The Path of Helpseeking: Perceptions of Law Enforcement Among American Indian Victims of Sexual Assault

SUMMARY

The longstanding history of violence and oppression toward American Indians (AI) by the United States has created numerous problems for native communities, including high crime rates. AI women are sexually victimized more than other U.S. racial groups, but often receive very limited services. Secondary analyses of National Violence Against Women Survey data indicate that AI women's reasons for not reporting rape suggest ongoing suspicion of law enforcement. AI women, compared to others, more often said law enforcement would not believe or would blame them, and more often reported that they or their family dealt with the perpetrator. Many other barriers to helpseeking persist, including prejudice, conflict between Western and native values, language barriers, and poverty. AI communities also possess numerous resources that are specific to their cultures and their sovereign relationships with the U.S. government. More needs to be done to minimize barriers and make full use of community assets.

KEYWORDS:

• American Indians
• helpseeking
• reporting to police
• sexual assault
• the National Violence Against Women Survey (NVAWS)

Notes

Notes: n represents subset of women in each racial category who disclosed a rape on the survey. Total n for female interviews in the National Violence Against Women Survey (Tjaden & Thoennes, 1998, 2006) was 8,000. Other Minority includes African-American (n = 141), Asian/Pacific Islander (n = 9), and mixed race (n = 69). AI = American Indian/Alaska Native. ∗∗∗p < .001.

Notes: n represents subset of women in each racial category who disclosed a rape on the survey but said they did not report the rape to the police. Total n for female interviews in the National Violence Against Women Survey (Tjaden & Thoennes, 1998, 2005) was 8,000. Other Minority includes African-American (n = 112), Asian/Pacific Islander (n = 8), and mixed race (n = 69). AI = American Indian/Alaska Native; R = respondent.

p < .05;∗∗ p < .01;∗∗∗ p < .001;∗∗∗∗ p < .0001. Items with at least 1 d over .20 are in boldface.