Survey of Sexual Assaults Survivors

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APPENDIX 3 - SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE - Sexual Assault Survivor Survey

• DATE:
• INTERVIEW CODE:
  • Centre Number:
  • Interview Number:
• START TIME:
• END TIME:

PRELIMINARIES

Thank you for agreeing to be interviewed.  I’d like to first quickly review the purpose and focus of the interview.

As you are probably aware, the Department of Justice Canada wants to know about what women who have been sexually assaulted consider when deciding whether to report the assault to the police.  At this time, the department is particularly interested in your perspectives on the use of women’s personal records in criminal proceedings for sexual assault cases.

The (Centre), along with a number of other centres, have been working with Justice Canada by putting you and other women in touch with the study for an interview.

The interview will last from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the number of questions that are relevant to your experience.  The interview starts by asking about the kinds of sexual violence you have experienced, whether you reported to police and why or why not.  I’ll then ask you some questions about criminal proceedings.  I’ll end the interview with some personal questions, such as age, etcetera.

I would like to confirm with you that you have received the information sheet, and that you understand the following:

• The interview is completely anonymous;
• The interview is not tape recorded;
• If at any time you are uncomfortable with the interview and want to end it, just tell the interviewer that you wish to end the call;
• Your identity will not be revealed to me or the Department of Justice, or anyone else by the woman or women who invited you to participate in this study.
• You will be reimbursed by the (Centre) for any transportation or childcare expenses you may have incurred in order to participate in this interview.
• Justice will be providing the (Centre) with copies of the survey report in the fall (98).  A copy will be made available to you upon request to the (Centre).
• Any questions at this point?
• One last thing before we begin the interview:  I need to establish that you feel you are well enough informed about the study and are participating of your own free will.

INTERVIEWER:

Please check here to indicate that you are satisfied that the interviewee has chosen to participate in this interview with her full and informed consent

READY TO START?

QUESTIONS

Type of sexual violence experienced

• 1. Clearly you are talking to me because of sexual violence that has happened to you.  I am going to read a list of different ways that women experience sexual violence.  I would like you to tell me which of these fit with your experience or experiences:
  
  
  • Child sexual abuse
  • Sexual assault as an adult
  • Sexual harassment

Considering whether to contact police

• 2. Did you consider reporting any of these to the police?
• 3. Would you please tell me about what influenced your decision to report or not?
• 4. Which of these experiences (if any) did you decide to report?

IF WOMAN DID NOT REPORT ASSAULT, GO TO 20

After contacting the police

FOR EACH EXPERIENCE:

• 5. As far as you know, was the perpetrator picked up by the police? If yes, can you recall how long it was between when you reported to police and when he was picked up?
• 6. Do you know whether or not he was charged?

IF UNKNOWN OR NO CHARGE, GO TO 10

After charge is laid

• 7. After the charge was laid, did anyone keep you informed of the development of the case? If so, who kept you informed, and how?
• 8. Can you tell me where the case is at now?
• 9. Was there any plea bargaining?  Were you consulted?

Access to personal records

• 10. Has anyone in the criminal justice system ever tried to get any of your personal records, like your counselling, medical, employment or education records?  (Applications to get access to these records are sometimes referred to as “O’Connor applications”.) IF NO, GO TO 20
• 11. What kinds of records were requested?
• 12. Who requested the records?
• 13. How did you find out that these records were being requested?
• 14. Were any of the records released?  IF NO, GO TO 19
• 15. Who authorized their release?
• 16. To whom were they released?
• 17. As far as you know, how were the records used?
• 18. How did you feel about your records being released and the way they were used?. (Where appropriate, ask how this has affected the woman’s relationship with the record holder, i.e. if the woman is/was receiving counselling.)
• 19. Did you have any say in the matter?

Awareness

• 20. Are / Were you aware that women’s personal records can be used as evidence in sexual assault cases?  IF NO, GO TO 22
• 21. IF YES, how did you become aware of this?
• 22. Would this have influenced / Did this influence your decision about whether or when to report the assault to the police?
• 23. Would this have influenced / Did this influence your decision about whether or when to proceed with counseling following the assault?

IF WOMAN INDICATES THAT POSSIBLE RECORDS DISCLOSURE DISCOURAGED OR WOULD HAVE DISCOURAGED HER FROM REPORTING TO POLICE AND/OR RECEIVING COUNSELLING:

• 24. What in your history or files are/were you most worried about when you thought  about the information being revealed in court?

In retrospect

• 25. Based on your experience, what do women who have been sexually assaulted need to know about the criminal justice system?
• 26. Based on your own or what you know of other women’s experiences, if you could change one way about the way the justice system deals with women’s experiences of sexual violence, what would that be?

In closing

We would also like to see if this study can tell us about how different circumstances among women affect their views and experiences.  Would you be willing to answer a few final personal questions, such as your age, income, whether you live with a disability, country of origin, etcetera?

• 27. What is your age?
• 28. Is Canada your country of origin?
  • Yes
  • No

IF NO, Would you tell me where you were born and how long you have been in Canada?

PLEASE CHECK IF ANY OF THE FOLLOWING APPLY:

• 29. Are you an Aboriginal woman?
• 30. A woman of colour?
• 31. A woman living with a disability?
• 32. Are you a lesbian?
• 33. Of the following levels of education, would you tell me which is the highest level you have completed:
  
  
  • Less than secondary
  • Secondary
  • Some post-secondary
  • Post-secondary

Finally,

• 34.  It would also be helpful if you would tell me where your income is between
  • Less than $15,000
  • $15,000 to $25,000
  • $25,000 to $35,000
  • $35,000 to $45,000
  • $45,000 to $55,000
  • More than $55,000
• 35. Do you have any concerns you would like to raise, or points to add before we end the call?

Thank you for participating in the study and goodbye.

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