Supporting Survivors of Sexual Violence and Abuse Approaches to Care for Health Professionals

This textbook provides practical guidance to enable health professionals to support survivors of sexual violence. It gives insight into the complex and wide-ranging nature and experience of sexual violence, barriers to disclosure, and explores the implications for survivors, health professionals and healthcare organisations.

An evidence-based resource, this book provides information, guidance and signposting for all those who might receive disclosures of sexual violence, challenging perceptions, stigma and judgement. As well as discussing disclosure of recent experiences, it takes into account that life events may trigger the re-surfacing of prior experiences. The book also operates as a practical tool, prompting professionals to reflect on their own clinical experience of dealing with disclosures of sexual violence. The chapters look at the full breadth of sexual violence and abuse, including rape and sexual assault, child sexual abuse, harassment and stalking, exploitation, trafficking, conflict situations, traditional practices and sexual violence in LGBTQAI+ communitites.

Enabling readers to develop the necessary knowledge and understanding to inform their practice, this book is a comprehensive resource for all health professionals, across primary and secondary care. It is also a valuable text for those taking post-registration courses in sexual health, specialist community and public health nursing, district nursing, mental health and children?s nursing among others. Reflection sections can be used to support professional registration revalidation.

1.Introduction to the book. 2.Sexual Violence and Abuse. 3.Disclosures of Sexual Violence and Abuse. 4.Sexual Assault. 5.Trafficking People for the Purposed of Sexual Exploitation. 6.Child Sexual Abuse. 7.Conflict Related Sexual Violence and Sexual Violence and Abuse in Marginalised Communities. 8.Supporting Survivors of Sexual Violence and Abuse. 9.Practitioner Self-Care Guidance in Supporting Survivors of Sexual Violence and Abuse. 10.Healthcare Professional Reflective Journal of Practice.

Claire Dosdale is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nursing, Midwifery and Health at Northumbria University, UK. She has worked as both a clinical specialist nurse and a lecturer practitioner, in sexual health. She currently teaches pre-registration nursing and safeguarding, sexual health, sexual violence to post-qualifying healthcare students. Her research focuses on supporting survivors of sexual violence in healthcare and workplace experiences of sexual harassment and sexual assault.

Emma Senior is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nursing, Midwifery and Health at Northumbria University, UK. She teaches, among other things, sexual health, safeguarding and public health to post-registration students.

Lynette Shotton is an Associate Professor in the Department of Social Work, Education and Community Well-being, Northumbria University, UK, with a professional background in adult nursing and health visiting. Her current role is primarily concerned with academic leadership and her research interests are focused on understanding and addressing health and educational inequality.

Katy Skarparis is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nursing, Midwifery and Health at Northumbria University, UK. She has a background in behaviour change research and has a special interest in the area of sexual violence. She currently teaches safeguarding in the area of sexual violence to pre- and post-registration healthcare students.