Factsheet 2009 - Sexual Violence Research Unit

Strong and safe communities – effective interventions for adult victims of sexual violence

The Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MWA) is conducting research to:

• improve the safety and longer term well-being of adult victims of sexual violence and
• provide a strong evidence base for policy and operational responses.

Objectives

The research project will identify:

• the key points at which, and reasons why, different groups of victims/survivors opt in and out of the criminal justice system
• the basis for victims’/survivors’ decisions about accessing non-criminal justice services such as counselling or other support
• the key points at which government and non-government intervention and support is most effective
• ways to improve the likelihood of victims/survivors making formal complaints, where appropriate, and persisting through the criminal justice process
• options to improve service delivery within the criminal justice system.

Research approach

The project will employ a range of methods to explore this complex and very sensitive issue for different groups of adult victims including:

• women
• young women
• New Zealand European
• Māori
• Pacific
• ethnic, migrant and refugee
• people with disabilities
• rural
• male
• others.

MWA has engaged with stakeholders and service providers from diverse community groups in a series of workshops. The purpose of the workshops was to outline the project’s scope and aims and to hear stakeholders’ views.

There are four research streams, using qualitative and quantitative methods, comprising:

• a retrospective analysis of attrition and conviction rates for sexual violation incidents against adults
• an environmental scan of agencies and key informants that respond to victims/survivors, focusing on systemic, organisational and other contextual factors that influence systems and agency responses
• a study of pathways from crisis to recovery, targeting individuals who have experienced sexual violence as adults and focusing on their experiences with a variety of support sources
• a literature review of good practice in responding to adult victims/survivors of sexual violence.

The research is underpinned by policy development, which involves:

• developing a sexual violence policy framework, based on a systems model
• providing a final report with an analysis of key findings to joint Ministers, based on evidence from the research streams.

Timeframes

The research project started in July 2007 and will finish in 2009.

Contact

Dr Denise Lievore

Research Manager

Ministry of Women's Affairs

48 Mulgrave Street

PO Box 10049

Thorndon

Wellington

Phone: 04 916 5830

Email: lievore@mwa.govt.nz

Nicole Benkert

Research Assistant

Ministry of Women’s Affairs

48 Mulgrave Street

PO Box 10049

Thorndon

Wellington

Phone: 04 916 5841

Email: benkert@mwa.govt.nz

May 2009