Sexual Assault

• Get to a safe place. If you are injured or in danger, call 911.

• Seek medical treatment as soon as possible for all HIV post-exposure, sexually transmitted diseases, and pregnancy testing and treatment options at the nearest emergency department.

• HIV post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) should be initiated as soon as possible after exposure, ideally within 2 hours. Decisions regarding initiation of PEP beyond 36 hours post exposure should be made on a case-by-case basis.

• Upon arrival, the hospital will offer assistance from a local rape crisis advocate. The advocate will be able to answer any of your questions about a forensic exam, accompany you through the entire examination, and provide follow-up resources.

o A forensic exam, also known as a "rape kit", is the collection of evidence in the emergency department after a sexual assault occurred or within 96 hours.

o To preserve as much DNA as possible, do not shower, use the bathroom or wash your clothes prior to going to the emergency room.

o If you are uncomfortable with any part of the exam, you do not have to consent.

For more information about what to do after an assault, please call the NYS Sexual Violence Hotline at 1-800-942-6906 to be connected to your local rape crisis center (available 24/7/365) or visit the National Sexual Violence Resource Center website at nsvrc.org.

Click here for more information about the New York State Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner (SAFE) Program.

Go to a safe place and find someone to be with you who can be emotionally supportive.

TALK TO SOMEONE YOU CAN TRUST

Sexual assault can be a traumatic experience that impacts everyone differently. There are confidential resources available on and off campus to help you process your experience and heal.

The police can help you understand the laws regarding sexual assault if you are not sure your experience meets the legal definition of sexual assault. If you’re experience does not meet the legal definition of sexual assault, it does mean that what happened was acceptable or that you should feel differently about what happened.

COMMON REACTIONS FOLLOWING SEXUAL ASSAULT*

• Physical: trouble sleeping, nightmares, headaches, loss of appetite, overeating, stomach problems, and/or muscle tension.

• Emotional: denial, fear, sadness, anger, guilt, shame, embarrassment, crying spells, panic attacks, flashbacks, irritability, depression, and/or suicidal thoughts.

• Social: fear of being in public or in social situations, withdrawing from friends, difficulty trusting others, and/or trouble with physical intimacy in relationships.

• Academic: lack of concentration, impaired memory, missing classes, and/or lack of motivation.

*It is important to remember that ANY emotional response is normal. You may feel very upset, very calm, or anything in between. Everyone reacts differently. You may also experience rapid changes in your mood, which are to be expected.

You may or may not be ready to decide whether you want to pursue criminal charges immediately after you have been sexually assaulted. If you know that you want to press charges or think that you may want to consider pressing charges, it is advisable to seek medical attention to ensure that all available evidence is collected. Evidence can be collected up to 120 hours after an assault, but a preferred timeframe is up to 36-72 hours. The sooner it is done, the more likely that useful evidence can be recovered.

A number of behaviors that are common for survivors after a sexual assault are damaging to the preservation of evidence. Though it is very difficult, we encourage you to try to avoid doing the following:

• Taking a shower, washing hands or face, combing your hair, douching, changing or getting rid of your clothes. Evidence of the assault can be found in the fibers of your clothes, strands of your hair, or on other parts of your body, so it is important to try your best to preserve as much evidence as possible.

• Applying make-up or any other products that can change your appearance. Altering your appearance can hide bruising or lacerations that can be cited as evidence when pressing charges.

• Smoking or drinking.

• Urinating or defecating, if possible. Normal everyday behavior, such as going to the bathroom, can destroy or remove evidence of the assault.

• Cleaning up or changing the surroundings where the assault occurred.

• Sexual assault is never the survivor’s fault. Try not to blame yourself. No matter what you were doing or wearing, you did NOT ask to be sexually assaulted, even if you are already in a relationship with the person who harmed you.

• You can share your experience whenever you are ready. It can feel scary and intimidating to tell people about your experience. When you’re ready, consider telling one or multiple people that you trust. Close friends and family can be very helpful in providing support and help you to cope.

• Do your best to stay involved in your regular daily life. It can be hard to continue with your normal activities after experiencing sexual assault. Try to maintain your involvement in school, work, extracurricular activities, social life, and other lifestyle norms to the best of your ability.

• Don’t force yourself to forget about the assault right away. It is natural to want to “forget” about what is likely a very painful experience. However, this probably won’t make your difficult feelings go away. Attempting to pretend that the assault never happened is not a long-term solution and you deserve to take time to work through the experience and your genuine reactions.

• However, you handled the assault is okay. It does not matter what strategies you used to get through the experience. The important thing is that you survived.

• 16.5% percent of college seniors, according to the Association of American Universities Climate Survey, experienced nonconsensual (by incapacitation or physical force) sexual contact. (Cantor, et. al. Report on the AAU Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Sexual Misconduct, 2017)

• 21% of TGQN (transgender, genderqueer, nonconforming) college students have been sexually assaulted, compared to 18% of non-TGQN females, and 4% of non-TGQN males. (Cantor, et. al. Report on the AAU Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Sexual Misconduct, 2017)

• A rigorous climate survey at Columbia University found that26% of female students, 9% of male students, and 47% of gender nonconforming students experienced sexual assault beforethey arrived on campus. (Mellins et al, 2017)

• In a national study, one in four college women surveyed said they had suffered an attempted or completed rape and fewer than 5% reported it to the police. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2002)

• In the U.S., nearly half (43.6%) of woman and nearly a quarter (24.8%) of men experienced some form of sexual violence in their lifetime. (National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, 2015)

• Among college women, nine out of 10 knew their attacker. (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2001)

• Among developmentally disabled adults, as many as 83% of the females and 32% of the males are the victims of sexual assault.(“Courage Above All,” Sexual Assault Against Women with Disabilities, 1991)

• Listen. Do not ask a lot of prying or invasive questions. Let your friend take their time to share the details.

• Believe. People rarely make up stories about being sexually assaulted. Do not express skepticism. Expect a friend in crisis to be confused. Do not criticize.

• DO NOT blame the victim. Reinforce that your friend is not to blame, no matter what.

• Empower. Help your friend understand and consider their medical, legal, and psychological options. If you do not know what these resources, see options above. Let them decide what action is right for them at this point.

• Encourage. Support your friend by encouraging them to get medical attention if they’re comfortable, even if she or he is not going to press charges.

• Share. Educate your friend about the common reactions [see above] to experiencing sexual assault in order to help normalize their experience.

• Be patient. Recovery from sexual assault trauma can be slow and nonlinear. Let the person proceed at their own pace.

• Support. Assure your friend that you will be available to provide support throughout the process of recovery. Check in on them in the following weeks.

• Know your limits. There are times where professional help is best. A trained therapist may be essential to helping your friend work through trauma associated with the assault and find more effective ways of coping. If your friend is not ready for counseling now, they may be ready later on. In the future, gently remind them about counseling services.

• Get support. You may have strong feelings about the trauma. If needed, seek counseling for yourself.

https://opdv.ny.gov/survivors-victims

https://nownyc.org/womens-justice-now/get-help/

https://www1.nyc.gov/nychope/site/page/home