What survivors want: Understanding the needs of sexual assault survivors

Objective: Sexual assault is a pervasive crime on our college campuses and many survivors do not seek post-assault resources. This study will explore components of alternative interventions to consider in the development of campus-based interventions for sexual assault survivors. Participants: Three stakeholder groups including survivors (n = 8), healthcare providers (n = 6), and advocates (n = 19) were recruited from May 2014 to December 2014 from two university campus communities using flyers and purposive sampling. Methods: A qualitative study design utilized semi-structured interviews and semi-structured focus groups with survivors, healthcare providers, and advocates. Results: Five themes emerged to consider for future campus-based sexual assault interventions: (a) culture of caring, (b) one-stop shop, (c) validation, (d) survivor control and agency, and (e) confidentiality. Conclusions: Although accessible and effective options for post-assault care do currently exist, participants described alternative future interventions that were either (a) print materials or (b) technology-based.