Empowering survivors of sexual assault
by Sarah Moore
03-13-2008

Photo by Scott Lokitz
Susan Kidder (left), executive director of Safe Communities, and Kathryn Howard, director of St. Mary’s Rape Crisis Center, help those in need.

Sexual assault is never a positive topic to cover. It is a crime often hidden from public attention. It not only affects victims, but families and communities as well. Those who experience this kind of assault endure a slew of reactions, from anger and withdrawal to flashbacks and stress disorders. It results in wounds that affect a person both inside and out, and can leave scars that take years to fade.

There are, however, people and organizations involved in the treatment of sexual assault that are exposing a brighter side of this trauma. Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE’s), Sexual Assault Response Teams (SART’s), and coalitions such as Safe Connections work every hour of the day to help those affected by sexual assault go from being victims to being survivors.

While not every sexual assault results in a visit to a hospital, those that do warrant the expertise of SANE’s and SART’s. SANE’s are nurses who have undertaken over 40 hours of training in order to provide specialized care to victims. They can conduct rape kits in order to gain evidence should the victim choose to press charges, as well as provide resources to aid the victim such as STI (sexually transmitted infection) testing and counseling options.

Such comprehensive care is essential for sexual assault victims. In 2005, SANE nurses undertook 58 cases of sexual assault; in 2007, they took part in 179. While it may seem like these staggering figures indicate an increase in assaults, they are, in fact, the result of more SANE nurses in the St. Louis medical community. “The increase is because of the fact that we use SANE nurses constantly,” said Kathy Howard, RN in the Emergency Room at St. Mary’s Hospital and Director of its Rape Crisis Center. Since the SANE program began in 2000, the number of SANE nurses and percentage of hospitals that employ them has been growing steadily in order to aid more victims. “There has been a significant increase in awareness in sexual assault,” said Howard, and this advancement, along with improved methods in caring for sexual assault victims helps them commence the recovery process with the resources and support they need.

Nurses volunteer to undergo this additional SANE training, an important element in the sexual assault prevention and treatment community. They are joined by another group of volunteers, SARTs, who are trained through the YWCA Sexual Assault Center. A SART member will “provide support, information, and resources to sexual assault victims,” explained Kathleen Hanrahan, Director of the YWCA St. Louis Regional Sexual Assault Center.

This crisis intervention group is an astounding example of how the St. Louis community is responding to sexual assault. Since its humble beginnings in 1989 serving only one hospital, the SART community has grown to service all adult hospitals in St. Louis County 24 hours a day, seven days a week. SART members respond to over 400 sexual assault cases every year in St. Louis. “We never miss a call,” says Hanrahan.

The SART program has achieved two important goals: volunteer dedication and camaraderie among sexual assault groups in the area. “We ask that [SART members] stay on a year, but we have some who have been with us since 1998,” said Hanrahan. “Usually they find that this is something they are really committed to, and they don’t go away.”

These devoted volunteers work alongside SANE nurses and other groups in order to share information and make changes within the city. One such advancement is the passing of Senate Bill 429, which assures that victims no longer have to pay for their rape kits, regardless of their insurance status.

These incredible displays of philanthropy continue outside the walls of St. Louis hospitals. One of them, Safe Connections, is “the oldest and largest locally-founded organization in St. Louis dedicated to helping domestic violence and sexual assault survivors,” according to their website. It is one of a myriad of groups that strive to prevent sexual assault and advocate for victims by offering a 24-hour hotline, specialized support groups, and healthy relationship classes for adolescents.

Safe Connections enlists its own assemblage of trained volunteers. “We have everyone from students to folks who are professionals. It’s a terrific, caring place,” said Susan Kidder, Executive Director of Safe Connections.

“We have a wonderful working relationship with the YWCA,” Kidder said. “For example, if we get a call on our helpline we will make that connection with SART or at least give [the caller] the information; [the caller gets] to make the decision. Our connection with those programs is via a referral and networking relationship. One of the hallmarks of the St. Louis community is how much we collaborate and partner, we don’t duplicate services. Instead we work together to maximize the efficiency of limited resources.”

St. Louis is a community that is addressing the complex world of sexual assault through increased awareness, communication, and involvement in groups such as these. As Kidder explained, “we are certainly not a mainstream dialogue yet; we have a long way to go.” But, great strides have been made since the implementation of these groups to take a taboo term like “sexual assault” out of the shadows, and empower those affected by it.

You can e-mail Sarah Moore at sbmoore@artsci.wustl.edu.

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