NCJ Number
82081
Date Published
1981
Length
43 pages
Annotation
This report presents the proceedings of a 1981 conference in which the Delphi technique for developing a consensus was used to determine the most appropriate goals and intervention strategies for dealing with sexual assault and for determining research needs.
Abstract
The conference, which was preceded by a national survey of experts to identify issues and goals, was a working meeting in which small interdisciplinary groups addressed critical issues and their implications for intervention with victims and assailants and for primary prevention. The participants reached a consensus that not all victims need counseling. However, all survivors can benefit from counseling if it is defined to include suport, crisis intervention, information-giving, self-help resources, and advocacy. Although female counselors are preferable, male counselors can be helpful to female survivors. The use of broad definitions of sexual assault and incest was favored, although it was recognized that it would be difficult to enforce such definitions. Better community education regarding child sexual assault, mandatory rehabilitation programs for assailants, and stronger linkages between mental health and law enforcement were recommended. It was also agreed that all children need counseling following sexual abuse or sexual assault. Participants also viewed sexism in male socialization which condones coercive sexual behavior as an important causative factor of sexual assault. The needs for constructive male role models, for research with samples of nonincarcerated rapists, and for the use of female victim advocates in the treatment of assailants were noted. The causes of sexual assault were viewed as being linked to racism, sexism, and classism in society. Disagreement existed on the relevance of biological determinants. The skills needed by prevention specialists were identified, including value clarification skills, the application of current research results to community education, communication skills, advertising, public relations, discourse analysis, and skills for teaching people to integrate prevention concepts into their lives. Among recommended strategies to reach potential assailants using preventive education were stress management, anger management, and assertiveness training. All of the small group sessions noted the need to broaden the definitions of sexual assault and incest, recognize the relevance of the results to various ethnic groups, and to include prevention information in all intervention efforts. A table is included.