The Civil Legal Needs and Experiences of Rural Sexual Assault Survivors

Sexual assaults are underreported and are among the most difficult cases to successfully prosecute. Challenges to reporting and prosecution may be heightened in rural communities due to a lack of privacy, geographic isolation, and cultural factors. As a result, alternate remedies have been explored in survivors’ search for “justice.” One avenue that affords survivors more control in the process is the civil legal system. The current paper adds to a nascent but growing body of work exploring civil legal needs, barriers, and opportunities for sexual assault survivors, with specific focus on rural survivors. Using qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with rural victim service providers, we found that civil legal needs including protection orders, referrals to attorneys, housing-related issues, and immigration are common. Analysis also revealed common barriers: cost, transportation, rural community attitudes toward sexual violence, and limited resources all emerged as impediments to accessing justice. Interviewees identified areas for improving access to civil justice, including expanding formal and informal legal services, diversity training for providers, and trauma-informed care. Results suggest that while civil legal needs and barriers are common experiences amongst rural sexual assault survivors, there are tangible and feasible opportunities to improve survivors’ recovery post-assault through civil legal services.