Experiences of women sexual assault survivors with police in the early aftermath of assault: Results from a large-scale prospective study.

Over 100,000 women present for emergency care after sexual assault (SA) annually in the United States. To our knowledge, no large prospective studies have assessed SA survivor experiences with police. Women SA survivors enrolled at 13 sites ( = 706), and 630 survivors reported on their police interactions. Most women were interested in speaking with police, spoke with police, and reported positive experiences. Latinas and women with lower education and income were less likely to speak with police. Trauma and posttraumatic stress symptoms were associated with more negative experiences. Qualitative comments provide key points for police to consider when speaking with survivors.