Rape crisis centre

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from
Rape crisis center
)

A rape crisis centre, also known as a sexual assault crisis centre or sexual assault referral centre (SARC), is a specialised centre to support victims of rape or other sexual assault, both in the immediate aftermath of the assault and in the months and sometimes years following the attack. They are usually situated in a secure location and employ a multidisciplinary team of practitioners to provide medical, psychological, and practical support to the victim.

Description

Rape crisis centres typically provide medical, practical, and emotional support to the victim in the aftermath of rape, sexual assault or sexual abuse.[1]

By country

Australia

In Australia, there are a number of

Victoria, the Sexual Assault Services Victoria (SASVic, formerly CASA Forum)[6] is the umbrella body for Centres Against Sexual Assault, or CASAs, located across the state.[7] In the Northern Territory, there are a number of Sexual assault referral centres (SARCs) which provide support, education, and advocacy. There is only 24/7 access to medical, legal and counselling information at Darwin and Alice Springs SARCs.[8] In Western Australia there are five Sexual Assault Support Services in the regions, and a SARC in Perth.[9]
Most of the state and territory servcies have a
help line providing advice, and there is also a national 24/7 help line, 1800RESPECT.[10]

Canada

In Canada, the networks of rape crisis centres are state-based, but there is an umbrella body named the Canadian Association of Sexual Assault Centres (CASAC).[11] In Ontario, the Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres (OCRC) is the umbrella body for centres in that state.[12] Vancouver Rape Relief & Women's Shelter is Canada's longest-running rape crisis centre.[13]

Ireland

In Ireland, the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, a national service, provides a range of services, including a 24-hour helpline, counselling services, accompanying victims to court, and outreach services, along with provision of training and advocacy work.[14]

New Zealand

In New Zealand (

Wellington was closed. By 2018 there were only six such centres.[15]

As of 2023[update], the Sexual Abuse Assessment and Treatment Service (SAATS) is a national service providing medical assistance to sexual assault victims.[16] There are a number of not-for-profit centres focusing on different groups, such as Māori women, or male victims, some explicitly named rape crisis centre, such as Wellington Rape Crisis. There are local and national help lines.[17]

South Africa

In South Africa,

Thuthuzela Care Centres have become a model for best practice in care after sexual assault.[18][19][20] The name is derived from the Xhosa word thuthuzela, meaning "comfort".[21]

United Kingdom

In the UK, sexual assault referral centres or SARCs exist across the country, funded and run by the

St Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre or SARC. In the 1990s, there were two more SARCs established, REACH in Northumbria and STAR in West Yorkshire.[22]

There are also crisis centres run as charitable organisations, overseen by umbrella organisations Rape Crisis England & Wales and Rape Crisis Scotland.[23] They not only work to end sexual assault and abuse, but also provides specialist information and support to anyone who has been affected by any other form of sexual violence and abuse in England and Wales. They act as an umbrella organisation for 39 member rape crisis centres as of 2023.[24] The member organisations, such as Northamptonshire Rape Crisis,[25] are typically independent charities staffed by a mix of paid staff and trained volunteers,[26] and are run with the support of or collaboration with local councils, police forces, and corporate sponsors.[25] Edinburgh Rape Crisis is one of Scotland's largest centres. However, as of April 2023 rape crisis centres across the UK have had to close waiting lists owing to shortage of funds and staff.[23] Rape Crisis Northern Ireland, located in Belfast, covers Northern Ireland.[27]

United States

The first American rape crisis centers (RCCs) were formed in several states throughout the country in the early 1970s, largely by women associated with the second-wave feminist movement. Central to second-wave feminism was the practice of consciousness raising, which allowed groups of women to speak openly about their experiences with sexual violence and the shortcomings of law enforcement, health care providers, and the criminal justice system to effectively and constructively respond to survivors.Among the first was the Washington D.C. Rape Crisis Center, founded in 1972 by women identifying with the radical branch of the women's movement. The D.C. RCC published a pamphlet entitled "How to Start a Rape Crisis Center", which provided a model for other early RCCs to follow.[28]

While the goals of RCCs have remained largely unchanged since their creation in the 1970s, they have undergone a number of structural changes. Among these changes is the phenomenon of RCCs moving toward more

professionalisation and hierarchy and away from the radical activism that defines their roots.[29] Many RCCs, rather than being freestanding collectives, are incorporated into the mainstream organisations that they once worked against, such as hospitals or other social services agencies. These trends are related to the political climate and also the availability of government money to fund their activities. Despite the fact that RCCs now more closely resemble mainstream organisations, they still occupy an important place in the anti-rape movement. When dealing with rape survivors, the fact that RCCs have no interest other than in providing emotional support and assistance to survivors distinguishes them from physicians who are primarily concerned with treating injuries, law enforcement officers who are primarily concerned with ascertaining facts, or prosecutors who primarily concerned with building a case. RCCs are further separated from mainstream organisations by their consistent efforts to reform how these organisations respond to rape, primarily through the provision of training in appropriate rape definitions and responses.[30]

RCCs may receive funding from a number of sources and funding can vary greatly for each RCC depending on its location, if it is affiliated with a host agency, and the type of host agency. RCCs housed in hospitals and county social service and health agencies generally have more funding than those situated in mental health centres, battered women's shelters, and legal-justice organisations.[30]

Footnotes

  1. ^ Renamed NSW Rape Crisis Centre in 1998, then Rape & Domestic Violence Services Australia in 2013, then Full Stop Australia in 2021.

References

  1. ^ a b "Help after rape and sexual assault". National Health Service. 26 June 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  2. ^ "First rape crisis centre established". Australian Women's Timeline. 2 March 1972. Retrieved 7 August 2023.)
  3. ^ "Our herstory". Full Stop Australia. 1 July 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  4. ^ "Home". Canberra Rape Crisis Centre. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  5. ^ "Yarrow Place Rape and Sexual Assault Service". Women's and Children's Health Network. 8 March 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  6. ^ "Sexual Assault Services Victoria". Sexual Assault Services Victoria. 24 May 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  7. ^ "Victorian CASA'S (Centres Against Sexual Assault)". Sexual Assault Crisis Line. 6 August 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  8. ^ "Sexual assault referral centres". NT.GOV.AU. 17 September 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  9. ^ "Sexual Violence Services in WA". Centre For Women's Safety and Wellbeing. 29 April 2022. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  10. ^ "Home". 1800RESPECT. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  11. ^ "Anti-Violence Centres". CASAC – Canadian Association of Sexual Assault Centres. 14 May 2019. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  12. ^ "Get helpOCRCC – Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres". OCRCC – Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres. 17 January 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  13. ^ Steacy, Lisa (13 April 2016). "Opinion: Vancouver Rape Relief stands by women". Vancouver Sun.
  14. ^ "Services overview". Dublin Rape Crisis Centre. 15 May 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  15. ^ "National Collective of Rape Crisis and Related Groups of Aotearoa". NZHistory, New Zealand history online. 3 October 2013. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  16. ^ "Specialist Sexual Assault Medical Help". MEDSAC. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  17. ^ "Your Local Support Services". Rape Prevention Education. 4 July 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  18. ^ Robinson, Jordan (13 March 2017). "More work to be done to support rape survivors in South Africa". Social Impact (Interview). Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  19. USAID
    , 2017.
  20. .
  21. ^ "16 Days of Activism". Vital Voices. 5 February 2017. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  22. ^ Lovett, Jo; Regan, Linda; Kelly, Liz (July 2004). Sexual Assault Referral Centre: feveloping good practice and maximising potentials (PDF). Home Office Research Study 285. p. vii. The first Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), St Mary's in Manchester, was established in the UK in 1986, to address serious shortcomings in the medico-legal response to recent rape. Two further SARCs were established in the 1990s, REACH in Northumbria and STAR in West Yorkshire.
  23. ^ a b Livingston, Eve (22 January 2023). "UK rape crisis centres forced to turn away victims as need rises and cash runs out". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  24. ^ "About us". Rape Crisis England & Wales. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  25. ^ a b "Resources". Northamptonshire Rape Crisis. 7 February 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  26. ^ "Current vacancies". NRC. Archived from the original on 6 August 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  27. ^ "Rape Crisis Northern Ireland". 8 January 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  28. . Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  29. S2CID 12627339 – via Springer Link. PDF
  30. ^ . Retrieved 8 August 2023.

External links