Person-Centered Analysis of Rape Survivors Seeking Immediate Support

• In Event: Factors Impacting the Reporting Victimization to Officials and their Outcomes

Abstract

In the aftermath of rape, service providers offer critical support to help victims understand options and make decisions. The 48 hours following rape is an especially critical window for post-assault care (e.g., medical forensic evaluation). However, many survivors delay seeking help, and little empirical work has examined the characteristics of victims who do reach out for help in the immediate aftermath of assault. Examining anonymous data from the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline (NSAOH), this study seeks to understand and classify survivors who disclosed rape that occurred in the previous 24 hrs. We applied Latent Class Analysis to uncover subgroups distinguished by key indicators such as frequency of assault, victim-perpetrator relationship, and minor/adult status.

Preliminary analyses (N=411) revealed a 3-class solution best fit the data. Based on probabilities within each class, the groups were interpreted and labeled as follows: (1) “Acquaintance/Stranger Rape”(43%), (2) “Child Incestuous Rape” (42%), and (3) “Adult Intimate Partner/Incestuous Rape” (15%).

LCA findings reveal a useful framework to understand characteristics and service needs of rape survivors who seek help soon after their assault. Discussion will include a description of services provided (e.g., safety planning) across classes and identify areas in need of development in victim services.

Authors

• Kimberly Goodman, Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network

• Jane Conway, Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network