Health Outcomes in Migrant Survivors of Sexual Violence and Abuse

Sexual violence is common in migration contexts, intersecting with people’s motivations for migrating, traversing volatile territories and borders, and circumstances encountered in destination settings. This chapter draws together the research and evidence on the consequences of exposure to sexual and gender-based violence for well-being. It considers how and why access to and experiences of care may differ between survivors of sexual violence who are migrant, refugee, and displaced people and those who are not. In doing so, it informs approaches to recognising risks and needs of migrant people and their families in different health settings and tailoring responses to be more trauma-competent which includes a sensitivity to diverse cultural backgrounds, reducing linguistic barriers and eradicating the potential for secondary traumas in the provision of care and support that arise from racial and other forms of discrimination.