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Abstract

Sexual assault remains a prominent issue with lasting impacts on survivors. Many sexual assault survivors who report their assault encounter negative experiences with law enforcement, which can contribute to feelings of shame, re-traumatization, and disempowerment. This conceptual paper examines Empowerment Theory as a framework for understanding and addressing these harmful interactions. By tracing the origins and core tenets of Empowerment Theory, this article highlights its person-centered, strengths-based approach and explores how it can inform more supportive, survivor-centered responses within the criminal justice system. Applying this lens has the potential to promote healing and restore a sense of autonomy among survivors who engage with law enforcement post assault.

Keywords

sexual assault law enforcement officials re-traumatization empowerment criminal justice system

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Empowering Justice: Applying Empowerment Theory to Law Enforcement Responses to Sexual Assault Survivors

Abstract

Keywords

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