When an individual is sexually assaulted, the social worker helping them has a responsibility to tell them the procedure they should follow to report the case. There are policies that the victims should be advised to help them make decisions about the situation. In the case of Rita, there is a policy of 90 days window after the evidence is collected. When 90 days have elapsed after gathering evidence, it is destroyed even if the victim has not reported the case to the police. This policy may negatively impact since there are conflicting feelings that make a rape victim unable to make decisions. Therefore I would change this policy to a more extended period to allow victims to heal and get into a state where they can make decisions. For instance, a six-month period would enable the victim to seek therapy to have an approach to the situation (Scannell et al., 2018)I would also make it a policy for the court to provide the victim with security alongside professionals who help them emotionally. For instance, in the case of Rita, Bob threatens her to ensure she does not report the issue; probably this was a reason which contributed to her not being able to report the incident.
To evaluate the success of change in the policy, I would research how many victims have been able to report after six months compared to the 90 days. By ensuring security for the victims, I would also reach the numbers of the people coming out about being assaulted before the changes were made. If people are boldly coming out in large numbers, the policy is successful because it encourages people to speak up and report at a time appropriate to them.
References Scannell, M., Kim, T., & Guthrie, B. J. (2018). A meta-analysis of HIV postexposure prophylaxis among sexually assaulted patients in the United States. Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, 29(1), 60-69.