Sexual Assault Response Teams (SARTs): mapping a research agenda that incorporates an organizational perspective

Violence Against Women. 2015 Apr;21(4):516-34. doi: 10.1177/1077801215569607. Epub 2015 Feb 10.

Abstract

Multidisciplinary coordinated Sexual Assault Response Teams (SARTs) are a growing model of providing health, legal, and emotional support services to victims of sexual assault. This article conceptualizes SARTs from an organizational perspective and explores three approaches to researching SARTs that have the potential of increasing our understanding of the benefits and challenges of multidisciplinary service delivery. These approaches attend to several levels of organizational behavior, including the organizational response to external legitimacy pressures, the inter-organizational networks of victim services, and the negotiation of power and disciplinary boundaries. Possible applications to organizational research on SARTs are explored.

Keywords: rape; service delivery; sexual assault.

MeSH terms

  • Counseling / methods
  • Counseling / trends
  • Humans
  • Organizations / trends*
  • Patient Care Team / trends*
  • Rape / psychology
  • Research Design / trends
  • Sex Offenses / legislation & jurisprudence
  • Sex Offenses / trends*