Rape Crisis Center
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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 Rape is a type of sexual assault involving sexual intercourse, or other forms of sexual penetration, carried out against a person without consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or against a person ...
or other
sexual assault Sexual assault is an act of sexual abuse in which one intentionally Physical intimacy, sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or Coercion, coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their w ...
, 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 Sexual abuse or sex abuse is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using physical force, or by taking advantage of another. It often consists of a persistent pattern of sexual assaults. The offender is re ...
.


By country


Australia

In Australia, there are a number of state- and territory-based rape crisis centres, such as Full Stop Australia (the first in Australia, founded as Sydney Rape Crisis Collective in 1971) in
New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
; Canberra Rape Crisis Centre in the
Australian Capital Territory The Australian Capital Territory (ACT), known as the Federal Capital Territory until 1938, is an internal States and territories of Australia, territory of Australia. Canberra, the capital city of Australia, is situated within the territory, an ...
; Yarrow Place in
South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...
. In Victoria, the Sexual Assault Services Victoria (SASVic, formerly CASA Forum) is the umbrella body for Centres Against Sexual Assault, or CASAs, located across the state. In the
Northern Territory The Northern Territory (abbreviated as NT; known formally as the Northern Territory of Australia and informally as the Territory) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian internal territory in the central and central-northern regi ...
, 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 Alice Springs () is a town in the Northern Territory, Australia; it is the third-largest settlement after Darwin, Northern Territory, Darwin and Palmerston, Northern Territory, Palmerston. The name Alice Springs was given by surveyor William ...
SARCs. In
Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...
there are five Sexual Assault Support Services in the regions, and a SARC in
Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...
. Most of the state and territory services have a help line providing advice, and there is also a national 24/7 help line, 1800RESPECT.


Canada

In Canada, the networks of rape crisis centres are provincially- and territorially-based, but there is a national body named the Canadian Association of Sexual Assault Centres (CASAC). In
Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
, the Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres (OCRC) is the umbrella body for centres in that province. Vancouver Rape Relief & Women's Shelter is Canada's longest-running rape crisis centre.


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 Outreach is the activity of providing services to any population that might not otherwise have access to those services. A key component of outreach is that the group providing it is not stationary, but mobile; in other words, it involves meetin ...
services, along with provision of training and advocacy work.


New Zealand

In New Zealand (), groups to support victims of rape and sexual abuse were set up during the 1970s, and in 1986 "Rape Crisis and Related Groups" (RCRG) were established. These groups were run by trained volunteers, and provided immediate crisis support as well as ongoing counselling; judicial advocacy work; and help for victims in their dealings with police, doctors,
Accident Compensation Corporation The Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) () is the New Zealand Crown entity responsible for administering the country's No-fault insurance, no-fault accidental injury compensation scheme, commonly referred to as the ACC scheme. The scheme pro ...
, and the Department of Social Welfare. Over time, the number of support groups first grew, and then declined, largely through lack of funding and changing legislation. RCRG was run as a
collective A collective is a group of entities that share or are motivated by at least one common issue or interest or work together to achieve a common objective. Collectives can differ from cooperatives in that they are not necessarily focused upon an e ...
, and was underpinned by a
feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...
philosophy, which clashed with neo-liberal ideologies which came to the fore in the 21st century. By 2000 there were only 25 functioning rape crisis centres, and the national office in
Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...
was closed. By 2018 there were only six such centres. , the Sexual Abuse Assessment and Treatment Service (SAATS) is a national service providing medical assistance to sexual assault victims. 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.


South Africa

In South Africa, Thuthuzela Care Centres have become a model for best practice in care after sexual assault.Impact Evaluation of the "Increasing Services for Survivors of Sexual Assault in South Africa" Program
USAID The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an agency of the United States government that has been responsible for administering civilian United States foreign aid, foreign aid and development assistance. Established in 19 ...
, 2017.
The name is derived from the Xhosa word ''thuthuzela'', meaning "comfort".


United Kingdom

In the UK, sexual assault referral centres or SARCs exist across the country, funded and run by the
National Health Service The National Health Service (NHS) is the term for the publicly funded health care, publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom: the National Health Service (England), NHS Scotland, NHS Wales, and Health and Social Care (Northern ...
. Their staff comprise specifically-trained doctors, nurses, and other support staff. The first SARC was established in 1986 at St Mary's Hospital in
Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
, as St Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre or SARC. In the 1990s, there were two more SARCs established, REACH in
Northumbria Northumbria () was an early medieval Heptarchy, kingdom in what is now Northern England and Scottish Lowlands, South Scotland. The name derives from the Old English meaning "the people or province north of the Humber", as opposed to the Sout ...
and STAR in
West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a Metropolitan counties of England, metropolitan and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and east, South Yorkshire and De ...
. A mixed methods study reviewed SARCs in the UK. It found that people were mostly positive about sexual assault referral centres and the voluntary sector (few interactions, 1% and 4% respectively, were experienced as harmful). Feedback was mixed about wider NHS services (including general practice and sexual health clinics, for example, but not SARCs) and the police and criminal justice service (15% and 25% of interactions, respectively, were experienced as harmful). People reported improvements in symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) 1 year after accessing SARCs. There are also crisis centres run as charitable organisations, overseen by umbrella organisations Rape Crisis England & Wales and Rape Crisis Scotland. 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 Sexual violence is any harmful or unwanted Human sexual activity, sexual act, an attempt to obtain a sexual act through violence or coercion, or an act directed against a person's sexuality without their consent, by any individual regardless of ...
and abuse in
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
and
Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
. They act as an umbrella organisation for 39 member rape crisis centres . The member organisations, such as Northamptonshire Rape Crisis, are typically independent charities staffed by a mix of paid staff and trained volunteers, and are run with the support of or collaboration with local councils, police forces, and corporate sponsors. Edinburgh Rape Crisis is one of Scotland's largest centres. However, rape crisis centres across the UK have had to close waiting lists owing to shortage of funds and staff. Rape Crisis Northern Ireland, located in
Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...
, covers
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
.


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 Consciousness raising (also called awareness raising) is a form of activism popularized by United States feminists in the late 1960s. It often takes the form of a group of people attempting to focus the attention of a wider group on some cause or ...
, 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. 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 Professionalization or professionalisation is a social process by which any trade or occupation transforms itself into a true "profession of the highest integrity and competence." The definition of what constitutes a profession is often contested. ...
and hierarchy and away from the radical activism that defines their roots.PDF
/ref> 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 The political climate is the aggregate mood and opinions of a political society at a particular time. It is generally used to describe when the state of mood and opinion is changing or unstable. The phrase has origins from both ancient Greece and ...
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. 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.


Footnotes


References


External links

*{{usurped,
Sources of help for survivors
} at Rape Crisis Network Europe Sexual abuse advocacy and support groups Rape Sexual abuse victims advocacy