By Vestina Virsilaite,
London Metropolitan University.
The impact of court delays on sexual assault and rape victims the criminal justice system has on the psychological well-being and perceptions of justice is examined in this research. It tackles a significant issue, despite the judicial system’s aim to provide justice, prolonged delays and adversarial procedures contribute to further suffering, deterring survivors from seeking or continuing legal action altogether. A desk-based methodology was employed in this research, involving a critical analysis of existing academic sources, official reports, and publicly available survivor testimonies. The sensitive nature of this study and the ethical concerns surrounding direct engagement with sexual abuse and rape survivors, a secondary data approach was chosen for this research, enabling a thorough examination of judicial delays on survivors. The results reveal that judicial and procedural delays have a major impact on mental discomfort, anxiety and despair. The criminal justice system itself has caused survivors to feel disempowered, re-traumatised, and isolated. Especially those from minority backgrounds, persons with disabilities and LGBTQ+ communities, who are more affected because of increased social and institutional obstacles. The study unveils the perception of justice not solely in terms of outcome, but also the overall feeling of being valued, believed, and receiving fair treatment. For better outcomes, this research proposes suggestions for an improved judicial system, including increased funding for victim support systems, clearer and more rapid communication between legal figures and survivors, and re-evaluation of adversarial courtroom processes.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16649428
By Ilona Serafin,
London Metropolitan University.
This study examines the challenges faced by social workers in the process of identifying at-risk children. While social workers are essential in protecting the most vulnerable children, they face different challenges. This research highlights the systematic, organisational, structural, and personal hurdles that affect the effectiveness of this identification process. This research will investigate and examine significant challenges in the assessment process by analysing serious case studies as secondary analysis. This study emphasises the need for enhanced training, resources, and strategies to improve outcomes. Emphasising recurring primary discussions and the necessity for enhanced policy.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16648388
By Keisha French,
London Metropolitan University.
The primary aim of this research was to investigate whether multi-agency support services offer sufficient support to victims of serious sexual violence in England and Wales. To achieve this, this research study conducted a thematic analysis using quantitative secondary data analysis. The research study starts by evaluating three multi-agency support services in England and Wales; that is, Independent Sexual Violence Advisers (ISVAs), Sexual Assault Referral Centres’ (SARCs), and Rape Crisis Centre’s (RCCs). The research study analyses their working framework and its effectiveness.
To investigate whether multi-agency support services offer sufficient support, three themes are analysed, that is: criminal justice outcome, immediate response, and long-term support for sexual violence victims.
From thematic analysis, it was discovered that multi-agency support services play a crucial role in helping victims of sexual violence navigate the criminal justice system. Specifically, it was discovered that sexual offence crimes in England and Wales take the longest to get an outcome, which may increase distress to victims of sexual violence. As such, with the help of support services, victims can understand the legal procedure and follow through with the whole process. In addition, it was concluded that multi-agency services offer sufficient support in addressing the immediate help needed by victims of serious sexual offences. This involves offering forensic examination, medical care, and psychological support. Also, it was concluded that multi-agency services offer sufficient support in the long-term recovery of sexual violence victims by offering group counselling, medical check-ups, follow-ups, and forensic examination, evidence preservation.
The research study concludes by offering policy recommendations that may help improve the delivery of support services, such as increasing funding and having a central case management system to help integrate multi-agency communication and reduce the burden of victims having to go through many steps to acquire multi-agency support services.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16266657