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Awareness weeks guide

Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Sexual Assault Awareness Month

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), the goal of SAAM is to raise public awareness of the issue of sexual assault and educate our community on how we can all play a part in prevention. This year, the theme is “I Ask”, which encourages everyone to put consent into practice. Gippsland Centre Against Sexual Assault

 

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Articles

Mental health

Shame and emotion dysregulation as pathways to posttraumatic stress symptoms among women with a history of interpersonal trauma
Women who have survived interpersonal trauma are at elevated risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and potentially modifiable factors that may be targeted in treatment warrant further investigation. This study examined a pathway from interpersonal trauma to PTSD symptoms via emotion dysregulation and shame in a large non-clinical sample of women. Journal of interpersonal violence 9 November 2023

Intimate partner violence and women’s mental health during the pandemic
As a result of this study, the problems experienced during the pandemic period caused an increase in women’s exposure to partner violence and anxiety and depression levels. It is noteworthy that IPV has an effect on the increase in anxiety and depression levels. In this context, our study will be a solid foundation for developing an effective psychological intervention for women during the pandemic period. Journal of psychiatric nursing 29 March 2024

“Counteract the gaslighting” – a thematic analysis of open-ended responses about what women survivors of intimate partner sexual violence need from service providers
The exploratory findings extend the limited evidence base on Intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV) and highlight a need for further in-depth research to explore a tailored approach to supporting IPSV survivors. To avoid contributing to the silencing of IPSV survivors, service responses should recognise the harmful and sexualised nature of IPSV, challenge cultural stereotypes that minimise IPSV, and understand that co-occurring psychological abuse may exacerbate shame and prevent women from articulating the source of their distress. BMC women’s health 9 February 2024

The mental health of officials who regularly examine child sexual abuse material: strategies for harm mitigation
Findings indicate that police agencies have options for implementing agency-level procedures and practices that have the potential to reduce the negative impact of CSAM investigations. Additionally, many investigators use strategies that are correlated with greater well-being, suggesting opportunities for improving training programs. BMC psychiatry 13 December 2023

Sleep characteristics and inflammatory markers in women with post-traumatic stress disorder
Sexual violence is one of the most severe traumatic events. It is associated with a higher risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) development. Sleep disturbances such as insomnia are frequently reported by PTSD patients and play a key role in the development and course of the disorder. Sleep disturbances are associated with higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines emphasizing the importance of sleep studies in individuals with PTSD. BMC psychiatry 20 April 2024

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Policy

Improving emotional safety, coping, and resilience among women conducting research on sexual and domestic violence and abuse
Secondary trauma arises through indirect exposure to trauma through engaging with first-hand accounts and narratives of traumatic events. While a significant amount of research has explored secondary trauma experienced by professionals who work with survivors of trauma, such as clinicians and front-line service providers, there is little research exploring the experiences of secondary trauma among violence researchers who routinely engage with traumatic first-hand accounts through their work. This study qualitatively explored violence researcher’s professional experiences of secondary trauma and their perceptions of what enables and constrains their own coping and resilience. Journal of interpersonal violence 24 October 2024

Police-recorded adult sexual assault in the Northern Territory, Australia: Alcohol involvement and alcohol policy effects
The rate of adult sexual assaults in the NT is extremely high and many involve alcohol. Neither the Banned Drinker Register or Minimum Unit Price were associated with changes in police-recorded adult sexual assault in Greater Darwin or across the NT. Due to small counts, the authors were unable to assess policy impacts in three of the four main towns, highlighting the challenges of assessing impacts of policies on sexual assault in small population areas. Drug and alcohol review 6 December 2023

Sexual violence in nightlife and positive bystander intervention in an English city
Sexual violence is a pertinent issue in nightlife. Programmes aiming to address nightlife-related sexual violence must address the wider social norms that promote sexual violence, and ensure patrons understand the extent and significance of the issue, to increase confidence to positively intervene. BMC public health 11 January 2024

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Research

Sexual violence against women remains problematic and highly prevalent around the world
Nearly one out of every three (29%) women around the world has been a victim of sexual violence in their life. This current study investigated the status and characteristics of sexual violence against women, which could provide an important reference for police and emergency health services management. BMC women’s health 26 April 2023

How narratives of female sexual agency conceal vulnerability to rape: an analysis from South Australian rape trials
The legal requirement of consent presumes women conduct their sexual relations in the twenty-first century from a place of increased sexual liberation and agency, concealing the sexual double standard by which female sexual behaviour is judged. Consent-based reforms on their own, therefore, provide little recourse for rape victims when evidence of their past sexual history or sexual behaviour, such as flirting or sexting, may be admissible at trial. Informed by a thematic analysis of District and Supreme Court judgments from South Australia between 2012 and 2023, this article explores how accused persons may rely upon a victim’s sexual history or behaviour to create a narrative of implied consent or to support their belief in consent. Considering these findings, I argue that the progression towards more egalitarian sexual attitudes remains a double-edged sword for women as it sanctions their portrayal as sexual agents while concealing their vulnerability to rape. Griffith law review 3 February 2024

UK and Australian university students’ perceptions of the nature of sexual assault and intervening behavior
Sexual assault is a global problem, with the risk highest among university students. Bystander intervention preventing sexual assaults has primarily been researched using quantitative methods to understand what factors influence it. However, both sexual assault and bystander intervention are complex with many subtle and overlapping issues that, when analyzed qualitatively, can offer new insights. The current study aimed to explore and develop a nuanced and comprehensive understanding of students’ perceptions of sexual assault and bystander intervention across two universities, one in the United Kingdom and one in Australia. Journal of interpersonal violence 14 November 2023

“Pretty women” and “Lucky blokes”: Unpacking Australian social media responses to female-perpetrated sexual assault against men
Female-perpetrated sexual violence research in Australia and elsewhere has been limited, part of a less common and arguably contentious field of criminology. Because of gendered social and cultural stereotypes, female sexual offending is often perceived as harmless or too rare to warrant attention. Utilizing Schippers’ pariah femininities, this paper presents a critical criminological exploration of social media users’ constructions of female sex offenders and their male victim-survivors. Examining 28 Facebook posts from 13 popular Australian newspapers, the findings identified social media users’ tendency to question offence severity and sexualize offenders based on appearance, revealing how offender legitimacy and conceptions of harm are shaped by gendered expectations of “pretty women” and “lucky blokes.” Conclusions suggest online discourse remains influenced by gendered stereotypes, though awareness of pariah femininities is growing, with further research needed worldwide to explore the impact of such social media attitudes and commentary on the incidence of and reactions to female sexual offending against men, including victim-survivors’ help-seeking behavior. Journal of interpersonal violence 17 March 2024

Reasons for not reporting among sexual assault survivors who seek medical forensic exams: A qualitative analysis
After a sexual assault, survivors have the option of seeking a medical forensic exam, which includes medical evaluation and treatment, as well as forensic evidence collection. Forensic evidence is collected in a sexual assault evidence kit (SAEK) and typically released to police to aid in the investigation and potential prosecution of the assault. However, 20% to 25% of survivors who have a SAEK collected do not report their assault to police at that time and choose instead to have their SAEK stored for possible future use. This study sought to understand the reasons for not reporting among this group of survivors. Journal of interpersonal violence 16 November 2023

Sexual abuse during childhood and all-cause mortality into middle adulthood: an Australian cohort study
The known: Sexual abuse during childhood has been linked with greater risks of mental illness, health risk behaviour, and negative social outcomes. Its relationship with premature mortality, apart from suicide, has not been as thoroughly investigated.
The new: Rates of all-cause, internal cause, and external cause mortality into mid-adulthood were higher among Victorians who had been sexually abused as children than for the general population. External cause mortality rates were particularly high for people who had experienced penetrative sexual abuse.
The implications: Sexual abuse of children and its sequelae may contribute to potentially avoidable deaths later in life. Preventing sexual abuse and supporting those who experience it is essential not only for the child, but also for the adult they become. MJA 23 August 2023

“You’re just constantly on alert”: Women and gender-diverse people’s experiences of sexual violence on public transport
Sexual violence is a public health issue that can be experienced across the life course. Public transport is a key site of sexual violence and harassment experienced by women and gender-diverse people in Australia, although victim-survivor voices have rarely been sought in addressing this issue.  Journal of interpersonal violence 19 July 2023

“Paralysed and powerless”: a feminist critical discourse analysis of ‘Drink spiking’ in Australian news media
Alcohol and Other Drug Facilitated Sexual Violence (AODFSV), known as “drink-spiking,” is the administration of alcohol or other drugs to someone without their consent, with the intent to harm them. Investigation into portrayals of AODFSV in the Australian news media is needed. Using feminist critical discourse analysis, this paper investigated the portrayal of AODFSV in the Australian news media in the past ten years. Feminist media studies 9 July 2023

The normalisation of sexual violence revictimisation in regional and rural areas: Our failure to respond
Sexual revictimisation has devastating consequences for victim/survivors, yet there is limited research exploring women's experience of revictimisation in regional/rural areas. Using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach, this paper reports on a qualitative study that employed a material feminist lens and Nixon's theory of “slow violence” to explore women's lived experiences of sexual revictimisation. Australian journal of social issues 3 November 2023

Physicians and nurses professional relationship with criminal investigation in dealing with survivors of sexual abuse: a scoping review
This review highlights the importance of effective collaboration and interaction within teams and with other professionals in the care of sexual abuse survivors. Health and justice 31 August 2023

Understanding the perspectives and experiences of male perpetrators of sexual violence against women: A scoping review and thematic synthesis
The authors developed four major themes from our thematic analysis of the study findings that represent the experiences and perceptions of male perpetrators of sexual violence. These themes describe deflecting blame onto the victim, external circumstances as mitigating factors, or the perpetrator’s uncontrollable biological urges. One theme involved some expression of remorse or acceptance of responsibility. Although these findings may have implications for prevention and rehabilitation programs, further research is urgently needed in this area. Trauma violence and abuse 28 March 2024

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Treatment

Sexually transmitted infections diagnosed in individuals presenting for forensic and medical care following sexual assault
The offer of sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing is almost universally accepted by individuals presenting for post-sexual assault care. There were no identifiable factors to justify the routine use of chlamydia prophylaxis. STI testing provided an opportunity for screening and should remain part of the clinical care of people who report sexual assault. Sexually transmitted infections 17 January 2024

Bridging gaps in collaboration between community organizations and hospital-based violence treatment centers serving transgender sexual assault survivors
Community and healthcare organizations have not historically collaborated effectively, leaving gaps in the continuum of care for survivors of sexual assault. These gaps are particularly acutely felt by transgender (trans) survivors, who experience additional barriers to care and face higher rates of sexual assault. To bridge these gaps and enhance the provision of comprehensive support for trans people, we developed an intersectoral network of trans-positive community and hospital-based organizations in Ontario, Canada. Journal of interpersonal violence 16 November 2023

Training Australian general practitioners to counsel women experiencing intimate partner abuse (WEAVE): a pre-post training analysis
The Healthy Relationships Training program for general practitioners increased aspects of practitioner knowledge, skills, and confidence. However, more support is needed to change opinions and support victim-survivors sustainably. BMC primary care 20 March 2024

Understanding the lived experience of pregnancy and birth for survivors of rape and sexual assault
Survivors of sexual violence have specific maternity care needs. For the participants of this study, these needs were often not met, leading to negative or traumatic experiences of pregnancy and birth. Systemic biases and poor birth experience jeopardise both psychological and physical safety. Funding for maternity and mental health services must be improved, so that they meet minimum staffing and care standards. Maternity services should urgently introduce trauma-informed models of care. BMC pregnancy and childbirth 16 November 2023

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Journals

This is just a sample of the journals the library subscribes to – you will need your library login

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E-books

This is just a sample of the e-books the library subscribes to – you will need your library login

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