Victim Advocates' Perceptions of the Role of Health Care Workers in Sexual Assault Cases

Abstract

Victim assistance officials work to ensure that victims can overcome the negative consequences of victimization. In performing these activities, they collaborate with a number of professionals from seemingly disparate fields. Among others, they often work with various health care professionals. In this article, attention is given to the barriers that may limit effective collaboration between health care professionals and victim assistance professionals. A total of 44 sexual assault crisis center workers completed a survey assessing collaboration barriers. Results suggest that the types of barriers arising vary among specific types of health care providers. One set of barriers arises when collaborating with health care professionals such as nurses and hospital workers. Another set of obstacles arises with mental health workers. Implications are provided.