To discuss trends, changes and growth in the field of rape crisis work, it is vital to have dialogue defining the field. This document is part of the conversation about defining sexual assault services.
Rape crisis centers and state coalitions have evolved in unique circumstances, but there are commonalities across the field, and there is consensus on some important facets of providing sexual assault services. This document examines several states sexual assault service standards to uncover similarities and differences in service provision across the country.
State service standards help local rape crisis centers determine what services must be provided at a minimum, its core services. From this analysis of state standards, we can begin to see a national picture of which services make up the core services of a rape crisis center. This core looks slightly different in each state, but there are striking consistencies in core services across this sample.