United States and appears to be enforced in a haphazard way. This study used a between-subjects experimental survey design at two universities ( = 1,370) to assess the impact of respondent race, perpetrator race, and victim race on attitudes toward statutory rape.

Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Rape Myth Acceptance: Preliminary Findings From a Sample of Primarily LGBQ-Identified Survey Respondents.

This study is among the first to examine the relationship between sexual orientation and rape myth adherence using a nationwide survey of primarily lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) respondents (n = 184). The more established Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale and a modified Male Rape Survey serve as the primary instruments to test both rape myth adherence and instrument-appropriateness. Results suggest that respondents were most likely to support myths that discredit sexual assault allegations or excuse rape as a biological imperative and least likely to support myths related to physical resistance.

Providing and Receiving Sexual Assault Disclosures: Findings From a Sexually Diverse Sample of Young Adults.

This study utilized a sample of primarily lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ)-identified young adults from across the United States to pilot test a new instrument, the Reactions Provided to Disclosures Questionnaire (RPDQ), and assess the disclosure experience for both those who provide and those who receive disclosures of sexual assault. Results indicate that the experience of sexual assault disclosure in the LGBQ community is similar to the heterosexual community in that most victims disclose their assaults, most often to a friend, and were most likely to receive the reaction Emotional Support. Victims were also likely to receive the reaction Victim Blaming, especially if they disclosed to formal sources, such as law enforcement, medical, or religious personnel.

Partner age differences, educational contexts and adolescent female sexual activity.

Context: Research suggesting that female teenagers who date substantially older males are at increased risk for negative health outcomes supports the need for statutory rape laws. However, prior research has generally ignored the social context of adolescence when examining the risks associated with dating an older partner.

Methods: Data from Waves 1 (1995) and 2 (1996) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health were used to model the occurrence of sexual intercourse within adolescent heterosexual romantic relationships.