Cultural considerations that may affect how she responds to the rape:

• The women or the community may not view marital rape as rape. Sexual privilege by a husband may be seen as his right.

• A woman who has been raped may be stigmatized, isolated, and considered "dirty" and "impure."

• Many families/communities may not be supportive of the woman who has been raped because of their belief that it will bring disgrace to the family.

• Many cultures and communities do not define rape and sexual assault the same way that Americans or advocates do. Using intimidation as a means to have sex without physical force or injuries may not be considered rape.

• In many cultures women are encouraged to choose death over rape and a rape survivor may actually be ashamed at being alive.

Law Enforcement Issues:

• If the survivor is undocumented, she may fear that she may be deported if she goes to the police. Law enforcement is often seen as an arm of the CIS.

• Victim blaming, like if she was a "decent" woman she would not have gotten into this situation, is also a justification used by law enforcement personnel in many countries to further victimize the woman by mistreating her or sexually abusing her. Thus women may be fearful of the investigators and reluctant to report.

• In many countries the law enforcement is seen as corruptible and controlled by people with money. Immigrant and refugee women from lower socioeconomic class may therefore not expect justice from the system.

Medical and Mental Health Issues:

• Many communities view HIV and AIDS as "Western" diseases and may be hesitant to get tested after the assault.

• Due to her lack of knowledge about the U.S. system, she may fear the costs of medical bills. Letting her know that she is eligible for Victim Compensation even without a Social Security number (check if this is true for your State) may allay her fears. Be sure to inform her that she doesn't have to pay for the rape exam.

• Be aware that many refugee women may be showing symptoms of PTSD due to experience of rape during war in their home countries or even during their journey while attempting to flee from their countries.

• In many cultures counseling is viewed very negatively. Saying "support session" or another such non-threatening term instead of counseling may be helpful.

Interpretation and Translation Issues:

• Ensure that there is someone to help interpret the medical terms to the survivor.

• Be aware that many terms may not translate well.

• Make sure the survivor is comfortable with the interpreter. Many of the communities are very small and the survivor may be fearful of a community member finding out about the sexual assault.

Training:

• Ethnic community organizations & local Rape Crisis Centers need to work collaboratively to ensure information is culturally sensitive.

• Have information (brochures, public service announcements, and outreach material) translated into the languages spoken by the communities you want to reach.

• Be sure to portray individuals from immigrant and refugee communities in posters and public service announcements.

• Cross train each other on sexual assault and multicultural issues.