National Rape Crisis

Rape Crisis (England & Wales) - www.rapecrisis.org.uk

The Rape Crisis Co-ordination Group (RCCG) was formed in 2003 to provide co-ordination for the Rape Crisis movement in England and Wales. Rape Crisis (England and Wales) registered as a charity (Charity No. 1119680) in 2007 and the work is overseen by its Trustees.

If you require any general information about Rape Crisis, please contact the Co-ordinator:

• by phone: 01782 221005
• by post: Rape Crisis (England and Wales), PO Box 39, Bodmin, Cornwall, PL31 1XF
• by email: info@rapecrisis.org.uk or chris@rapecrisis.org.uk

Alternatively, you can contact the Policy Officer:

• by phone: 01375 381322
• by post: SERICC, The Hall, West Street, Grays, Essex, RM17 6LL
• by email: policy@rapecrisis.org.uk

New Statesman Campaign Update, August 2008

In the latest stage in its campaign, newstatesman.com publishes a letter to Gordon Brown signed by more than 200 prominent people calling for proper resourcing for Rape Crisis (England and Wales).

For more information, visit: www.newstatesman.com/uk-politics/2008/08/rape-crisis-women-executive

The Crisis in Rape Crisis

Full Report (PDF 318kB)

Summary (PDF 81kB)

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Launched on Tuesday 18th March 2008, a report called The Crisis in Rape Crisis found that Rape Crisis centres are spectacularly under-funded. This report is still being used to inform the National Rape Crisis campaign.

The research, by the Women's Resource Centre and Rape Crisis (England and Wales), found that Rape Crisis centres are currently facing a severe financial crisis. Nine centres have closed in the last five years, 69% of centres identified that their funding is unsustainable, and the constant and ongoing struggle to access funding is impacting heavily on centres' ability to continue providing essential services to survivors of sexual violence.

The combined annual income of 35 Rape Crisis (England and Wales) members was just over £3.5m. In 2004-05 the Government spent twice this amount each week on advertising and public relations. Victim Support received £30m from the Government in 2005-06. The average annual income for Rape Crisis centres is £81,598 - only marginally more than the cost, to the state, of one rape.

Rape Crisis centres gave examples of statutory agencies refusing to fund them because they were women-only, or pressuring them to deliver services to men.

"Women's organisations are not being valued or supported, despite the essential services they provide, or the money they are saving the Government. This crisis in Rape Crisis is an example of how women's organisations are being discriminated against" said Vivienne Hayes, Director of the Women's Resource Centre.

The main focus of the Government remains firmly on challenging the unacceptably low rape conviction rate of 5.7%, which strongly indicates that survivors of sexual violence are not receiving justice in the criminal justice system. Yet securing a criminal conviction is not the only outcome that survivors of sexual violence say they want or need. What is urgently needed is ‘parallel justice', which concentrates on both criminal and social justice. A focus on the support needs of survivors of sexual violence, alongside the need to hold the perpetrators of such crimes to account, is urgently needed.

Rape Crisis counselling, support and advocacy services are in high demand - the total number of average days on waiting lists across the country was 1,929 days - 5.3 years. This is not surprising, given how common sexual violence is, with a conservative estimate of 80,000 women experiencing rape every year in the UK, and 32% of children experiencing child sexual assault.

Sign the petition petitions.pm.gov.uk/RapeCrisis/

Rape Crisis: Responding to Sexual Violence

New Book by Helen Jones and Kate Cook (all proceeds to Rape Crisis England and Wales)

Adapted from the Preface by Dr Nicole Westmarland, Chair of Rape Crisis (England and Wales):

Rape crisis centres have provided the most effective and valued source of support for survivors of rape in Britain ever since the centres were developed as part of the women's movement of the 1970s. Yet now, at the same time as Britain is failing survivors of rape in the courts, there is also a threat to the work delivered through the centres. For anyone who wants to understand how we reached this point of crisis, or who wants to be able to respond, this book helpfully provides: an understanding of the strengths that these centres can add to how we respond to rape in our society; an explanation of the knowledge, ideas and skills that comprise the centres' unique model of support; an account of the rape crisis movement's struggles in starting and sustaining the centres; a permanent record of the philosophies and ideas that underpinned the founding of the original centres, and a history of how they have changed and evolved over 30 years.Too few people know about the centres or how they are run. This book documents the work and story of rape crisis in England and Wales, drawing comparisons with similar centres and networks in Scotland and Ireland.

It provides the reader, whether an interested individual, a student or academic, a professional or voluntary worker, with a flavour of the original rape crisis work, and assesses its actual and potential value, here and now. Practical ideas for ways forward, which often mean learning the tools of survival during the current times of change, are presented, and can help ensure that there will be rape crisis centres for as long as there are women who need the specialist support that they offer.'Thank goodness this book has been written! At last there is an opportunity for those outside the movement to learn about some of our work and hopefully understand our motivations. "Rape Crisis: Responding to Sexual Violence" represents a tentative opening of a door that has been largely shut for three decades. It documents the Rape Crisis movement's simultaneously depressing and inspiring journey. Depressing because it highlights the myriad of problems faced by even the strongest of centres. Depressing because it emphasises the ubiquitous nature of rape.

Depressing because it represents reality - we simply do not have enough Rape Crisis Centres left to provide the support that every survivor needs and deserves...Yet also a testament to the strength of so many women.Brave, dedicated, focused women who have a vision of a world free from rape. Passionate women for whom the term 'good enough' does not feature within their vocabulary.

You can order this book online via either of the links below:

• www.russellhouse.co.uk - Rape Crisis: Responding to Sexual Violence
• www.amazon.co.uk - Rape Crisis: Responding to Sexual Violence

New Statesman Campaign

The number of Rape Crisis-affiliated centres in England and Wales has nearly halved from 68 to 38 since 1984. The New Statesman believes this is a failure of successive governments and in the coming weeks we will be mounting a campaign for proper funding for this vital service.

Sexual violence is a blight - the British Crime Survey suggests there are more than 300,000 rapes and serious sexual assaults each year. Most are not reported. One in four women have experience rape or attempted rape. One in seven women have been coerced into sex. Yet conviction rates have plummeted from 33% in the 1970s to around 5% now. This brings shame on us all. Rape Crisis have provided help for countless victims of sexual violence many of whom only come forward years after being attacked. As we will demonstrate here in the coming days, this is vital support and it needs proper funding.

For more information on the New Statesman Campaign, please visit: www.newstatesman.com/subjects/sexual-violence-and-rape-crisis

CriSiS in Rape Crisis

If you would like to read more about Rape Crisis raising awareness of the issues facing rape crisis visit our National Rape Crisis News page.

Sexual Violence in England and Wales

Sexual violence can affect anyone of any age, of any background, with or without a disability. The term 'sexual violence' describes any non-consensual sexual act ranging from 'flashing', obscene phone calls and being made to watch or take part in pornography to sexual harassment, stalking , sexual assault, childhood sexual abuse and rape.

It is much more common that people think...

• Around 21% of girls and 11% of boys experience some form of child sexual abuse.
• 23% of women and 3% of men experience sexual assault as an adult. 5% of women and 0.4% of men experience rape.

It represents a form of gender inequality...

• Most perpetrators are male and most victims are female. Sexual violence is both a consequence and cause of gender inequality.

It causes fear in communities...

• Women are more worried about rape than any other crime.

It can cause severe and long lasting harm to victims...

• Direct physical health consequences of sexual violence and child sexual abuse include physical injury, sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancy.
• Long-term consequences of sexual violence and child sexual abuse include post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and panic attacks, depression, social phobia, substance abuse, obesity, eating disorders, self-harm and suicide, (and, in some cases, offending behaviour. Child abuse can also impact on educational attainment and school attendance.

...and to society...

• The overall cost of sexual offences in 2003-4 was estimated at £8.5 billion, with each rape costing over £76,000. Much of this cost is made up of lost output and costs to the health service resulting from long term health issues faced by victims.

Victims do not always get the support they need...

40% of adults who are raped tell no-one about it. 31% of children who are abused reach adulthood without having disclosed their abuse. This means that victims do not always get support they need to deal with the abuse or violence they have experienced. Where victims do try and access support, it has not always been available.

It is an important and dangerous element of domestic violence...

Many people believe that adult sexual violence and child sexual abuse are usually committed by a stranger. In fact, perpetrators are usually known to the victim and many are partners or family members. Rape is associated with the most severe cases of domestic violence, and is a risk factor for domestic homicide.

Offenders have been getting away with it...

Only 15% of rapes against people 16 and over are reported to the police and of those only 5.7% result in an offender being convicted for that offence (2005-6 figures). This means that those who commit these very serious crimes may continue to pose a risk to the public.

(Home Office Statistics, 2007)

Rape Crisis Centres vary greatly in the services that they offer and in the ways that they operate. The basic services that all Centres offer are:

• Information for survivors, families, friends and professionals
• Some kind of support for survivors

They may also offer:

• A telephone helpline
• Face-to-face support
• Face-to-face counselling
• Advocacy
• Email support, text messaging etc.
• Practical support and Advocacy
• Support groups
• Specialist services
• Outreach Joint projects
• Training
• Signposting for additional support services
• Supervision for external agencies and professionals
• Consultation with local and national bodies such as health services, the criminal justice system, government departments, local authority and statutory services like housing and social services etc.
• Campaigning and awareness raising

Full contact details for local rape crisis services can be found at www.rapecrisis.org.uk on the 'centres' page.

Links to other support services and campaign organisations

	Truth about Rape - Formed in 2002 to challenge myths about rape and bring its realities back onto the public agenda. www.truthaboutrape.co.uk
	Campaign to End Rape - A national coalition of feminist activists from Justice for Women, the Rape Crisis movement, YCWA and other individual activists, feminist lawyers and academics. www.cer.truthaboutrape.co.uk
	Rape Crisis Scotland - Set up to support the work of centres in Scotland, and to help the Rape Crisis movement develop and improve services to women across Scotland. www.rapecrisisscotland.org.uk
	Rape Crisis Network Ireland - A multi-member political and campaigning organisation committed to the elimination of all forms of sexual violence through effecting political, cultural and social change. www.rcni.ie
	Directory and Book Services - A national resource and directory of services across the UK and Ireland. A comprehensive booklist is also available online. www.dabsbooks.co.uk
	Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit, London Metropolitan University - Centre for independent research, evaluation, training, consultancy and networking. www.cwasu.org
	End Violence Against Women - A Coalition Campaign that was launched on 23rd November 2005. EVAW believes that women in the UK are entitled to live their lives free from gender-based violence and discrimination, and that the UK Governments have a leading role to play in creating a society that does not tolerate or excuse violence against women. www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk
	Women's Resource Centre www.whywomen.org.uk

CriSiS in Rape Crisis

Rape Crisis (England and Wales) have been raising awareness of the historic underinvestment in sexual violence services. Please visit our National Rape Crisis News page to see the developments and media coverage.