Date of Award

Spring 5-20-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology (PhD)

Department

Clinical Psychology

First Advisor/Committee Member

Munyi Shea

Second Advisor/Committee Member

Joel Jin

Third Advisor/Committee Member

Anne McKenzie

Abstract

Navigating the legal process after sexual violence is often distressing and poses a risk of secondary victimization (Campbell, 2013). Victim Bill of Rights legislation throughout the U.S. aims to establish legal protections for victims. Organizations such as the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (KCSARC) offer independent legal advocacy. This dissertation sought to engage in socially responsive research with KCSARC to better understand the needs of both the organization and the survivors they serve.

This study developed and psychometrically evaluated two new measures: Victim Rights to Process (VRP), assessing whether a victim feels their rights to the legal process have been upheld, and Relationship to the Legal Advocate (RLA), measuring how supported the victim feels by their advocate to participate in the legal process. These measures were created collaboratively with organizational stakeholders and the research team. Data were analyzed from 57 clients who had recently enrolled in legal advocacy services. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that both measures were unidimensional, with VRP accounting for 63% of variance and RLA accounting for 85% of variance, demonstrating satisfactory internal consistency and structural validity.

Additionally, this study sought to understand whether racial identity moderated the relationship between RLA and VRP. Results showed a significant positive correlation between RLA and VRP. A statistically significant interaction effect (B = 0.439, SE = 0.160, p = 0.008) explained 63% of the variance. Simple slopes analysis revealed that the relationship between RLA and VRP was significant for both White (B = 0.51, SE = 0.11, p < 0.001) and people of color (POC) (B = 0.94, SE = 0.11, p < 0.001), indicating that legal advocacy is important for all clients, though particularly impactful for racially marginalized individuals.

This research has significant implications for shaping policies that enhance victim support and strengthen legal advocates' roles, thereby emphasizing a client-centered approach. As the first study to develop measures assessing these aspects of legal advocacy, it provides a foundation for further investigation. Future research should expand on these findings by including diverse samples and exploring how social identity factors, such as socioeconomic status, disability, and education, influence the effectiveness of legal advocacy. Such efforts may lead to equitable, accessible, and impactful legal support for all survivors.

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