Dear Colleagues,

After several years of scientific research, the National Crime Victims Research & Treatment Center is pleased to announce the availability of a new, evidence-based intervention for sexual assault victims, the Prevention of Post-Sexual Assault Stress Video. This 17-minute video intervention and its accompanying information brochure is intended for use with adolescent and adult sexual assault victims undergoing an acute sexual assault medical examination. It provides information about the sexual assault exam, common reactions to sexual assault, and ways of coping with stress after a sexual assault. Treatment outcome research funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse found that both adolescent and adult sexual assault victims who viewed the video had a lower prevalence of PTSD and lower prevalence of marijuana abuse compared to victims receiving usual care. Additional research on the impact of the video is ongoing. Best of all, the video, its implementation manual, and the victim brochure are offered free of charge.

To view the video and the materials, go to http://www.musc.edu/saprevention. At this web site, you can learn more about the how to use them in your work with sexual assault victims and request a DVD of the video and the other materials. You also can download the implementation manual and the victim brochure. Again, these materials are free of charge.