LGBT victims of crime underutilize the services available through victim assistance systems, for reasons such as fear of secondary victimization, perceived heteronormativity of the organization, and perceived insensitivity to their needs (Duke & Davidson, 2009; Faulkner, 2001; Hamberger et al., 2004; Hamberger, 1996). The purpose of this dissertation study was to describe how victim assistance service providers understood and practiced LGBT cultural competence. Secondary analysis of qualitative data, based on questionnaires and focus groups or interviews with 84 service providers, was conducted using thematic analysis techniques. Results of the study revealed that most of the respondents were practicing with cultural blindness (Cross et al., 1988). Most respondents did not ask for victims’ sexual orientation or gender identity, and did not understand the importance of obtaining this information. Furthermore, administrative policies and procedures influenced culturally blind direct service provision. Several themes emerged to explain how barriers to providing LGBT culturally competent services were experienced, including lack of LGBT specific training, perceived irrelevance to the crime, and policies and procedures that were not LGBT specific. Social workers can provide research and training to enhance LGBT culturally competent service delivery to victim assistance providers. Practice and administrative implications are offered.
Subject (authority = RUETD)
Topic
Social Work
RelatedItem (type = host)
TitleInfo
Title
Rutgers University Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Identifier (type = RULIB)
ETD
Identifier
ETD_8775
PhysicalDescription
Form (authority = gmd)
electronic resource
InternetMediaType
application/pdf
InternetMediaType
text/xml
Extent
1 online resource (ix, 136 p.)
Note (type = degree)
Ph.D.
Note (type = bibliography)
Includes bibliographical references
Subject (authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
Hate crimes
Subject (authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
Gays--Crimes against
Subject (authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
Transgender people--Crimes against
Note (type = statement of responsibility)
by James Fedor
RelatedItem (type = host)
TitleInfo
Title
School of Graduate Studies Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Identifier (type = local)
rucore10001600001
Location
PhysicalLocation (authority = marcorg); (displayLabel = Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey)
I hereby grant to the Rutgers University Libraries and to my school the non-exclusive right to archive, reproduce and distribute my thesis or dissertation, in whole or in part, and/or my abstract, in whole or in part, in and from an electronic format, subject to the release date subsequently stipulated in this submittal form and approved by my school. I represent and stipulate that the thesis or dissertation and its abstract are my original work, that they do not infringe or violate any rights of others, and that I make these grants as the sole owner of the rights to my thesis or dissertation and its abstract. I represent that I have obtained written permissions, when necessary, from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis or dissertation and will supply copies of such upon request by my school. I acknowledge that RU ETD and my school will not distribute my thesis or dissertation or its abstract if, in their reasonable judgment, they believe all such rights have not been secured. I acknowledge that I retain ownership rights to the copyright of my work. I also retain the right to use all or part of this thesis or dissertation in future works, such as articles or books.