Promote a victim-centered reporting process

Some approaches for communities to consider: 
  • Encourage victims to consent to the medical forensic history, an examination, and documentation regardless of whether an evidence collection kit is used. 
  • Explore the myriad reasons why victims are reluctant to report and how the actions or attitudes of agencies may help perpetuate these fears. Help agencies consider how to reduce reluctance and fears.
  • Evaluate local trends regarding reporting and victims’ involvement in the criminal justice system. Based on feedback, develop and implement a plan to improve multidisciplinary response to sexual assault.
  • Increase victim-sensitivity education for first responders (e.g., educate law enforcement investigators on interviewing versus interrogating skills, educate health care personnel to be compassionate and not blame patients for the assault, and educate prosecutors to be victim-centered in their approaches).
  • Encourage criminal justice statistical reports that accurately reflect the frequency and severity of sexual assaults reported in a jurisdiction. 
  • Initiate community education, outreach, and services targeting groups that may be reluctant to seek assistance after an assault. 
  • Offer viable options for reimbursement of exam costs for which victims are responsible.[1] 
  • Encourage the development of a coordinating council and/or SART to facilitate a more coordinated, victim-centered, comprehensive community response to sexual violence.
  • Support the formation of specialized examiner programs, investigative and prosecution units, and sexual assault victim advocacy programs to handle these cases. Specialization can potentially increase the knowledge base and commitment of involved responders, increase adherence to jurisdictional protocols for immediate response to sexual assault, encourage a victim-centered response, and positively advertise services offered. 
  • Develop jurisdictionwide public information initiatives on mandatory reporting—mandatory reporters need to know applicable statutes regarding reporting sexual assault cases that involve older vulnerable adults, persons with disabilities, and minors. A toll-free hotline number exclusively dedicated to abuse reports may also help simplify reporting and ensure a written report of each case and referrals to appropriate agencies. Such a hotline could be operated at a State, tribal, regional, or local level. To encourage both reporting and followthrough, protective agencies that investigate these cases should work collaboratively with local law enforcement agencies to ensure that each case is dealt with in the best possible manner and that further harm does not occur.[2]  
  • In institutional settings such as prisons, jails, immigrant detention centers, nursing homes and assisted living programs, inpatient treatment centers, and group homes, ensure that victims can report assaults to outside agencies and are offered protection from retaliation for reporting. 
  • In each case, strive to create an environment in which victims are encouraged to report and are supported throughout the criminal justice process and beyond. Even in those cases that do not develop beyond an initial report to the police, victims should feel that they are respected.[3] 
  • After steps have been taken to identify and remove barriers to reporting sexual assaults, educate the public about the potential benefits of reporting, how to go about reporting, what happens once a report is filed, and jurisdictional legal advocacy services available (if any) for sexual assault victims. Build upon already existing public awareness efforts of local advocacy programs.  
[1] It would be ideal if victims did not have to cover any costs for the exam and related medical care. However, jurisdictions and exam facilities vary in the costs that victims are required to cover. Often, but not always, victims are responsible for the costs of treatment for injuries and possible pregnancy, STIs, and HIV infection. Some exam facilities are flexible—they may allow victims to pay as they are financially able or may be willing to waive some or all charges. In some jurisdictions, if victims decide not to report but want the exam performed, they are held responsible for the cost of the exam. 
[2] Bullet drawn from A. Vachss, Redefining Rape Response: When the Victim is Elderly or Has a Disability, 2001, pp. 6–8, and 10. 
[3] Bullet adapted from the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General’s Standards for Providing Services to Survivors of Sexual Assault, 1998, pp. 6 and 18. 


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