Why do sexual assault survivors seek medical forensic exams and forensic evidence collection? Exploring patterns of service needs in a state-wide study.

Campbell, Rebecca; Ma, Wenjuan; Javorka, McKenzie; Gregory, Katie; Vollinger, Lauren; Opsommer, Matt

doi:10.1037/vio0000355

Cited by 7 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 65 publications

(95 reference statements)

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“…It could also be that women who experienced bleeding or were not sure if they were bleeding were more concerned with their physical well-being. This notion is in line with Campbell et al (2020) recent study that identified that legal matters were not forefront issues among women who sought medical help after sexual assault.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

“…It could also be that the women who experienced bleeding or were unsure of bleeding prioritized medical treatment over police intervention. Comprehensive medical exams include physical assessments and medical treatment, which prior research has shown to be a commonly expressed goal of help-seeking among sexual assault victims (Campbell et al, 2020). The current analysis did not find, however, that mental illness, perceived risky behavior, nor witnesses presence influenced the reporting decision for the women in this sample.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Post-Sexual Assault Decision Making: Centering Black Women’s Experiences

Kelley

2023

Feminist Criminology

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Existing research has identified various reasons most sexual assault victims do not seek help. There remains a need, however, to highlight Black women’s experiences to better understand and adequately meet their needs when they seek help. This project extends existing bodies of knowledge by centering Black women, situating their experiences within a Black feminist framework, and evaluating their experiences as they seek help to understand factors that shape their reporting decisions. Findings suggest that as Black women seek medical help, they consider culture-specific and real rape factors during the police reporting decision. Key findings, implications, and policy recommendations are discussed.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Post-Sexual Assault Decision Making: Centering Black Women’s Experiences

Kelley

2023

Feminist Criminology

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“…Rape survivors are often encouraged to obtain a medical forensic exam (MFE) in the immediate days following an assault (Campbell et al, 2020). These exams are highly invasive and can be quite distressing for survivors who have just been raped (Campbell, 2006(Campbell, , 2008.…”

Section: Abstract Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Exam Rape Kit Backlogmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hope Shattered: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis of Survivors’ Experiences With Untested Rape Kits

Bach

Ahrens

Howard

et al. 2022

Violence Against Women

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Rape survivors who submit to a medical forensic exam generally expect the resulting rape kit to be tested, but hundreds of thousands of rape kits have been left untested in police storage facilities nationwide. The current study sought to understand what the experience of having an untested rape kit was like for survivors. Using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, this study examined narratives of 15 survivors whose rape kits had been part of the rape kit backlog. Analysis suggested that survivors experience an extreme sense of betrayal and loss of faith in the criminal justice system when their kits are not tested. For these survivors, the rape kit was more than just evidence in a box; it was part of them. Implications are discussed.

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“…Most published research on the immediate care of sexually assaulted adults has focused on services in North America (Campbell, 2006; Campbell et al, 2006, 2020; Du Mont et al, 2008, 2013, 2014; Ericksen et al, 2002; Fehler-Cabral et al, 2011; Lewis-O’Connor & Chadwick, 2015) and a small body of research in the United Kingdom (Kumari et al, 2019; Walker et al, 2020), other European countries (Denis et al, 2018; Gilles et al, 2019; Hagemann et al, 2011, 2013, 2014), Australia (Astbury, 2006; Lievore, 2005), and New Zealand (Jordan, 2001). Understandably, the vast majority of study subjects have been female.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There are many reasons why victims have an MFE including a desire for criminal justice, a duty to prevent sexual assault from happening to others by the same perpetrator, to validate their claims of victimization, to find out what happened, to access healthcare and due to pressure from family, friends, police, and healthcare providers (Campbell et al, 2020; Du Mont et al, 2008). Victims who receive a forensic examination might access services primarily for a healthcare response, not a criminal justice one but believe they have to participate in the forensic examination to obtain the care they need (Du Mont et al, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adult Sexual Assault Patients’ Experience of the Physical Examination Component of the Medical Forensic Examination: A Scoping Review to Identify Gaps in the Research Literature

Stewart

Shackel

Freedman

et al. 2023

Trauma, Violence, & Abuse

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We undertook a scoping review of published research literature that reported on adult sexual assault patients’ experience of the physical examination component of the medical forensic examination (MFE). Eligible papers were those reporting data about the physical examination component of the MFE from the adult patient’s perspective, published in the period January 2000 to March 2022 in peer reviewed journals and reports containing original research data published from a tertiary institution. Twelve papers were identified. The review identified a gap in the literature regarding the patient’s experience of the physical examination component of the MFE. The existing literature is limited but suggests that some patients find the examination empowering and reassuring, restoring a sense of bodily control; however, for others it is an intrusive, violating experience that they endure. A more patient-centered sexual assault service appears to have a therapeutic value in itself, but more research is warranted as existing research is very limited and often from a proxy. In particular, more research on patients’ self-reported experience of the MFE, including specific aspects of the examination and the experience of male and gender nonconforming victim-survivors, is needed. A better understanding, from the point of view of the patient, of the benefits of attending, may encourage victim-survivors to seek a health response and, possibly, report to police. It may also be time to assess the impacts of certain aspects of the forensic examination, rethink standard evidence collection processes, and consider enabling more acceptable options for victim-survivors including self-collection of intimate samples.

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Why do sexual assault survivors seek medical forensic exams and forensic evidence collection? Exploring patterns of service needs in a state-wide study.

Cited by 7 publications

References 65 publications

Post-Sexual Assault Decision Making: Centering Black Women’s Experiences

Post-Sexual Assault Decision Making: Centering Black Women’s Experiences

Hope Shattered: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis of Survivors’ Experiences With Untested Rape Kits

Adult Sexual Assault Patients’ Experience of the Physical Examination Component of the Medical Forensic Examination: A Scoping Review to Identify Gaps in the Research Literature

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