Kurkime modernią Lietuvos ateitį kartu
Registruotis
Ministry of Social Security and Labor of the Republic of of Lithuania
Sexual Violence: How to Help Victims?
Problem
“There is no system. There are separate parts of the system that do not interact with each other in any way.” – this is how Jūratė Šeduikienė, director of the Women’s Information Center, describes different channels of support, currently available to victims of sexual violence in Lithuania.
This project is aimed at solving the problem of sexual violence in Lithuania, with the goal of improving services for adult victims of sexual violence, that are currently provided in Lithuania. The project is implemented by the Ministry of Social Security and Labor of the Republic of Lithuania.
According to criminologists, sexual violence is one of the most latent (hidden and rarely detected by law enforcement) crimes. This means that the percentage of people who turn to law enforcement is small. For the victim to have the courage to seek help, a comprehensive support system is needed – based not on victim blaming – but on efficient help and understanding.
The project aims to propose ways to improve the already existing mechanism of assistance to victims of sexual violence. An analysis of the current situation revealed that an inter-institutional algorithm for helping sexual violence victims has not yet been developed, although there is a great need for a more smoothly functioning mechanism of assistance to victims of sexual violence. Therefore, as a result of the project, an inter-institutional algorithm for assistance to victims of sexual violence will be proposed.
The project also draws attention to the influence of public attitudes towards victims of sexual violence, and how these attitudes and gender stereotypes impact the quality of services provided. It focuses on the need to improve help services, such as legal, psychological, medical, and identifies legal gaps. The search for solutions to improve the quality of services is initiated.
The service-providing institutions and organizations are targeted during the public relations campaigns, aiming to change the social norms and victim-blaming attitudes. The project also supports educational initiatives.
Goal
The aim of the project is to develop an inter-institutional and inter-organisational algorithm for helping victims of sexual violence.
Project progress
2023/04/30
Completed survey to identify aid needs (survey results are published in the current situation analysis)
2023/06/28
Three-pager on help providers and services
2023/07/19
Completed analysis of the current situation
2023/08/24
Review of foreign practices
2023/08/30
Event – public consultation https://epilietis.lrv.lt/lt/konsultacijos/seksualinis-smurtas-kaip-sukurti-veiksminga-pagalbos-sistema
2023/09/06
Algorithm for assistance to victims of sexual violence and recommendations
