Type:	Journal Article
Title:	Domestic violence and sexual assault services: inside the black box
Other Titles:	Aggression and violent behavior
Authors:	Sangster, Tamara H Montijo, Natalie Johns Crosby, Carmen Macy, Rebecca J Giattina, Mary
Keywords:	Training;Counselling;Standards;Sexual assault
Year:	2009
Publisher:	Elsevier Science
Citation:	14 (5), September-October 2009
Notes:	General Overview: There is little understanding of the structures, components and content of domestic violence and sexual assault services in the United States today. This article synthesises and compares the guidelines that services use in order to shed light on this ‘black box’ and makes recommendations for improvements in the field. Methods: In this US study, analysis is made of the current literature on community based domestic violence and sexual assault services. The authors review thirteen primary sources, service guidelines and training manuals from community domestic violence and sexual assault support services, with twenty-eight secondary sources published between 1990-2007 that discuss services of this kind. Results: The authors found a consensus in the literature on the core services recommended for sexual assault agencies. This included: a 24-hour crisis service; telephone hotline; legal advocacy; support groups; and counselling. There were similar recommendations for domestic violence services, with the addition of emergency accommodation. However, there was some dispute in the literature over whether volunteers or trained professionals should provide services. The study found that the literature also lacked consensus on the skills, knowledge and expertise needed for the provision of effective services to survivors. There was no consensus regarding the delivery of services by single and dual focussed agencies. Most of the literature found that agencies with a dual focus on both sexual assault and domestic violence did not deliver services as well as those with a single focus. Yet, the authors found that the separation of domestic violence from sexual assault problematic, as sexual assault often occurs within the context of domestic violence. More specifically, some literature argued for the continuous staffing of refuges due to a need for continuous support. Other work advocated that refuges not be staffed at all times because of the need for survivors to establish independence. There was also some disagreement as to whether women who have substance abuse issues be admitted to shelters. Conclusion: The authors recommend that service providers and other researchers turn their attention to the areas of controversy identified. They further recommend that services develop specific recommendations to guide shelter staffing, specifically meaningful training regarding issues of drug and alcohol abuse. Finally, service providers should have a basic knowledge of both domestic violence and sexual assault, and the particularity of the needs of women who have experienced both these kinds of violence.
URI:	https://anrows.intersearch.com.au/anrowsjspui/handle/1/14345
ISSN:	1359-1789
Appears in Collections:	Journal Articles

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