2006 WATCH Victim Impact Statement Study (pdf)
This study addresses victim impact statements as given in court regarding incidences of domestic violence and/or sexual assault and the effect these statements had on the judge regarding sentencing.
A meta-analysis of the relationship of child sexual abuse to adult psychological adjustment
"This paper reports on meta-analyses of the relations of child sexual abuse to adult psychological adjustment. Results indicated statistically significant relationships between the experience of child sexual abuse and subsequent difficulties in psychological adjustment as measured by psychological symptomatology, depression, and self-esteem."
Age at First Sexual Assault and Current Substance Use and Depression
This article explores how the association between sexual violence and substance use and mental health differs by race and life course stage. Although sexual violence does not heighten the risk of problem drinking for White women, minority women victimized in adulthood are significantly more likely to engage in problem drinking and use illicit drugs. This suggests that for minority women the effects of recent victimization experiences result in immediate and potentially long-lasting consequences. The findings with respect to the association between sexual violence and depression are consistent with the child and adolescent development literature. It is Hispanic women who are more likely to suffer depression as a consequence of child sexual assault.
An Evidence-Based Review of Sexual Assault Preventive Intervention Programs (pdf)
RTI International performed a comprehensive literature review of existing Sexual Assault Preventive Programs (SAPIs). This document provides an evidence-based review of their findings and includes extensive evaluations of existing SAPIs, identifies areas where there appear to be significant gaps, as well as provides recommendations for the change of current/future SAPIs. *This file is very large, please be patient as it downloads*
Child Abuse and Domestic Violence
Discussion of the study, "Relation Between Childhood Sexual and Physical Abuse and Risk of Revictimisation in Women: A Cross-Sectional Survey", that shows women who are physically and/or sexually abused in childhood are at risk of being victims of abuse as adults.
Child Sexual Abuse and Subsequent Psychopathology: Results From the National Comorbidity Survey
"This study examines the relationship between child sexual abuse (CSA) and subsequent onset of psychiatric disorders, accounting for other childhood adversities, CSA type, and chronicity of the abuse."
Confronting the Sexual Abuse of Women with Disabilities
This VAWnet paper provides a brief summary of the research on sexual abuse of women with disabilities. The document also covers the origins of our knowledge concerning the sexual abuse of women with disabilities, the methodological quandaries related to sexual abuse research in general and the data on women with disabilities and the men who abuse them, and concludes with an exploration of the efforts of women with disabilities and their allies to counter sexual abuse.
Costs of Sexual Violence in Minnesota (pdf)
This document examines the costs of sexual violence in variety of arenas, and is valuable for grant writing, community organizing, increasing awareness about the scope of the problem, and policy advocacy.
Date Rape: A Hidden Crime (pdf)
"This Australian report provides an overview of main issues underlying date rape including: incidence, difficulties in measuring extent; complicated issues around sexual consent; impact on victims; and, obstacles and options in prevention and treatment."
Dying of Sadness: Gender, Sexual Violence and the HIV Epidemic
This paper aims to explore the relationship between sexual violence and the HIV epidemic. The paper explores this complex phehomenon with multiple determinants, consequences and manifestations.
Effects of Sexual Victimization
"This brief article lists some of the effects/symptoms that victims of sexual violence may experience."
Elder Abuse Fact Sheet (pdf)
Educates persons about the risk factors, consequences, and prevention of elder abuse.
"Discusses gender-based violence as a major public health concern and a violation of human rights."
"The present study was designed to examine the extent to which ethnic differences in the circumstances of abuse would be related to psychological outcomes and whether the relationship of ethnicity to psychological outcomes would be independent of ethnic differences in the circumstances of abuse."
Despite widespread public education, rape remains a largely underreported crime; and despite increased levels of research over the past few decades, significant gaps remain in understanding rape victimization. This NIJ Special Report takes a detailed look at the National Violence Against Women Survey findings and the researchers' recommendations for future research.
Facts: Sexual Violence for the World Report on Violence and Health
"Pulls from selected national studies to describe the global epidemic of sexual violence: The Extent of the Problem; The Consequences of Sexual Violence; What are the Risk Factors for Sexual Violence?; What Can be Done to Prevent Sexual Violence? "
Homeless in Minnesota 2003 (pdf)
Drawn from interviews with more than 3,000 homeless adults and youth throughout Minnesota, this research describes some of the causes, effects, and circumstances surrounding homelessness. It identifies relationships between homelessness, sexual abuse and domestic violence.
This article, of the Research and Advocacy Digest from the Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs, focuses on the intersection between sexual victimization and homeless youth, and provides an overview of research on this topic area. Numerous abstracts are detailed and discussed within this context.
Homelessness and Family Trauma: The Case for Early Intervention (pdf)
A publication of Health Care for the Homeless Clinician's Network, National Health Care for the Homeless Council. This article focuses on the impact that homelessness has on children, especially for those who have experienced sexual, physical and/or emotional abuse or are in environments where this abuse is occurring. The issue addresses the need for early intervention and provides clinicians with tips on identifying signs of trauma in homeless children as well as when and how to intervene.
This report aims to bring attention to medical, psychosocial and socio-economic consequences of sexual violence in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The report is based on medical data and testimonies collected in MSF's work in Eastern DRC.
Male Survivors of Sexual Assault and Rape (pdf)
"This document provides an overview of the research on male survivors of sexual assault and takes a closer look at the role that communities have in addressing this issue."
Marital Rape (pdf)
This VAWnet report provides an overview of the research on marital rape with (1) a brief legal history of marital rape; (2) a discussion of the occurrence of marital rape;(3) a summary of the effects of marital rape; and (4) an analysis of practitioners' interventions with marital rape survivors.
Marital Rape: New Research and Directions
Provides an overview of the research on marital rape including a brief legal history of marital rape; a discussion of the occurrence of marital rape; a summary of the effects of marital rape; and an analysis of practitioners' intervention with marital rape survivors.
Mental Health Services for Rape Survivors: Current Issues in Therapeutic Practice
This Violence Against Women Online Resources commissioned document reviews three critical issues for mental health practitioners working with rape survivors. First, current research suggests that victims experience a variety of negative mental health effects from sexual assault, including, but not limited to, post-traumatic stress symptoms. Second, empirical evaluations of therapeutic techniques suggest that cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT) can be effective in reducing short-term post-rape fear and anxiety symptoms. Finally, it is not uncommon that mental health practitioners who work with rape survivors experience distressing emotions similar to those of the survivors. Self care strategies are particularly important for therapists engaged in this kind of work.
Mothers of Sexually Abused Children: Trauma and Repair in Longitudinal Perspective
This study addressed the increase in maternal psychological stress that develops following the disclosure of their child's sexual abuse. A mother's stress is often correlated and associated with the child's coping skills and level of stress, thus it is extremely important to work with mother on relieving/alleviating their stress so as to in turn work the child at healing from their sexual trauma.
No Safe Place: Sexual Assault in the Lives of Homeless Women
Homelessness is an enormous social problem in the United States. Homeless women — including the “hidden homeless” — are particularly vulnerable to multiple forms of victimization including forced, coerced, or manipulated sexual activity. Levels of victimization that women endure before, during, and after episodes of homelessness remain enormously high, often occurring in multiple settings at the hands of multiple perpetrators.
Pornography and Sexual Violence
This paper explores possible connections between men's use of pornography and sexual violence, and highlights definitions of terms, appropriate methods of investigation, relevant aspects of current disputes, and how pornography reinforces and sexualizes a subordinate status of women.
Poverty and Sexual Violence: Building Prevention and Intervention Responses (pdf)
"The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape announces a new resource, Poverty and Sexual Violence: Building Prevention and Intervention Responses. There is a complex and often reciprocal relationship between poverty and sexual violence. This guide is intended to support rape crisis centers in their economic advocacy efforts at all levels of the organization, using the Spectrum of Violence Prevention as a blueprint in responding to the needs of victims, survivors, and communities. To these ends, the guide includes: a definition and discussion of terms, literature review, discussion of the philosophical framework for economic advocacy, ways to apply economic advocacy to the work, tools and resources, and fact sheets."
Rape and Sexual Assault: Reporting to Police and Medical Attention: 1992-2000 (pdf)
This 2002 document provides information on the consequences of completed rape, attempted rape, and sexual assault of females that were reported to police from 1992-2000.
Report on Research on Rape and Violence (pdf)
"This report is a compendium of research on issues related to rape, sexual assault, and violence. While efforts have been made to include research from as many sources as possible, it is inevitable that other valuable sources of research may contain information no included in this report."
Sexual Abuse of Males: Prevalence, Lasting Effects, and Resources
Discusses the mythology, prevalence, and lasting effects surrounding sexual abuse of males. Posted resources include a bibliography and a page on Giving and receiving hope.
Sexual Violence and Homelessness (pdf)
This fact sheet provides information on the link between homelessness and sexual violence, the barriers homeless face in receiving services, and what rape crisis centers can do to meet the needs of the homeless. It provides general information on the topic as well as information and statistics specific to Pennsylvania.
Sexual Violence and its Consequences among Displaced Persons in Darfur and Chad
This briefing paper documents how the Sudanese security forces, including police deployed to protect displaced persons, and allied Janjaweed militias continue to commit rape and sexual violence on daily basis. Even as refugees in Chad, women and girls fleeing the violence in Darfur continued to face the risk of rape and assault by civilians or militia members when collecting water, fuel or animal fodder near the border.
Sexual Violence Data Brief: 1999 to 2001 (pdf)
This data brief outlines the hospital care in Minnesota due to sexual violence, patient demographics, patient injuries, charges, costs and payers, and perpetrators.
Sexual Violence in the Lives of African American Women: Risk, Response, and Resilience
"This paper synthesizes information on African American female victim/survivors. It addresses historical context, survivor traits, risk factors, health consequences, culturally sensitive responses, and resilience of survivors."
Silent Epidemic: A Survey of Violence Among Young Asian American Women
This report examines the impact of sexual violence, intimate partner violence and stalking on young Asian American women. The study also examines levels of awareness, prevalence, and access to services. It also addresses cultural and institutional barriers that Asian American victims of sexual violence, intimate partner violence and stalking may face.
Surviving Violence and Poverty (pdf)
This document examines the link between domestic and sexual violence, women's poverty and welfare. This report contains a statistical overview of the problem and recommendations for future policy change.
This report examines the links between eating disorders and violence against women and girls. It is based on information gathered from published literature as well as consultations with community workers, health practitioners, and mental health professionals. “Swallowing the Hurt” has been designed for use by frontline workers, health care and social service professionals, educators, and researchers who offer services directly for or who may interact with women and girls experiencing eating disorders or violence.
Teen Dating Violence: Information and Resources (pdf)
This is an information packet developed by the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV) as an introduction to the dynamics, prevalence and consequences of teen dating violence. The packet explores issues specific to teen dating violence, examines current provision of support services for teens and presents information about a variety of promising prevention /intervention strategies. The intent of packet contents is to examine some of the key dating violence issues currently facing teens and their advocates.
The Health Impacts on Adult Women of Childhood Sexual Violence Before the Age of Twelve Years
This is a 1998 report by seven authors of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia. The authors describe the health consequences in adulthood that often emerge as a consequence of childhood sexual violence. High rates of depression and dissociation resulted, as well as a low rate of school completion. The experiences of women when they sought help are described.
The Prostitution of Women and Girls in Metropolitan Chicago: A Preliminary Prevalence Report (pdf)
This report represents the first research to determine the number of girls and women involved in prostitution in the Chicago metropolitan area, and completes the first phase of a multi-phase project designed to ascertain how many girls and women in prostitution are being affected by problems of violence, abuse, substance abuse, and homelessness.
The Traumatic Impact of Child Sexual Abuse: A Conceptualization (pdf)
"In this paper a framework is proposed for a more systematic understanding of the effects of child sexual abuse. Four traumagenic dynamics – traumatic sexualization, betrayal, stigmatization, and powerlessness – are identified as the core of the psychological injury inflicted by abuse. These dynamics can be used to make assessments of victimized children and to anticipate problems to which these children may be vulnerable subsequently. Implications for research are also considered."
Treatment of Adult Sex Offenders
"This Applied Research paper provides an overview of the current state of treatment of adult male sex offenders, with a focus on the effectiveness of treatment."
Victim Responses to Sexual Assault: Counterintuitive or Simply Adaptive?
"This resource provides information on the different responses that individuals who are sexually assaulted display as well as the different coping strategies of victims."
Violence Against Women: Identifying Risk Factors (pdf)
This NIJ Research in Brief combines the results taken from two studies, one of which followed college women and men for 4 years, and the other, which followed low-income, mostly black women who had been victims of childhood sexual abuse. Each study found that child sexual abuse alone was a risk factor only when combined with adolescent sexual abuse. Although each study examined a narrowly defined population, taken together, both studies came to remarkably similar conclusions.
Violence Against Women: Impact on Sexual and Reproductive Health (pdf)
This paper addresses the dimensions and origins of sexual violence and the outcomes related to reproductive health.
Zero Tolerance: Stop the Violence Against Women and Children, Stop HIV/AIDS (word)
Violence is linked to HIV. Women who have experienced violence may be up to three times more likely to acquire HIV. In addition to behavioral risk factors, there are direct consequences of unprotected forced or coerced sex, and this is compounded by global HIV/AIDS policies that fail to take seriously the realities facing women and girls. Fear of violence can prevent women from seeking VCT, disclosing their serostatus, and receiving treatment when it is needed.