Who are Underserved Victims of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault? Underrepresented Victim Populations and Barriers to Service Seeking

Improving victim services for underserved populations is a Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding priority. While VOCA does not define who “underserved populations” are, it does provide guidelines state administering agencies (SAAs), the entities that distribute VOCA funding, should use to designate underserved victims within their states. These guidelines state SAAs must base their definitions on victim characteristics (e.g., race, residence, income) and/or victimization type (e.g., sexual assault, robbery). The present study examines the definition of underserved in the context of Illinois sexual assault and domestic violence victims. Domestic violence and sexual assault service provider perspectives were solicited directly via focus groups, which included a discussion on provider definitions and experiences related to underserved victims and reflections on findings of a statistical and geographic analysis of domestic violence and sexual assault service receiving victims in Illinois. Researchers found service provider definitions were rooted in individual barriers victims face during and after victimization. Their definitions diverged both from the framing of the VOCA guidelines and definitions suggested by researchers’ analysis of service data. Researchers found the barrier-focused definition preferred by service providers and the analysis of demographic characteristics used to identify underrepresented victim populations complemented each other; combined these perspectives offered a more comprehensive understanding of underserved victims in Illinois.