Sexual assault research

SASVic’s research

Delivering trauma-informed support for child sexual abuse victims in Victoria:
Mapping the knowledge gaps and training needs of the specialist sectors

Alice Hon, Emily Roberts, Amy Webster, Sexual Assault Services Victoria (2024)

This research project aimed to gather evidence that SASVic can use to strengthen the capability of specialist child sexual abuse workers to provide trauma-informed and compassionate supports. This project helped SASVic to understand the current knowledge and training needs of key sector workforces and identify opportunities to embed trauma-informed curricula into key qualification pathways.

This research was funded by the National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse.

Read the research report (PDF)

Read the summary report (PDF)

The Reach project: REcovery And Care to promote Healing for Victorian survivors of sexual violence

McLindon, E., McKenzie, M., Webster, A., Hargrave, J., Turner-Myatt, P., Maltzahn, K. & Tarzia, L. (2024).

The REACH project focuses on better understanding what helps people to recover and heal after sexual violence. It is a research partnership between the University of Melbourne and Sexual Assault Services Victoria with collaboration from Women with Disabilities Victoria. The project has been informed and guided by people with lived experience of sexual assault and was funded by Family Safety Victoria.

Read the research report (PDF)

Read more here and access the KTE report and practitioner guidelines

Responding to the new normal: Exploring the impacts of pornography
Review of the literature and experiences of the specialist sexual assault sector.

Dr Monica Campo, Sexual Assault Services Victoria (2024)

On 19 April 2024, SASVic launched its pornography discussion paper. The paper provides an overview of the experiences of the sexual assault sector and significant literature on the nature of pornography's relationship to sexual violence and harm.

Read the paper (PDF)

Bibliography

Read the fact sheet (PDF)

ANROWS

ANROWS research explores the contexts, dynamics and impacts of sexual violence and sexual assault on general and priority populations, service delivery and support for women who have experienced sexual violence and interventions for people with harmful sexual behaviours.

Visit the ANROWS website.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW)

The AIHW is an independent statutory agency. It has data on sexual assault in Australia.
Visit the AIHW website.

Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS)

AIFS is the Australian Government's key research body in the area of family wellbeing. It has research and resources on sexual violence in Australia.
Visit the AIFS website.

VicHealth

VicHealth has research on gender equality and preventing violence against women.
Visit the VicHealth website.

Our Watch

Our Watch has frameworks, academic papers, research, evaluations and submissions that underpin prevention work to end violence against women in Australia.
Visit the Our Watch website.