title: The path of helpseeking: perceptions of law enforcement among American Indian victims of sexual assault.
abstract: The longstanding history of violence and oppression toward American Indians (AI) by the United States has created numerous problems for native communities, including high crime rates. AI women are sexually victimized more than other U.S. racial groups, but often receive very limited services. Secondary analyses of National Violence Against Women Survey data indicate that AI women's reasons for not reporting rape suggest ongoing suspicion of law enforcement. AI women, compared to others, more often said law enforcement would not believe or would blame them, and more often reported that they or their family dealt with the perpetrator. Many other barriers to helpseeking persist, including prejudice, conflict between Western and native values, language barriers, and poverty. AI communities also possess numerous resources that are specific to their cultures and their sovereign relationships with the U.S. government. More needs to be done to minimize barriers and make full use of community assets.
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA. sherry.hamby@unc.edu
authors.forename: Sherry
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hamby
mesh_terms: D018585:Battered Women / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology*; D003469:Culture; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D016495:Police / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D044469:Racial Groups; D011902:Rape / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D012938:Social Perception; D013179:Spouse Abuse; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology