TDH Booklet4 - Texas Association Against Sexual Assault

Appendicies - B Survey Analyses
Training Personnel
The majority of the organizations or clinics surveyed provided staff training through periodic
training sessions. Brochures, handouts, policy/protocol were often printed for training purposes
(Table 7). A much smaller percentage of respondents were involved in training for Stalking in
comparison to Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence. Open-ended comments indicated that
seminars, conferences and workshops were also used for purposes of training personnel by
organizations or clinics.
Goals of VAW Organizations or Clinics
Organizations and clinics were asked to list the goals of their VAW primary prevention
efforts. Three main goals were provided in the questionnaire and open-ended comments were
solicited. Seventy-nine percent (n=262) of the respondents picked at least one goal. Fifty percent
of the 262 respondents selected risk reduction for potential victimization of VAW as their most
important goal, with another 32% selected changes in attitudes and behavior about VAW as the
most important goal. Eleven percent selected changing societal power structures as their most
important goal.
Respondents also ranked these goals with a score of 1 being the highest priority and 4
indicating lowest priority. Average rankings for the goals outlined in the questionnaire were:
• Reducing risk factors for potential victims – Average 1.74 (Highest priority)
• Changing attitudes/beliefs (social norms) about acceptability of VAW – Average 2.27
(Next highest priority)
• Changing societal power structures that allow for VAW – Average 3.31 (Lowest priority)
Obstacles and challenges
The survey respondents were also asked about the obstacles and challenges they encountered
in their primary prevention efforts. Open-ended responses (n = 201) were analyzed, and some
respondents provided multiple responses. The majority (54 percent) of the responses cited lack of
funding as the main challenge they faced in the implementation of primary prevention programs.
Twelve percent of the respondents indicated that other resources were overextended and priorities
were set according to available funding. For example, among the 29 WIC clinics that responded,
many had other priorities to cover during client contacts, and VAW related issues competed with
many other health/social issues. All these issues had to be addressed at the same client interview
with limited time and staff resources.
Other obstacles/challenges the respondents faced included inadequate training or education
of law enforcement personnel (5 percent), and lack of staff resources to deal with VAW cases (10.5
percent). Lack of community awareness and general attitude of the public towards VAW was a
challenge and an obstacle for 13 percent of the survey respondents. Sixteen percent cited societal
norms and the stigma attached to VAW reporting as a major obstacle. A lack of culturally
appropriate educational materials was also cited as obstacles by 12 percent of the survey
respondents.
A STRATEGIC PLAN TO PREVENT VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN TEXAS
B-108