By Gillian Givens.
Healthcare improvements in the comprehensive management of victims of sexual violence: The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013
In 2009, 52.3 out of every 100,000 women were victims of attempted or forced rape in the United States; this statistic does not include statutory rape or other types of sex crimes3. According to the Rape, Abuse and National Incest Network (RAINN), a new victim of sexual violence occurs approximately every two minutes.
In 2013, the range of crimes involving sexual violence is vast, affecting both men and women of various ages in a vast number of forums (technological and physical). The prevalence of rape has decreased 60% since 1993, saving thousands upon thousands of possible victims of sexual violence2.
This decline is significant and reflects ongoing policy to maintain this current rate and to further decrease it. Continued legislation and advocacy efforts to prevent and protect victims are imperative. The role of health care in this process is also fundamental. Health care professionals are usually some of the first resources to deal with victims of sexual violence and its implications.
The aim of this paper is to provide a brief summary and raise awareness of the House of Representatives Bill H.R.11: Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 that was recently referred to the committee on January 22, 2013.
This bill, which aims to alleviate and hinder violence committed against women, is a vital piece of legislature in current affairs and the greater scope of domestic violence policy.
To begin, the basic premise of this bill is to reauthorize and amend the Violence Against Women Act of 1994. The Violence Against Women Act of 1994 addressed several important facets of violence against women including policies regarding rape, accessing appropriate resources to report cases of domestic violence, and passing legislature to enforce accountability of sex offenders.
This new bill hopes to further expand and define practice and approaches to handling various aspects of the vast spectrum of issues affecting victims of domestic violence currently. This bill provides a comprehensive view of the many issues plaguing victims of domestic violence including economic and housing provisions for victims of violence, protection for battered immigrants, safety for Indian women, sex offender management, stalking and preventative measures to reduce tragedies.
Though these issues are vast and equally important, title V of this bill: Strengthening the healthcare system’s response to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, will be further explored and delineated as an effort to advocate for a comprehensive and healing approach within health care management of victims of sexual violence.
Title V of this bill addresses several facets of the role of health care in this issue including the implementation of education, training and nationwide strategies dedicated to the comprehensive and respectful treatment of women who are victims of sexual abuse.
This title targets a large female population ranging from children to elders, thereby making it applicable to a diversity of patients. In addition, this act also targets a large scope of health professionals including those in the “medical, dental, nursing, social work, allied health services and mental/behavioral health” fields to provide effective strategies and the necessary academic background in health care to provide a multi-factorial and holistic approach to treating women.
Patient confidentiality, professional licensure, accurate documentation, forensic examination/collection and access to on-site resources and professionals are additional health care efforts 1.
It is critical that health care professionals are well versed in understanding and receiving the proper training to act as advocates for victims of sexual violence and to more effectively deal with the plethora of issues that these atrocious acts imply.
The prevalence of sexual violence is significant, and it is very likely that health care professionals will interact with patients that have suffered these crimes.
As a student within the health care community soon to be working with the professional healthcare sector, I realize how important it is to fully grasp the needs of patients that have experienced these crimes.
Victims of these offenses are faced with obstacles effecting every aspect of their being. This being said, health care is not strictly limited to treat the physical effects of these crimes, but can be used as a platform to advocate for the effective and comprehensive use of resources in the treatment of patients to address all of the implications.
Physical therapists have the unique ability to treat, advocate and initiate healing in their patients in a variety of ways through active listening and understanding the complexity of their human experiences.
Health professionals are critical in the constellation of services that this bill hopes to engage and improve upon. Supporting this bill helps to raise the advocacy and implementation of services, professionals and programs that victims of sexual violence explicitly require.
