Contested Discourses in Multidisciplinary Sexual Assault Response Teams (SARTs)

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Criminology
• Public Health

Background:

• Coordinated service delivery models, such as Sexual Assault Response Teams (SARTs), aim to improve responses to sexual assault.
• Effective collaboration among diverse professionals is crucial for victim support and justice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how members of SARTs engage with each other and manage professional differences.
• To examine the discursive construction of roles and the negotiation of interdisciplinary power within SARTs.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study utilizing semi-structured interviews.
• 24 SART responders (law enforcement, forensic nurses, rape crisis advocates) participated.
• Analysis focused on how team members perceive each other's roles and expertise.

Main Results:

• Interdisciplinary power is negotiated through discussions about authority, expertise, and credibility.
• Discursive processes reveal underlying tensions and potential for conflict within SARTs.
• Team members establish and question each other's qualifications and commitment to victim interests.

Conclusions:

• Understanding discursive power dynamics is key to preventing conflict in SARTs.
• Effective SART functioning relies on managing professional differences and establishing mutual trust.
• Addressing tensions in interdisciplinary collaboration can enhance services for sexual assault survivors.