This 2024 Sexual Assault Awareness Month special release podcast episode includes a transcript of the audio, in which the guest discusses her team’s development of methods for improving the visibility of bruises on black and brown skin tones to better assist people of color who are victims of sexual assault.
In this 2024 Sexual Assault Awareness Month special release episode, Just Science host, Jason Chute, speaks with Dr. Katherine Scafide, who is the associate professor and sexual assault response researcher at George Mason University, and who was formerly a sexual assault nurse examiner, to discuss how her team is developing methods to improve the visibility of bruises on black and brown skin tones following a sexual assault involving people of color. In order to address the challenge of bruise visibility on victims with darker skin tones, she lays out how researchers are developing methods and technological solutions that can better detect and capture skin discoloration for certain cases, and which may also lead to improved outcomes and promote greater equity for victims from marginalized communities. Dr. Scafide explains how her clinical background informs her current research on sexual assault response, the importance of consulting clinical practice guidelines before adopting a new technology, and how her work seeks to address equity and inclusivity in sexual assault response.