Services for Sexual Assault Survivors: The Role of Rape Crisis Centers (From Sourcebook on Violence Against Women, P 227-241, 2001, Claire M. Renzetti, Jeffrey L. Edleson, and Raquel K. Bergen, eds. -- See NCJ-201429)

• NCJ Number: 201441
• Author(s): Rebecca Campbell; Patricia Yancey Martin
• Date Published: 2001
• Length: 15 pages
• Sale Source: Sage Publications, Inc
• Publication Format: Book (Softbound)
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description; Historical Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

After briefly reviewing the history of the anti-rape movement in the United States, with attention to the emergence of rape crisis centers (RCCs), this chapter describes the current structures and functions of RCCs, followed by an analysis of the effectiveness of RCC activities and how RCCs have helped rape survivors and their communities.

Abstract

The first U.S. RCCs emerged in the 1970's as part of the radical feminist women's movement. They were established to provide services to rape victims in crisis, to educate communities about violence against women, and to mobilize efforts for social change. A grassroots effort, many of the first RCCs were operated out of women's own homes with donated materials. Early RCCs rejected hierarchical organizational practices and focused on the sharing of power and decisionmaking among all members of the organization. Although the political activism of RCCs has tempered over time, the direct services these agencies provide to rape survivors have remained essentially the same throughout the history of the anti-rape movement. Current funding sources (e.g., State Victims of Crime Act funds) often require agencies to offer three basic services: a 24-hour hot line, counseling, and legal and medical advocacy. Few studies have explicitly examined if and how RCC services have benefited rape survivors. The evaluation studies that have been conducted have found significant evidence that RCC advocates are effective in helping rape victims obtain needed services while buffering victims from victim-blaming criminal justice system personnel. Regarding the impact of RCCs on the community, there is ample evidence that they have been successful in fund-raising, letter-writing campaigning, and the organization of community functions. A key index of the anti-rape movement's mobilization efforts was the passage of the 1994 Federal Violence Against Women Act. Also, the number of RCCs in the United States and the budgets supporting them appear to be steadily increasing, an indication of community support and advocacy. 61 references