Keywords

sexual assault, COVID-19, coronavirus, rape, quarantine, pandemic, victim services

Abstract

The Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on the Incidence of Sexual Assaults and Victim Services

Purpose: The purpose of this literature review is to discuss incidents/rates of sexual assaults (SA), access to or accessibility of SA victim services, and the utilization of SA services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: In the U.S., 1 in 5 women experience rape or attempted rape, while 1 in 4 men experience some form of sexual violence in their lifetime. Additionally, SAs affect roughly one-third of the world's population, making SA a prominent problem worldwide.

Methods: Electronic searches in CINHAL and MEDLINE were performed using the terms "sexual assault" or "sexual violence" and "COVID-19 OR coronavirus AND pandemic" and were limited to full-text and English-only articles. Nineteen articles met inclusion criteria and were included in this review.

Results: Results showed an increase in SA incidents during COVID-19, particularly during the lockdown period, with simultaneous decreased access to victim services and overall lower utilization of SA services.

Conclusion: Sexual assault is a global issue. Caregivers must recognize that victims may be at greater risk during disasters. The impact of SA victims not receiving services can be profound

and far-reaching, with both short and long-term implications. Prioritizing care and providing various access options for SA services are essential until SA is eradicated.

Clinical Recommendations: Nurse practitioners and other caregivers should be mindful that SA victims may be at greater risk of abuse during pandemics and may, therefore, need a variety of access options for SA services. Stakeholders need to work together to prepare for how to adequately care for SA victims during worldwide and local disasters.