Texans who support victims of sexual assault have not always had access to the localized information they need to connect the survivors to services and resources in their area and across the state.
Now, new research from The University of Texas at Austin will enable survivors of sexual assault, professionals supporting them, and lawmakers to see the landscape of resources, service gaps and unmet needs across the state to improve the services that survivors of child and adult sexual assault receive throughout Texas.
The research was authorized by the bipartisan passage of House Bill 1590 and administered through the office of the governor’s Sexual Assault Survivors’ Task Force. It was conducted by researchers at the Institute on Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault (IDVSA) in the Steve Hicks School of Social Work, who developed and implemented a statewide survey to providers who serve survivors of sexual violence. More than 340 service providers participated in the survey, representing all 11 regions of Texas and 209 of the 254 counties.