03/24/2026
“Racial Disparities in Victim Compensation Program Claim Approvals for Adult Survivors of Sexual Assault.”
Analyzing 42,902 claims across 18 states (2015–2023), researchers found that Black and Indigenous women’s compensation claims were significantly less likely to be approved than White women’s — even after adjusting for age, state, and year.
The most common denial reasons were lack of evidence of a crime and incomplete applications.
Administrative paperwork burdens and institutional processes appear to drive disparities in access to compensation.
Read the full study at the link in bio.