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Working Together

A Community-Based Response

Working Together to Stop Rape

Studies around the country have shown that a coordinated, multi-disciplinary response to rape is the most effective way to meet the needs of both rape victims and the criminal justice system. This type of response is called a "community-based response" and it is quite simple. It means that all of the agencies that respond to a sexual assault work together. They know about each other, respect each other's roles and coordinate their efforts to support victims and catch criminals. These agencies include:

  • Law Enforcement
  • Healthcare Professionals
  • Victim Advocates
  • Forensic Scientists
  • Prosecutors

Working together has many benefits. To begin with, it can reduce the work load for agencies because it eliminates redundancy and allows the delegation of responsibilities. Rape survivors benefit because they are cared for by an efficient system where they have access to the full range of support services. The criminal justice system benefits because a well-supported rape victim is more likely to cooperate in the prosecution of his/her assailant. And lastly, let's not forget the value of good public relations. The increased public awareness of "a system that works" will encourage more rape victims to come forward and will send a strong message to sexual criminals.

Sexual Assault Response Teams

One way to coordinate the agencies involved in sexual assault response is through the formation of Sexual Assault Response Teams or SARTs. These are formally coordinated groups that include all members of the sexual assault response network. Because they are so effective, SARTs have popped up all over the country. There is a wealth of information on SART formation available on the Internet. Please explore the links below to learn more about SARTs. This is just a sampling of SART information on the web and inclusion of these links does not mean that we advocate these programs over the many others available:

  • SANE-SART - Sponsored by the National Institute of Justice Office for Victims of Crime and the Sexual Assault Resource Service, this is the "Grand Central Station" of SART web resources.
  • SART Guidelines - Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape.
  • SART Toolkit - Resources from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.
  • Standards of Practice - San Diego County SART.
  • SART Protocols - Alaska Department of Public Safety.

We encourage every community in Montana to develop a community-based response to rape, but it is up to each jurisdiction to decide how best to do this. Don't be intimidated by the lengthy and complex protocols developed by other communities. You can make SART formation as simple or as complex as you want it to be. Putting together a protocol that is too complex for anyone to follow will result in frustration and a less effective program. In many cases, taking the first step can be as simple as making and distributing a contact list of all sexual assault responders in your jurisdiction.

Simple guidelines for fostering a community-based response to rape in your jurisdiction:

The U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women has a comprehensive section on community-based response in its National Protocol for Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examinations - Adults/Adolescents. This is a wonderful resource, one of the major resources for this website, and it is well worth the down-load time and paper to print a copy for any facility conducting rape exams. Listed below are suggestions for establishing a community-based response in your jurisdiction:

  • Understand the dual purpose of the sexual assault response - victim support AND holding criminals accountable. Don't develop tunnel vision focusing on just your role.
  • Become competent in your specific discipline so that you have a skill to offer the team.
  • Train across disciplines so that you understand how the whole system works. This will help you understand and appreciate everyone's role. You will also be able to better explain the system to rape victims.
  • Identify the key team members from each discipline in your jurisdiction.
  • Establish a way to communicate with all team members.
  • Put together an activation protocol so that the appropriate players are notified when a rape victim discloses an assault. Try to take into account the many different scenarios in which a rape victim can disclose an assault. Also, remember that outside of the realm of mandatory reporting laws, adult sex crimes in Montana do not require mandatory reporting. Activation protocols should consider that the victim may not want to immediately report the crime to law enforcement.
  • Develop a method to periodically assess the effectiveness of the response.