Date of Conferral

2015

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Kristen Beyer

Abstract

Sexual assault advocacy services are intended to support and empower victims during the aftermath of an assault. This study's purpose was to identify sexual assault victims' use and satisfaction with victim advocacy services, and to compare those outcomes in first-time victims and victims of multiple sexual assaults. The goal was to determine if victims of multiple sexual assaults would seek services again due to satisfaction after receiving prior sexual assault advocacy services. Guided by empowerment theory, this study purported that victim satisfaction and seeking additional services would promote coping and empowerment for the victims and result in positive social change. Quantitative data were analyzed using the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research with inclusion criteria of female, sexual assault victim, age 18 years or older, and being African American or Caucasian. The number of previous sexual assaults, use and satisfaction with victim advocacy services, and participant demographics were analyzed using inferential tests. A Chi-square test of independence examined the relation between victims of multiple sexual assaults and their use of victim advocacy services during the most recent assault, and revealed that victims of multiple sexual assaults were more likely to seek medical services during the most recent assault than they were to seek legal or sexual assault crisis center services. This finding suggests areas of improvement for victim advocacy services, specifically in improving the dissemination and collaboration of services among the medical, legal, and sexual assault crisis center communities. The findings from this study may help to evolve victim advocacy services, thereby increasing sexual assault victims' satisfaction with and use of services.

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