Social work and sexual assault
Social work and sexual assault
In instances where individuals have been the victims of sexual assault or rape, social workers are often involved in handling their cases. The sensitive, personal nature of these crimes and the reluctance in reporting them means that social work professionals and students who are earning their master of social work (MSW) degree may need to approach such cases with compassion, professionalism and a solid understanding of the unique ethical considerations associated with cases of sexual assault.
Overviews of legal definitions and specialist sexual violence support organizations
Due to the highly sensitive nature of crimes involving sexual assault, aspiring social workers and practicing professionals may find that familiarizing themselves with the legal definitions of rape and the various support organizations dedicated to assisting survivors could be beneficial to their effectiveness when operating in this area of practice.
Women Organized Against Rape (WOAR) Group dedicated to eliminating rape in modern society, providing support to victims of rape and sexual assault, and enabling women to empower themselves through education and positive action.
Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) Organization offering educational programs and support services to both women and men. This group is also involved in extensive awareness campaign initiatives.
Statutory Rape: Summary of State Laws Guidelines published by the Department of Health and Human Services, providing insight into the legal definitions of statutory rape, one of the most potentially complex types of sexual violence.
Approaches to dealing with cases of sexual assault
As with many specialist areas of social work practice, students earning their MSW may want to familiarize themselves with the specific laws, regulations and ethical problems often faced by social workers handling cases involving rape and sexual assault. This area of practice, while common in clinical environments, can be especially demanding.
Current Issues in Therapeutic Practice Resource offering an outline of what services may be provided to survivors of rape and sexual violence from a human services department. This overview offers an analysis of what issues victims may be facing from a mental health perspective and how social workers can assist victims.
Understanding Survivors' Decisions Not to Seek Help from Social Systems Publication offering guidance to social work professionals and students who are earning their MSW in understanding the complex emotional and psychological motivations in some victims' desire not to seek help from social workers and supporting organizations.
Rape Work: Victims, Gender, and Emotions in an Organization and Community Context Text outlining how issues of gender and legal considerations can often make it difficult for those individuals who do seek to involve law enforcement to do so. Social workers and students may find this information useful when approaching clients who have undergone such an ordeal.
Perceptions of rape and sexual violence in society
Many victims of rape do not seek help due to misconceptions, both personal and societal, of crimes involving sexual violence. For any social work professional practicing in this area, an understanding of wider attitudes towards rape and how to approach cases on an individual basis may prove valuable.
Community Services for Rape Survivors: Helpful, or Harmful? Paper discussing how social work and human services organizations can be helpful in assisting the survivors of sexual violence, but also how poorly managed programs and a lack of wider societal context can be detrimental to long-term treatment objectives. This report focuses primarily on the psychological well being of female rape victims.
The Role of Feminist Activism in the Handling of Rape Victims Presentation examining how 30 years of feminist activism has impacted how female rape victims are perceived by society as a whole, and specifically by law enforcement agencies. This presentation draws heavily on Rape Work, a landmark text by Patricia Yancey Martin.
Feminism and Group Support Sessions for Victims of Rape Study investigating the role of feminism in supporting victims of sexual violence. This report also examines how social work group therapy sessions, research and feminist theory can and should be used in approaching cases involving rape.
College Students' Attitudes Towards Acquaintance Rape Study outlining how misconceptions about acquaintance rape can be challenged by social conventions such as the mainstream media, cultural influences and accepted norms, and personal beliefs. This study focuses on the effectiveness of social work interventions on cases involving rape as perceived by college freshmen.
Development and Testing of a New Version of the Hypermasculinity Index Report examining how prevention of rape and sexual assault through cultural awareness should be a primary goal of social work professionals operating in this specialist area of practice.
A Review of Rape in Social Work Literature Analysis of 66 social work research papers and studies, examining how the focus on cases of adult rape have been shaped by current psychosocial attitudes in social work research and wider societal attitudes. This study focuses on whether associating rape with other social work practice areas, such as mental health and domestic violence, is truly beneficial and accurate from a research perspective.
POSTED BY: ec_admin - November 29th, 2011 at 03:51pm ( 0 )
