Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Program - Multisite
Problems addressed
Sexual violence
Low ability to identify victims of domestic/sexual violence
Effectiveness

Promising

.

.

.

.

.

Promising

Want to know more about this classification? Check out our methodological manual.

Life periods served
Adults (18 to 59 years)
Where the program was applied
Ambulatory - Health service centers
Country of application
United States
Description

This is a shelter program for victims of sexual assault that is made available in hospitals and community clinics.
Care is provided by specially trained nurses to offer comprehensive psychological, medical, and forensic services, including counseling, crisis care, emotional support, healthcare, screening for sexually transmitted diseases, antibiotics for sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy testing and emergency contraception, injury detection and treatment, and collection of forensic medical evidence.
The healthcare team acts in conjunction with the police and prosecution for ongoing consultation and, if the case goes to trial, may participate as expert witnesses.

Impact evaluations

An impact evaluation evinced a 1.8 times greater likelihood that sexual assault cases brought to trial following the implementation of the program would end with a guilty plea or conviction of the accused [1].

Bibliographic reference

[1] Campbell, R., Bybee, D., Townsend, S. M., Shaw, J., Karim, N. & Markowitz, J. (2014). The Impact of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Programs on Criminal Justice Case Outcomes: A Multisite Replication Study. Violence Against Women, 20(5), 607–625. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801214536286

Information source