De-mystifying Rape and Sexual Assault Encounters for Medical Interpreters

NATIONALCOUNCILONINTERPRETINGINHEALTHCARE
WWW.NCIHC.ORG

You can access the recording of the
live webinar presentation at
www.ncihc.org/trainerswebinars
Home for Trainers Interpreter Trainers Webinars Work Group
An initiative of the Standards and Training Committee
www.ncihc.org/home-for-trainers

Housekeeping
-This session is being recorded
- Certificate of Attendance
*must attend full 90 minutes
*trainerswebinars@ncihc.org
- Audio and technical problems
- Questions to organizers
- Q & A
Home for Trainers Interpreter Trainers Webinars Workgroup

Welcome to our guest presenter!
Patricia Alonzo, M.Ed, CHI, CMI

Demystifying: A Rape & Sexual Assault
Encounter for Medical Interpreters
Patricia A Alonzo, MA Ed., CHI, CMI

Presentation Goals
Build a foundation of knowledge,
best practices, and understanding
of the role of the interpreter in a
rape or sexual assault encounter.
How to best serve the
LEP patient, while
staying in the interpreter
role, in a situation that is
emotionally charged
and has legal
connotation.
Understand the
Medical Exam, Rape
Kit, SART team.
Will have a clear view of
how to serve the LEP and
all those involved in the
encounter/session with
precision, empathy, and
without ever stepping out
of his/her role.
How to approach
the legal aspect of
the encounter,
working with officers.

Learning
Objectives
1
• The interpreters will
learn the role of those
involved in the session
(i.e., EMTs, RNs,
Doctors, law
enforcement personal,
and family) to ensure
communication flows
effectively.
2
• The interpreter will
learn, what is a rape
kit? How the rape kit
is used and the
process of collecting
the evidence.
3
4
• Trainers will have
several slides with
“Training Strategies”
when teaching this
topic to interpreters
• The interpreter will learn
medical and some legal
terminology related to this
medical encounter.

Attendee Poll
Patricia A Alonzo, MA Ed., CHI, CMI

• What we know about
Rape & Sexual Assault?
• How to use this as a
tool to educate &
Train?

Why is Rape / Sexual Assault So Difficult to Interpret?
Interpreter Concerns / Fears
Adapted from lacopino et al., 2001

❖Rape is a form of sexual assault,
but not all sexual assault is rape.
❖The term rape is often used as a
legal definition to specifically
include sexual penetration
without consent (this is key).
❖For its Uniform Crime Reports,
the FBI defines rape as:
❖“penetration, no matter how
slight, of the vagina or anus with
any body part or object, or oral
penetration by a sex organ of
another person, without the
consent of the victim.”
Definition of Rape

Any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs by force or without
consent of the recipient of the unwanted sexual activity. Falling under the
definition of sexual assault is sexual activity such as forced sexual intercourse,
sodomy, child molestation, incest, fondling, and attempted rape. It includes
sexual acts against people who are unable to consent either due to age or lack of
capacity.
The term sexual assault refers to sexual contact or behavior that
occurs without explicit consent of the victim. Some forms of
sexual assault include:
• Attempted rape
• Fondling or unwanted sexual touching
• Forcing a victim to perform sexual acts, such as oral
sex or penetrating the perpetrator’s body
• Penetration of the victim’s body, also known as rape
Sexual assault is any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without
the explicit consent of the recipient. Falling under the definition of sexual
assault are sexual activities as forced sexual intercourse, forcible sodomy,
child molestation, incest, fondling, and attempted rape.
— U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Violence Against Women
What is Sexual Assault?

Myths and facts about rape and sexual assault
! Myth: You can spot a rapist by the
way he / she looks or acts
! Fact: There’s no surefire way to
identify a rapist. Many appear
completely normal, friendly, charming,
and non-threatening.
! Myth: If you didn’t fight back, you
must have thought it wasn’t that bad.
! Fact: During a sexual assault, its
extremely common to freeze. Your
brain and body shuts down in shock,
making it difficult to move, speak, or
think.
! Myth: People who are raped “ask for
it” by the way they dress or act.
! Fact: Rape is a crime of opportunity.
Studies show that rapist choose
victims based on their vulnerability,
not on how sexy they appear or how
flirtatious they are.
! Myth: Date rape is often a
misunderstanding.
! Fact: Date rapists often defend
themselves by claiming the
assault was a drunken mistake
or miscommunication. But
research shows that most date
rapists are repeat offenders.
These men target vulnerable
people and often ply them with
alcohol in order to rape them.
! Myth: It’s not rape if you’ve had
sex with the person before.
! Fact: Just because you’ve
previously consented to sex with
someone doesn’t give them
perpetual rights to your body. If
your spouse, boyfriend, or lover
forces sex against your will, it’s
rape.

Common Violent Crimes
Adult molested as
child
Arson Assault
Child physical
abuse
Child sexual abuse Domestic violence
Elder or vulnerable
adult abuse
● Gang violence
● Human
trafficking (sex or
labor trafficking:
“modern-day
slavery”)
● Robbery
● Sexual assault or
sexual abuse
● Stalking
● Survivor of
homicide (family
member or loved
one of a murder
victim)
● Terrorism
● Victims with
disabilities.

Rape Victim Legal Implications for the
Interpreter
Interpreters in
hospitals shouldn’t
interpret for police
officers or
detectives in the
clinical setting
Many hospitals
have policies in
place to stop
interpreters from
providing services
for police officers or
detectives inside of
the hospital.
Interpreters must
ask for permission
from the provider
and victim/
survivor.
VRI/OPI, most,
have the same
guidelines

Teaching Strategy
! Survey the team – Find out what they
know. You can create a paper one to
hand out during your presentation or
use Microsoft ….. That will give you
anonymous responses, charts, and
percentages
! Discuss fears of interpreting rape or
sexual assault encounter.
! Present both topics of Rape and
Sexual Assault and gauge what is
your team or trainees understanding
of both.
! Do a breakout session with your team
or participants, 5-8 min, to write
down some of their myths or
understandings of a person that has
been raped or sexually assaulted.
This will allow for honest
conversation, discussion, and help
recognize any biases they might have
and how to address them with facts.
! Take 5 min of the training/
presentation to ask if they know what
are some of the common violent
crimes. Gauge how much they know
before discussing it more at length.

National Statistics
• 44% of all rape happens before
the age of 18
• 80% before the age of 30
• 12% of all girls & 5% of all
boys will be sexually abused
before the twelfth grade

National Rape Statistics
! Millions of women in the United States
have experienced rape.
! As of 1998, an estimated 17.7 million
American women had been victims of
attempted or completed rape.
!Young women are especially at risk.
! 82% of all juvenile victims are female.
90% of adult rape victims are female.6
! Females ages 16-19 are 4 times more
likely than the general population to be
victims of rape, attempted rape, or
sexual assault.3
! Women ages 18-24 who are college
students are 3 times more likely than
women in general to experience sexual
violence. Females of the same age who
are not enrolled in college are 4 times
more likely.7

National Rape Statistics
Millions of men in the United
States have been victims of
rape.
• As of 1998, 2.78 million men
in the U.S. had been victims
of attempted or completed
rape.
• About 3% of American men
—or 1 in 33—have
experienced an attempted or
completed rape in their
lifetime.
• 1 out of every 10 rape
victims are male.
Retrieved from: https://www.rainn.org/statistics/victims-sexual-violence
Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network

Forms of Domestic Violence that
Women Experience : Immigrant Women
Deaf Power Control Wheel

Teaching Strategy
! Hand out a multiple-choice
survey on data on gender, age,
race, etc… to see what are their
perceptions and then lead with
the correct data.
! Have a break-out 5-8 min, in
groups of two, to discuss their
fears and challenges in these
settings.
! Do an open discussion about
the institution policies and
procedures when interpreting
rape and sexual assault
encounters.
! Give out handouts with the
annual data on rape and sexual
assault. As well as one on
violent crimes.

Interpreter Practice
• Interpreter Protocols
• Introduction of Role
• Modes of interpretation

Interpreter Protocols
Introductions
Positioning
Direct speech
Eye contact
Tone of voice
Conflicts of interest
Gender concerns
Interpreting for the same survivor.
Sample Introduction:
! Everything I interpret for you is
strictly confidential.
! Everything that you say is
important, and I will interpret
EVERYTHING exactly as you say
it. Please say only what you
want me to interpret.
! Please speak to the [provider/
survivor], not to me. It’s okay to
act as if I’m not here.
! Sometimes I take notes to
interpret more accurately, but I
will destroy any notes I take
immediately when I leave [or give
them to the service provider—
especially attorneys].
! If I make this signal, please
pause to let me finish
interpreting.

Interpreters who work in this
field need a solid mastery of
the following:
! An understanding of crime, trauma and
vicarious trauma in general
! Knowledge of domestic violence, sexual
assault and child abuse
! Core interpreting skill (modes of
interpreting)
! Consecutive interpreting
! Note-taking skills
! Sight translation
! Simultaneous interpreting
! Ethics and protocols to navigate the
often-challenging situations where the
interpreter must make swift decisions
! Knowledge about agencies, laws and
services that affect crime victims
! Self-awareness
! Examine one’s own biases
! Effective self-care knowledge and
practices

Sight Translation Sight translation is a
hybrid mode between interpreting and
translation.
• The interpreter must interpret the written
word into spoken language. Instead of
listening to the speaker in one language and
converting his or her speech into another,
the interpreter translates text that is written
in one language into speech or sign
language in another language.
• Many specialists consider sight translation
to be the most complex mode to master
because of its hybrid nature.
• In victim service settings, interpreters are
asked to sight translate a broad range of
documents, ranging from:
❖ basic brochures about services
❖ complex legal documents that
advise victims of their rights
❖ secure formal consent for a
medical procedure.

Code Of Ethics & Model of Professional
Responsibility for Interpreters in the Judiciary

Code of Professional Responsibility for
Interpreters Serving Limited English
Proficiency (LEP) Victims of Domestic
Violence outside of the courtroom and
judicial settings (i.e. clinical setting and
support services)
These Canons apply to
interpreters who are serving
limited-English proficiency
(LEP) victims of domestic
violence in non-judicial
settings such as intake and
meetings with service
providers, interviews with
police, and communications
with advocates and medical
personnel. For judicial
proceedings, interpreters are
governed by, and must strictly
observe the provisions of the
Code of Professional
Responsibility for Interpreters
in the Judiciary

Tenets
• Interpreters adhere to standards of confidential
communication.
• Interpreters possess the professional skills and
knowledge required for the specific interpreting
situation.
• Interpreters conduct themselves in a manner
appropriate to the specific interpreting situation.
• Interpreters demonstrate respect for consumers.
• Interpreters demonstrate respect for colleagues,
interns and students of the profession.
• Interpreters maintain ethical business practices.
• Interpreters engage in professional development.
RID: Code of Professional Conduct
https://www.ncihc.org/ethics-and-standards-of-practice

EthicalViolationsbyInterpreterWhenInterpretingforSA/DVSurvivors
Confidentiality
■ Some interpreters have broken
confidentiality, especially in smaller cultural
communities.
■ Interpreters do not always state that they
strictly observe confidentiality.
■ Interpreters in small communities often
know the survivor and have even
interpreted
for him or her in other settings—a
disclosure that must be stated from the
start by the interpreter
Accuracy
■ Several interpreters have engaged inside
conversations with the survivor.
■ Interpreters too often summarize in SA/
DV encounters.
■ Some interpreters show lack of knowledge
of the SA/DV services context, terms,
services and interrelationships among
services.
- Lack of proficiency
- Cultural filtering
- Terms (sexual acts, acts of
violence, coarse / obscene language)
Impartiality
■ Cultural assumptions — Interpreters often assume (or the
provider assumes) that because the interpreter speaks
language X, they are cultural experts on everyone from all
the countries
or speak for the survivor.
■ Getting emotionally involved.
■ Judgmental attitudes are sometimes quite visible in the
interpreter’s body language and/or tone of voice when
interpreting certain information such as:
— Sexual behaviors
— Sexual orientation (including same-sex sexual violence)
— Human trafficking
— Domestic violence survivors who choose to stay with the
abuser
— Word choice—which can be highly sensitive in victim
services interpreting.
Violations of scope of practice/role boundaries. Interpreters
sometimes
■ Try to give explanations, e.g., explaining what domestic violence is
■ Give referrals—even for domestic violence shelters
● Fail to understand the legal implications of the services being provided
and thus the interpreter’s inappropriate conduct within those services
● Give advice, for example — Legal advice about immigration status —
Urging a survivor to stay with an abusive spouse.

Teaching Strategy
1. In small groups, compare, in
handouts provided by your
instructor, the Code of
Professional Responsibility for
Interpreters Serving Limited
English Proficiency (LEP)
Victims of Domestic Violence
Outside of the Courtroom and
Judicial Settings3 with the
National Code of Ethics for
Interpreters in Health Care4
(published by the National
Council on Interpreting in
Health Care).
2. 2. If there are sign language
interpreters in your group,
your instructor may include a
handout for the Code of
Professional Conduct.
3. 3. Fill in the columns below.
4. 4. If you have time, note any
other differences between the
two codes of ethics
Breaking+Silence: A Workbook of Role Plays and Exercises pg. 42

Tips for Interpreting Rape & Sexual Assault
Keeping professional
poise
You must manager
your own human
reaction to what
you witness
Maintain accuracy
Apply professional
ethics and
standards
Monitor your
emotional
responses
Manager your
physical (corporal
responses)
DO NOT amplify
the trauma
Establishing trust
with the provider &
LEP (NEVER break
the trust)
Incorporate Note-
Taking & Introduce
the practice

Interpreter Boundaries
Faithful to the message:
no adding, explaining,
ensure rendition is clearly
understood
NO “helping”
Confidentiality: might
require signing a
confidentiality agreement
if you know the victim.
We “The Interpreter” give
the LEP a VOICE!
We don’t “Silence” “Stifle”
or “Assume” an utterance
isn’t important.
100% FAITHFUL to the
message!

DON’T!
Comfort the survivor
● Give out their
personal information,
business card and/or
telephone number
● Get into side
conversations with
the survivor and not
interpret them
● Are alone with the
survivor and tell the
provider who walks
in, “Let me fill you in”
● Give emotional,
logistic and even
legal advice to
survivors
● Tell the service
provider what to do
● Refer the survivor
to other services,
such as shelters or
nonprofit agencies
● Educate the
survivor, e.g., by
lecturing her on what
domestic violence is
● Get emotionally
involved
● Question the
provider’s judgment
or advice
● Tell the survivor to
stay with the abuser
leave the abuser
“be strong.”

Interpreting In Trauma:
Interpreter Should
Must
•Have a pre-session
with the service
provider (doctors, RN’s,
medical students, all
medical personnel
present)to understand
the session (i.e., LEP
state of mind, gender,
type of assault, visible
trauma, etc.…)
Must
•Feel comfortable and
confident in
interpreting a difficult
(emotional) message.
Where sexual acts are
discussed, body parts
are mentioned,
obscene language, and
other acts of violence
perpetrated against the
LEP/victim (100%
faithful rendition).
NEVER
•Touch the LEP/
survivor. Avoid
“helping” and or
“comforting” the
survivor.
Must
•Have a “distress” signal
for provider to better
communicate in this
traumatic setting.
Must
•Plan for “self-care”
during and post
interpretation.
•Journaling
•Speaking with a
counselor
•Debriefing with LOM
•Yoga
•Meditation, etc.…

Teaching Strategy
! Break the trainees/
interpreters into working
groups for 10 min.
! Have them develop 3-4 best
practices for interpreting
these types of encounters.
! Have on note-taker & one
spoke person that will report
back to the group.
! Then as a collective group
walk-away with a set of best
practices for your healthcare
institution, self as a
freelancer, or for your remote
team.

Vicarious Trauma
1. First, the interpreter must listen very,
very carefully: Attentive/active
listening is critical for accuracy.
2. Then the interpreter must extract the
meaning of the message, because, of
course, we don’t interpret word for
word: We interpret meaning for
meaning. However, extracting
meaning is a highly complex cognitive
skill that requires intense focus and
higher-level reasoning skills.
3. Then the interpreter needs to select
an equivalent conceptual meaning
among possible mental alternatives in
the target language, which can be
difficult if the two working languages
are not closely related or in the same
language family.
4. Then the interpreter has to deliver the
meaning in the target language
respecting the same register (level of
language), tone, spirit and intent of
the original message.
Breaking+Silence: A Training Manual – Vicarious Trauma and Self Care, pg. 73

A Teen Rape Story
Breaking+Silence: A Workbook of Role Plays and Exercises pg. 17-18
How does this make you feel?
You need to know before you interpret a rape or sexual assault encounter.

Signs & Symptoms of Fatigue
Here are several signs or symptoms that you may be experiencing
compassion fatigue. Watch out for these signs or symptoms in yourself.
When you experience burnout, a symptom of compassion fatigue, you
may notice some of the following feelings:
! Tired and overwhelmed
! Like a failure
! As though you are not doing your job well
! Helpless—as if nothing you do will help
! Frustrated
! Cynical
! Disconnected from others
! Numb, indifferent
! Depressed
! Feeling a need to use alcohol or drugs to cope

Reduce Stress
Techniques that you can practice before the
session include:
● Preparation
● Pre-briefing/coordination
● An arranged signal with the provider
● Boundary-setting
● Practice in relaxation techniques.
Techniques to consider practicing
after the session include:
● Debriefing
● Boundary rituals
● Consulting a self-care plan
● Social supports.
The six techniques to practice during the session, where possible and feasible, are:
● Grounding
● Breathing
● Visualization
● Relaxation techniques
● Taking a break
● Interpreter self-calming strategies.

Teaching Strategy
Breaking+Silence:AWorkbookofRolePlaysandExercisespg.15&19
Self-Care Plan

PurposeofPostRapeMedicalExam
The medical/forensic examination in its entirety addresses the medical
and evidentiary needs of the consenting patient:
! Conducting prompt examinations.
! Providing support, crisis intervention, and advocacy.
! Obtaining a history of the assault.
! Performing a complete assessment.
! Documenting exam findings.
! Evaluating and treating injuries.
! Properly collecting, handling, and preserving potential evidence.
! Providing information, treatment, and referrals for STIs and pregnancy.
! Providing follow-up care for medical and emotional needs as well as further forensic evaluation.
! Providing language assistance services for limited English proficient, Deaf and hard-of-
hearing individuals, and those with sensory or communication disabilities.
! It is also possible that examiners may provide the following as a routine part of their post-
examination
! process depending upon the criminal justice system response:
! Interpreting and analyzing examination findings.
! Presenting findings and providing factual and/or expert opinion related to the medical forensic
examination.

Medical Exam Team
Sexual Assault Nurse
Examiner (SANE) – must be
trained
ARNP or RN (with completed
specialized training in sexual
assault/rape)
Doctor
EMTs

Sexual Assault Response Team SART/
SARRT
Defined by National Sexual Violence Resource
Center, is “a collection of professional service
providers and officials that respond essentially
as a group, and in a timely fashion, to the
various needs of rape victims.”
Their responsibility: primary activity of a
SART is to coordinate an immediate response
across the community. This response typically
includes:
! initial contact with a victim(s);
! medical evaluation and care;
! documentation and collection of
forensic and crime scene evidence;
! a “go to” for prosecution and legal
support;
! resources for crisis counseling,
information and referrals for victims,
and advocacy to ensure that they
receive assistance; and
! support and information for victim’s
families and friends.
! Civil Attorneys
! Forensic Scientist
! Health care providers
! Law enforcement representatives
! Prosecutors
! Victim Rights Attorneys
SART Professionals

! You may have heard the term
“rape kit” to refer to a sexual
assault forensic exam.
! The term rape kit refers to the
kit itself—a container that
includes a checklist, materials,
and instructions, along with
envelopes and containers to
package any specimens collected
during the exam.
! A rape kit may also be referred to
as a Sexual Assault Evidence
Kit (SAEK). The contents of the
kit vary by state and jurisdiction
and may include:
• small boxes
• microscope slides
• plastic bags for collecting and
storing evidence:
- clothing fibers
- Hairs
- Saliva
- Blood
- semen or
- body fluid
Rape Kit

Contents of a Rape Kit
Rape kits vary by
location, but
commonly include the
following items:
Instructions
Bags and sheets for
evidence collection
Swabs for collecting
fluids from the lips,
cheeks, thighs, vagina,
anus, and buttocks
Sterile urine collection
containers
Sterile sample
containers
Blood collection
devices
Comb used to collect
hair and fiber from the
victim’s body
Clear glass slides
Self-sealing envelopes
for preserving the
victim’s clothes, head
hair, pubic hair, and
blood samples
Nail pick for scraping
debris from beneath
the nails
White sheets to catch
physical evidence
stripped from the body
Documentation forms Labels
Sterile water and
saline

Physical Injuries:
Captured During Exam
Terms:
• Abrasions
• Bruises
• Lacerations
• Incised Wounds
• Stab Wounds
• Gunshot Wounds

Top-to-ToePhysical“MedicalExam
! general appearance and demeanor.
! Start with the patient’s hands, inspect both sides
! Observe the wrists for signs of ligature marks.
! Trace evidence may need to be collected (fingernail
scrapings).
! Take the vital signs
Step #1
Step #2
! Inspect the forearms for defense injuries;
! Defensive injuries include bruising, abrasions,
lacerations or incised wounds.
! In POC bruising can be difficult to see, tenderness and
swelling is of great significance.
! Any intravenous puncture sites should be noted.
! The inner surfaces of the upper arms and the
armpit or axilla need to be carefully observed for
signs of bruising.
! Victims who have been restrained by hands often
display fingertip bruising on the upper arms
! Similarly, when clothing has been pulled, red linear
petechial bruising can sometimes be seen.
Step #3
Step #4
! Inspect the face.
! Black eyes can be subtle.
! Look in the nose for signs of bleeding.
! Gentle palpation of jaw margins and orbital margins
for tenderness indicating bruising.
! The mouth should be inspected carefully, checking
for bruising, abrasions and lacerations of buccal
mucosa.
! Petechiae on the hard/ soft palate may indicate
penetration.
! Check for a torn frenulum and broken teeth.
! Collect an oral swab, if indicated.
! Inspect the ears, not forgetting the area behind the
ears, for evidence of shadow bruising; shadow
bruising develops when the ear has been struck
onto the scalp.
! Use an otoscope to inspect the eardrum.
Step #5

Top-to-ToePhysical“MedicalExam
! Gentle palpation of the scalp for tenderness, swelling,
suggestive of hematomas.
! Large amount of hair loss due to hair pulling during the
assault can be collected in the gloved hands of the
examiner or with, a gentle combing may recover any loose
hair.
! Electrostatic forces large amounts of loose hair to be
retained in the head until the patient next takes a shower
or bath.
Step #6
Step #7
! The neck area is of great forensic interest.
! Bruising on the neck can indicate a life-threatening
assault.
! Imprint bruising may be seen from necklaces and
other items of jewelry on the ears and on the neck.
! Suction-type bruising from bites should be noted
and swabbed for saliva before being touched.
! The breasts and trunk should be examined
! The shoulders should be separately viewed.
! Subtle bruising and more obvious bruising may be
seen in a variety of places on the back.
! Breasts are frequently a target of assault and are
often bitten, may reveal evidence of suction bruises
or blunt trauma.
! If the breasts are not examined, the reasons for not
doing so should be documented.
Step #8
Step #9
! Abdominal examination, an inspection for bruising,
abrasions, lacerations and trace evidence.
! Abdominal palpation to exclude any internal
trauma or to detect pregnancy.
! Exam the legs
! Inner thighs are often the target of fingertip
bruising or blunt trauma (caused by knees).
! Inner thighs bruising is often symmetrical.
! There may be abrasions to the knee (because of the
patient being forced to the ground)
! The feet may show evidence of abrasions or
lacerations.
! Inspect the ankles (and wrists) very closely for signs
of restraint with ligatures.
! The soles of the feet should also be examined
(puncture, burns, bites).
Step #10

Assaultive injury patterns
Step #11
! Stand for the inspection of the back of the legs.
! An inspection of the buttocks
! Alternatively, the patient may be examined in a
supine position and asked to lift each leg in turn
and then rolled slightly to inspect each buttock.
! Any biological evidence should be collected with
moistened swabs (for semen, saliva, blood) or
tweezers (for hair, fibers, grass, soil).
! Document any tattoos in the examination record
(size, shape, description, etc…) because it could be
used in court, if not must be justified.
! Similarly, obvious physical deformities should be
noted.
! Any detected semen should/must be collected with
a swab.

Genito-analinjuriesrelatedtopenetration
The posterior fourchette, the labia minora and
majora, the hymen and the perianal folds are the
most likely sites for injury, and abrasions, bruises
and lacerations are the most common forms of injury
The act of penetration causes the soft tissues around the orifice
to stretch. The likelihood and extent of any resultant injuries
will depend on: — the state of the tissues (i.e. size, lubrication,
durability); — size and characteristics of the penetrating object;
— the amount of force used; — degree of relaxation in the pelvic
and perineal musculature; — the position of the perpetrator
and angle of penetration.
Penetration may be by an erect or semi-erect male
penis, by other parts of the body including the fingers
and tongue, or by objects of various dimensions and
characteristics.
Trauma to the female genitalia and anus
can be caused by forceful penetration.
• Posterior Fourchette
Lacerations
• A bruised hymen
• Perianal bruising
and lacerations

Review
! Definition of Rape
! Definition of Sexual Assault
! Different Code of Ethics
! Violent Crimes
! Fears Of Interpreting Rape
& Sexual Assault
Encounters
! Legal Complications for the
Interpreter
! Interpreter Boundaries
! Best Practices
! Vicarious Trauma
! Self-Care
! Importance of Forensic
Medical Exam
! Medical Personnel in the
Forensic Medical Exam
! Rape Kit & Contents
! Top-to-Bottom Exam
! Visual Images of signs of
rape and trauma
! Teaching Strategies

Washington Coalition of Sexual
Assault Program
Link: https://www.wcsap.org/advocacy/
strategies/legal/glossary
Office of Justice Programs: Office for
Victims of Crime
Link: https://www.ovcttac.gov/saneguide/
glossary-of-key-terms/
Breaking Silence: Interpreting for
Victim Services – A Glossary of Victim
Services Terminology
Link: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/
5597f49ce4b07b7dda504921/t/
5995f664be659428068ce34d/1503000166654/
Breaking+Silence+Glossary.pdf
Breaking Silence: Interpreting for Victim Services –
A Workbook of Role Pay sand Exercises
Link:
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5597f49ce4b07b7dda504921/t/
5995f652e3df2878a61d9f4e/1503000147826/
Breaking+Silence+Workbook.pdf
Teaching Tools & Resources

References
! Assessment and examination of adult victims of sexual violence (2018), Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/
resources/publications/en/guidelines_chap4.pdf
! Assessment and examination of adult victims of sexual violence (2019), Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/
resources/publications/en/guidelines_chap4.pdf
! Breaking Silence: Interpreting for Victim Services – A Training Manual (2017), Retrieved from: https://ayuda.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/
Breaking-Silence-Training-Manual-1.pdf
! Deaf Power and Control Wheel: http://www.deaf-hope.org/domestic-violence/power-and-control-wheel/
! End the Backlog: http://www.endthebacklog.org/tags/mariska-hargitay
! Forms of Domestic Violence that Women Experience: Immigrant Women: https://s3.amazonaws.com/fwvcorp/wp-content/uploads/
20160121105935/Power-control-wheel-eng-4-w-description.pdf
! Rape Kits (2020. Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rape_kit#Kit_contents
! What is a Rape Kit and Rape Kit Exam (2019 ), Retrieved from: http://www.endthebacklog.org/information-survivors-dna-and-rape-kit-
evidence/what-rape-kit-and-rape-kit-exam
! Victims of Sexual Violence: Statistics, Retrieved from: https://www.rainn.org/statistics/victims-sexual-violence
! Recovering from Rape and Sexual Trauma (2019), Retrieved from: https://www.helpguide.org/articles/ptsd-trauma/recovering-from-rape-and-
sexual-trauma.htm
! Medical Examinations of the Rape Victim (2020), Retrieved from: https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/gynecology-and-obstetrics/
domestic-violence-and-rape/medical-examination-of-the-rape-victim
! The ATA Chronicle: Breaking Silence: What Interperters Need to Know About Vicitims – Interpreting Services (2020), Retrieved from: https://
www.ata-chronicle.online/cover-feature/breaking-silence-what-interpreters-need-to-know-about-victim%E2%80%A8services-interpreting/

Contact Information &
Questions
EMAIL: PATTETERP@GMAIL.COM

• Upcoming webinars
• Webinar evaluation form
• Follow up via email:
TrainersWebinars@ncihc.org
• ncihc.org/participate
Announcements
Home for Trainers Interpreter Trainers Webinars Workgroup

WWW.NCIHC.ORG
Thank you for attending!

De-mystifying Rape and Sexual Assault Encounters for Medical Interpreters

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Similar to De-mystifying Rape and Sexual Assault Encounters for Medical Interpreters

Similar to De-mystifying Rape and Sexual Assault Encounters for Medical Interpreters (20)

More from National Council on Interpreting in Health Care (NCIHC)

More from National Council on Interpreting in Health Care (NCIHC) (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

De-mystifying Rape and Sexual Assault Encounters for Medical Interpreters