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Published VersionCC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
The impact of Covid-19 on recovery after sexual violence and abuse: Voices of help-seeking survivors and those individuals working within specialist support services in England
International Review of Victimology, Vol.31(1), pp.135-155
2025
Appears in COVID-19 Research
Abstract
We examined the impact of Covid-19 on service delivery within specialist sexual violence services and the healing journeys of survivors of sexual violence and abuse through the experiences of 22 professionals and 221 service users in England. The pandemic posed challenges across all sectors and economies across the globe, but practices and innovations that emerged at that time could enhance future services and user experiences. Thematic analysis was used to identify key themes within the data. Overall, the negative impacts of Covid-19 outweighed the positive changes: survivors reported increased feelings of depression, anxiety, and worry, exacerbated by isolation and lost connections with friends and family, and access to strategies for managing their mental health. Difficulties/delays in accessing support, service provision, and disruptions to rapport, trust, and safety were widespread in participants' reports. Conversely, for some, requirements to remain at home provided safety from the world, and space for healing, and even prompted survivors of non-recent abuse to seek help. Remote service delivery was beneficial where clients could be 'at a distance' in discussing sensitive issues. Together with insights from professionals about their own isolation, blurred boundaries, and concerns regarding client confidentiality and engagement, this research highlights an agile sector responding to an unprecedented situation. Moving forward, survivors' preferences for flexible/remote support must be integrated into everyday delivery.
Details
- Title
- The impact of Covid-19 on recovery after sexual violence and abuse: Voices of help-seeking survivors and those individuals working within specialist support services in England
- Authors
- Emma Sleath (Corresponding Author) - Coventry UniversityEleanor Lutman-White - Coventry UniversityGrace Carter - Coventry UniversitySarah Brown - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Law and Criminology - LegacyLorna O'Doherty - Coventry University
- Publication details
- International Review of Victimology, Vol.31(1), pp.135-155
- Publisher
- Sage Publications Ltd.
- Date published
- 2025
- DOI
- 10.1177/02697580241284308
- ISSN
- 2047-9433; 0269-7580
- Copyright note
- © The Author(s) 2024. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).
- Grant note
- This project is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) (HSandDR programme (16/117/04)).
- Organisation Unit
- Sexual Violence Research and Prevention Unit; School of Law and Criminology - Legacy
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991080798402621
- Output Type
- Journal article
Metrics
26 Record Views
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- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web Of Science research areas
- Criminology & Penology
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