Analysis of Sexual Assault Services offered for
Survivors in British Columbia
Sophie Barnes
4th year BSW, Thompson Rivers University, barness18@mytru.ca

UREAP
FINAL REPORT
November 2020

Background: The World Health Organization
defines sexual violence as “any sexual act,
attempt to obtain a sexual act, unwanted sexual
comments or advances, or acts to traffic or
otherwise directed against a person’s sexuality
using coercion, by any person regardless of their
relationship to the victim, in any setting, including
but not limited to home and work” (Krug,
Dahlberg, Mercy, Zwi, & Lozano, 2002, p. 149).
In Canada, sexual assault is one of the leading
violent offences committed against women and
find one in three women living in Canada will
experience sexual assault during their lifetime
(Benoit, Shumka, Phillips, Kennedy, Belle-Isle,
2015).

rural and small communities in British Columbia.
The research project was designed using critical
research methodology, reflexivity practice, and
anti-oppressive anti-privilege (AOAP) theory and
practice (Mullaly & West, 2018).

Aims: To identify the services being provided to
survivors of sexual assault in rural, remote and
small communities in British Columbia, and
consider the potential gaps and limitations of the
services being offered to increase accessibility for
survivors. To examine how significant challenges
such as the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting
services and to identify directions for future
research.

Conclusion: Social work services for sexual
assault survivors in rural, remote and small urban
communities should provide adequate, accessible
and appropriate changes from the micro, mezzo
and macro level. Achieving this will require
further studies on how to create these changes.

Findings: Busch-Armendariz, Johnson, Buel,
Lungwitz, and Jordan (2011) stress the
importance of having an interdisciplinary team
when working with survivors of sexual assault.
However, there is a possibility that more women
experiencing intimate partner violence may be
overlooked as health care workers will be
extremely busy handling the pandemic and the
rise of COVID-19 cases.

Key words: Sexual assault services, survivors,
accessibility, social workers, rural, and COVID19 pandemic

Method: A literature search on Google Scholar
from January 2020 to the present day (November
2020) was conducted using the key words sexual
assault services, survivors, social workers, social
work, accessibility, rural, and COVID-19
pandemic to identify research on the services
available to survivors of sexual assault in remote,
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Social Location of the Researcher
I acknowledge how my latent assumptions
and biases may affected my ability to design,
facilitate, and interpret the research. While I have
mitigated these to the best of my ability, I also
acknowledge that I am new to research as a BSW
student, and this project has been a learning
experience. Specifically, in my lived experience
as a cis-woman residing in a large urban city, I do
not have a personal experience living in a rural,
remote or small urban community. I also
acknowledge my privilege as a white person.

REVIEW AIMS AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The study's focus is to gather information
from the literature to explore the services offered
for sexual assault survivors in British Columbia.
While services tend to be available within larger
urban centers, for women living elsewhere in BC,
the location should not be a factor in the
availability of quality services that survivors
receive following a traumatic event such as sexual
assault. The findings of this study will be used to
increase awareness about services available and
used in smaller urban, rural and remote locations
and the challenges social workers may experience
trying to meet the needs of sexual assault
survivors in BC.

LIMITATIONS
This research project was made possible
through an Undergraduate Experience Research
Award Program grant from TRU, which created
an exciting opportunity for myself as an
undergraduate student to conduct original
research. This also included some logistical
limitations, such as allotting limited time to
complete the project post-ethics approval and an
operating budget of $1,000.
Due to the limited time and limited
response to the original survey with only two
answers, the study was conducted through a
literature review. Another limitation was the
limited selection of peer-reviewed literature about
the research area.

The study is a literature review that seeks to
answer the following research questions:
• How do social workers in rural, remote,
and small urban centres meet the needs of
women who have experienced sexual
assault in British Columbia?
• What are the most significant challenges
social workers experience in meeting the
needs of sexual assault survivors?
• How are these services being impacted by
COVID-19?
A secondary question is: what should be the
direction of further research on meeting the needs
of sexual assault survivors in remote, rural and
small urban communities?

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
The research project was designed using
critical research methodology, reflexivity practice,
and anti-oppressive anti-privilege (AOAP) theory
and practice.
The purpose of utilizing critical research
methodology ensures the research supports social
justice and has to incorporate a reflexive
component. The research questions informed by
critical theory and challenging dominant
discourses supports social justice in providing
space for people's lived experiences (Framer &
Chevrette, 2017). It is important to have viable
alternatives and work for social transformation
rather than merely analyzing and explaining social
phenomena (Framer & Chevrette, 2017).

METHODOLOGY
Google Scholar’s database was accessed
using the key words sexual assault services,
survivors, social workers, social work,
accessibility, rural, British Columbia and COVID19 pandemic. However, it became clear that the
search was too limiting due to the lack of
literature surrounding the topic in British
Columbia. Due to this issue, literature from other
areas, including other Canadian provinces and the
United States of America, were utilized.
Accordingly, the search was restricted to the
social sciences field with a focus on social work.

November 30th, 2020, Barnes, S
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D’Cruz, Gillingham, and Melendez (2007)
describe reflexivity as focusing on researcher's
response to their situation, explicitly having the
"ability to act in the world and to critically reflect
on our actions and in ways that may reconstitute
how we act and even reshape the nature of
identity itself" (p.5). An essential reflexivity
factor is a self-defining process that requires
constant monitoring and reflection on oneself
while processing social information (D'Cruz et al.,
2007).
AOAP theory and practice examine how
oppression and privilege occur at the individual,
cultural, and structural levels (Mullaly & West,
2018). Furthermore, AOAP attempts to change
the "institutional arrangements, social processes,
and social practices that work together to benefit
the dominant group at the expense of the
subordinate groups" (Mullaly & West, 2018, p.
348).
In short, applying these theories helped
frame the research question and develop a
methodology that focused primarily on the
structural level rather than the service user trying
to utilize sexual assault services. Furthermore, by
investigating the literature, it provided
information on the most significant challenges for
social workers in meeting sexual assault survivors'
needs in their rural, remote or small urban
communities and an examination of how COVID19 is impacting their services.

mental health care or community services
following the incident (Campbell, 2008).
Campbell notes the importance of having allied
professionals, specifically mental health
professionals, to help survivors following their
assault. Ullman and Brecklin (2002) note that
women who have a history of sexual assault have
an increased risk of experiencing post-traumatic
stress syndrome and are more likely to attempt
suicide.
Tjaden and Thoennes (2000) found that
35.6 percent of women with sexual assault
injuries received medical care afterwards. It is
similar to survivors accessing mental health
services as the study from Campbell, Wasco,
Ahrens, Sefl, and Barnes, (2001) found that 39
percent of survivors of sexual assault will utilize
mental health services and only 21 percent use
rape crisis centers.
According to Logan, T. K., Evans, L.,
Stevenson, E., and Jordan, C. E. (2005), many
survivors are already unlikely to receive services
as a result of barriers such as availability,
accessibility, and acceptability. Furthermore, the
experiences of survivors should not be further
complicated when they can access post-assault
services. Survivors of sexual assault may face a
lack of effective and appropriate post-assault
services and may experience retraumatization,
particularly if one receives low-quality care
(Zweig, Schlichter, & Burt, 2002). Furthermore,
even when services are available, women are
often unaware of their availability or their right to
use them, and it is critical to have accessible
quality post-assault care as inferior care can result
in the further traumatization of survivors (Zweig,
Schlichter, & Burt, 2002).
In the literature examined, there are
multiple barriers impacting survivors living in
rural, remote and small urban locations to find
services after their assault. In general, rural areas
often tend to have fewer available services of all
types and the services that are available are often
limited due to the need of covering a large
geographic location (Logan et al., 2005).
Furthermore, the literature showcases that the
limited number of services in rural areas such as
health, mental health and victim services has the

FINDINGS
Busch-Armendariz, Johnson, Buel,
Lungwitz, and Jordan (2011) stress the
importance of having an interdisciplinary team
such as social workers, lawyers and nurses when
working with people experiencing sexual assault
and note that sexual violence occurs at the micro,
mezzo and macro levels. A study from Ontario
(Muldoon et al., 2019) demonstrates the high
levels of sexual assault cases over a 15-year
period. From 2002 to 2016: there were 52,780
cases, and the highest rates were from young
women ages 15 to 24 years of age.
Victims of sexual assault will seek health
care as the first point of contact for assistance and
may encounter a social worker for help with

November 30th, 2020, Barnes, S
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potential to cause further harm to the survivor
(Logan et al., 2005).

There was also a focus on how the current
pandemic, COVID-19, is increasing the number
of intimate partner violence cases worldwide
(Bradley et al., 2020).
The research's key findings suggest
limited availability to already minimal services
for survivors of sexual assault in rural
communities (Logan, 2005). Furthermore, even if
the services were available, it was often difficult
for survivors to go due to the organizations having
limited hours of services (Logan, 2005). Since
sexual assault can occur at any hour of the day, it
is critical for services to have flexible hours of
services to provide quality care to survivors.
The delayed and long wait times for
mental health and counselling services may cause
further harm to a survivor after a traumatic event
and may put them off going to seek help due to
past negative experiences (Logan, 2005).
Specifically, in rural, remote and small
communities, confidentially concerns are
significant, and survivors may avoid seeking
services as they live in a small population where
people know one another.

INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE DURING THE
CURRENT PANDEMIC – COVID-19
On March 27th, 2020, the United Nations
presented a statement warning that rates of
intimate partner violence (IPV) will increase
during the COVID-19 pandemic (Bradley,
DiPasquale, Dillabough, & Schneider, 2020).
COVID-19 is a severe acute respiratory illness
spread through respiratory droplets generated
when a person coughs or sneezes (Bradley et al.,
2020). The measures put in place to minimize the
spread of COVID-19 is to isolate from people
physically, and when not possible, to practice
social distancing and wear a mask.
In British Columbia, calls to the
Vancouver Battered Women’s Support Services
have tripled, and specialized crisis lines for IPV
have seen a 30 percent – 50 percent increase in
calls during the pandemic (Bradley et al., 2020).
Bradley et al. note that only 14 percent of patients
presenting to health care workers with injuries
related to IPV are asked if they are experiencing
intimate partner violence and provided services.
There is a possibility that more women
experiencing IPV may be overlooked as health
care workers will be extremely busy with patients
that have COVID-19 (Bradley et al., 2020). In
response to this, the Canadian federal government
announced an extra $40 million in funding for
women’s shelters and sexual assault centres
(Bradley et al., 2020).

CONCLUSION AND DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE
RESEARCH
Social work services for sexual assault
survivors in rural, remote and small urban
communities should provide adequate, accessible
and appropriate changes from the micro, mezzo,
and macro levels. Achieving this will require
further studies on how to create these changes.
Furthermore, with the current pandemic
crisis, more people, specifically women, are
experiencing IPV and may be overlooked as
health care workers will be preoccupied treating
patients with COVID-19 (Bradley et al., 2020). In
response to this, the Canadian federal government
announced an extra $40 million in funding for
women’s shelters and sexual assault centres
(Bradley et al., 2020).
The importance of this enhanced support
to survivors of sexual assault needs to continue in
all levels of government to create new policies to
protect all people in British Columbia, specifically
those living in rural, remote and small urban

Discussion
The current study's overall purpose was to
analyze the literature examining the sexual assault
services offered for survivors in rural, remote and
small urban communities and how to make it
more accessible.
This research was an essential first step in
identifying the gap in services and literature about
sexual assault services in rural locations in British
Columbia. The study examined peer-reviewed
literature on sexual assault and how the issues
facing survivors living in rural communities.

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communities who may not have the same access
to services as others living in an urban city.
For future researchers, will need to
examine how sexual assault services in rural,
remote and small urban communities may affect
survivors from the LBGTQ+ Indigenous, and
other marginalized communities. Furthermore, it
will be critical for future research areas to explore
how marginalized and racialized groups may have
experienced sexual assault.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENT
I acknowledge that my home, where my research
was conducted, is located on the traditional
unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishnaabeg
people. As a visitor on this land, I am grateful for
the opportunity to learn and complete research on
this land, and I recognize that this territory has
always been a place of teaching, learning and
research.
I would like to thank my faculty supervisors, Dr.
Juliana West and Dr. Jennifer Murphy for
providing guidance and support for me through
the course of my research.

REFERENCES
Benoit, C., Shumka, L., Phillips, R., Kennedy, M. C., &
Belle-Isle, L. (2015). Issue Brief: Sexual Violence
Against Women in Canada. Status of Women.
Retrieved from https://cfc swc.gc.ca/svawcvcsfc/indexen.html
Bradley, N. L., DiPasquale, A. M., Dillabough, K., &
Schneider, P. S. (2020). Health care practitioners’
responsibility to address intimate partner violence
related to the COVID-19
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Busch-Armendariz, N., Johnson, R., Buel, S., Lungwitz, J.,
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