Online Guides to Sexual Assault Survivors' Privacy Rights

Privacy is a critical issue for survivors of sexual assault.  The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) has an excellent online guide called:  Strengthening Sexual Assault Victims' Right to Privacy.

This guide is something of a mini-course on confidentiality issues for advocates and others working with survivors.  The online description states: The focus of this online guide, developed by Connecticut Sexual Assault Crisis Services, Inc., is sexual assault victims' right to privacy. It reinforces the importance of keeping information confidential and highlights the power of employing consistent practices to create a culture of respect for victims' privacy. This guide contains general recommendations, addresses common challenges, provides core concepts, and offers practical tips to assist advocates in their efforts to maintain victim confidentiality.

The section on challenges to confidentiality is particularly useful.  It includes a thoughtful discussion of pressures to violate confidentiality, risk management issues, advocates serving as interpreters, and crimes against advocates and centers.  The entire guide provides a framework for understanding the issues involved in maintaining client confidentiality as well as very practical information on how advocates and programs can protect clients' rights.  Links to model policies and procedures are included.

This guide is valuable to: managers who want to ensure that their program is operating according to best practices for maintaining privacy; new advocates who need to learn about confidentiality issues; and experienced advocates who wish to revisit all the complex facets of this topic.

WCSAP’s online Accreditation Tool Kit also has information on confidentiality for community sexual assault programs that receive funding from the Office of Crime Victims Advocacy (OCVA) and operate according to the OCVA Accreditation Standards.  This information relates to Accreditation Standards CIC1 and CIC2 and starts on page 49.