This research project received funding through the 2023 Institute for Diversity Science Seed Grant Program
Principal Investigator: Kate Walsh, Associate Professor, Psychology and Gender & Women’s Studies, UW–Madison
Co-Investigators: Jeneile Luebke, PhD, School of Nursing, UW–Madison and LB Klein, PhD, School of Social Work
Abstract: The project aims to address barriers to care for sexual violence survivors of color, LGBTQ+ survivors, survivors living in poverty, and people with multiple marginalized identities. The project will consider where post-assault care occurs (hospitals, clinics, Indigenous reservations, LGBTQ+ centers, advocacy spaces, etc.) and the perspectives of various types of care providers. The project also will assess barriers and facilitators for different types of post-assault care (medical, mental health, advocacy). The researchers will use narrative approaches including in-depth interviews with survivors of sexual assault, and focus groups with nurses, social workers, advocates and advocacy organizations about barriers to seeking post-assault care. In addition, the study will allow researchers to develop and validate culturally sensitive methods and survey measures. The research findings may be used to enhance access to care and inform policy recommendations about nurse training standards (which vary by state) and economic policies and programs for sexual assault survivors generally and marginalized survivors specifically.