Citation

Baert S, De Buyser S, Van Belle S, Gemmel P, Rousseau C, Roelens K, Keygnaert I. Violence Against Women 2023; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/10778012231183659

PMID

37365905

Abstract

Few victims of sexual assault (SA) report to the police. Research on the role of support persons in victims' reporting is sparse. We address this gap by examining the association of victim, assailant, victimization incident, and support characteristics with reporting rates among victims attending sexual assault care centers (SACCs). Logistic regression results show that type of SA, delay between SA and presentation at SACC, and presence of an informal support person at SACC and SACC site are significantly associated with police reporting. These findings reveal the importance of targeting victims' support persons to alter reporting behavior among SA victims.

Language: en

Keywords

sexual assault; social support; assault center; forensic examination; police reporting