Sexual Assault
What you can do after a sexual assault?
If someone you know has been raped...
A sexual assault occurs when a person experiences a sexual act or acts against their will. Sexual assault can be called a number of things (e.g. rape, incest, molestation, etc.), depending on what occurred and who is defining it. It's important to acknowledge that experiencing a sexual assault is not your fault. If you have experienced a sexual assault, there are a number of options to consider. What you decide to do is up to you.
Sexual assault is a crime. Perpetrators of sexual assault can be anyone: an acquaintance, date, relative, stranger, friend, or spouse. Most often, the perpetrator is known by the person who is assaulted. Sexual assault is a crime of power, not lust, and is motivated by the intention to control, hurt and humiliate another. Depending on what act(s) occurred, a sexual assault may be legally defined as: rape, sexual battery, gross sexual imposition, sexual imposition, voyeurism, public indecency or another crime.
If you have just experienced a sexual assault: It's important to get to a safe place and consider your next step. If the assault happened recently, you may be making decisions about who to tell, and struggling with your medical and legal decisions. Some options include: calling the police (9-1-1), going to the hospital, telling a friend or support person and/or calling the 24 Hour Helpline (614-267-7020).
A medical examination can occur at the Student Health Center, a doctor's office, hospital emergency department or health clinic. However, a hospital emergency department is the location where both an advocate can be called and evidence can be collected. An advocate is a trained volunteer who can provide information and support. At the Student Health Center and hospital emergency department, emergency contraceptives and sexually transmitted infection prevention medication are available.
The first 72 hours following an assault is the best time for evidence to be collected. It is easier to investigate and prosecute cases that have physical evidence, but it is not impossible to go forward without it. You can file a report or ask police to pursue charges even if you haven't had evidence collected. In general, sex offenses have a twenty year statute of limitations.
If you're thinking of getting evidence collected, avoid bathing or cleaning yourself up, if possible. Take the clothes that you were wearing at the time of the assault to the hospital with you. If you can, avoid eating, drinking, and going to the bathroom. However, a lot of people do all of these things before going to the hospital and evidence can still be collected.
If you want to report what happened but it's been longer than 72 hours, you can call the police where you live (e.g. OSU police or Columbus Police) and ask to speak with a detective who can provide you with information about your options. You can also call the 24 Hour Helpline and speak with the person on the Helpline or pick the "Campus Advocate" option. A campus advocate will return your call.
If the assault happened a while ago, you may still access support for yourself. Many people experience a sexual assault before coming to college. There is no "right way" to handle an assault. Whenever you're ready to talk is the right time for you.
Taking care of yourself is important. By looking for information, reaching out for support and exploring your options, you are taking care of yourself. It's good to gather information and access support. No matter what you choose to do following an assault, there are people who can help at any step.
Common Reactions
Sexual assault or rape can be one of the most painful and upsetting things that can happen in someone's life. You should not be surprised if your emotions bounce back and forth between wanting to run away and wanting to harm the person(s) who has hurt you. Here is a list of common feelings and reactions that teen and adult survivors of sexual violence have reported:
- Wondering "why me?"
- Fear
- Anger or rage
- Numbness or emptiness
- Stomach or headache
- Difficulty sleeping
- Disbelief
- Shame
- Betrayal
- Sense of loss
- Loss of control
- Night mares
- Guilt
- Inability to concentrate
- Withdrawal
- Panic
- Reluctance to go to school/work
You may find yourself constantly thinking about the sexual assault or refusing to think about it at all. All of these feelings and reactions are normal. Give yourself permission to take as long as you need to heal and recover and remember that no matter what the circumstances of your sexual assault, it was not your fault.
Healing After Sexual Assault
* Breathe. When we get scared or feel anxious, we stop breathing normally. Try to relax and take deep breaths.
* Appreciate yourself and your strength for having survived. You may wish that you were able to do things differently to try and prevent what happened, but you made important decisions that allowed you to survive.
* Be patient with yourself. It takes time to heal feelings and emotions.
* Reassure yourself. Your feelings are natural. There is no one "right way" to feel after an assault.
* Address immediate concerns, particularly medical and legal issues. Identify all your choices and options.
* Look for people (therapist, clergy, friends) who can guide, support, and facilitate your healing.
* Go to a support group for survivors. Survivors are wonderful allies. It is very powerful to share your healing journey with others who understand what you are going through. Contact your local rape crisis center for a support group nearest you.
* Educate yourself about sexual assault. Read books or contact your local rape crisis center to get information about the common myths and misconceptions surrounding sexual assault.
* Be aware of people and places that make you feel unsafe and seek help in creating a safety plan that addresses your needs and concerns. Advocates of the Sexual Assault Response Network of Central Ohio (SARNCO) at the Emergency Department or on the 24-Hour Rape Helpline (614-267-7020) can help you to develop a safety plan that feels comfortable to you.
If Someone You Know Has Been Raped
A person who has been raped has experienced a crime where their control and power has been taken away. It is natural to feel a tremendous loss of power and control over life following a rape. As a support person, it is very important that this dynamic is recognized and to be sure that you do not take control of the situation and make decisions for the person who was raped.
Surviving a rape is a testament of the individual's strength, however, they may not feel that way. We use the label of survivor rather than victim, as a sign of respect and a tool of empowerment. Below is a list of suggestions for people who want to provide support to the survivor:
Be careful not to judge the survivor. The individual is likely examining him or herself very critically during this time. If, as a support person, you ask questions regarding details of the assault, why the individual was at a specific place, doing a specific behavior, etc. it reinforces blame being placed on the survivor not the perpetrator. No matter what their behavior was prior to the assault, the survivor is NOT responsible- the perpetrator is.
Watch imposing your explanation of why this has happened or trying to "fix" the situation. It may come across to the survivor as victim-blaming. Furthermore, you'd be guessing as to why the perpetrator chose to violate someone. You don't have to fix the situation; you just have to be supportive.
Remind survivors that their feelings are understandable. There is no "right way" to feel about what has happened. If a survivor reports experiencing strong emotions or even physical symptoms it could be linked to trauma related to their experience.
Be careful about assuming that you know how they feel. Chances are you don't. You may know what it feels like to be hurt, to be violated, or to be angry; but you probably don't know quite how they feel at this moment.
Everything may not be "okay" for a while. Making statements such as "It's okay", "You're going to be fine", etc. may serve to minimize the survivor's feelings and downplay the seriousness of the assault. As hard as it may be, it's important not to make blanket statements about how they'll be or how things will feel for a while.
Encourage the survivor to seek counseling and post-trauma services. There are specially trained mental health professionals that can assist the survivor on many levels. Counseling is not a sign of weakness; it is a sign of strength and of taking control of the situation. There are also people who work as advocates for sexual assault survivors and can help provide support.
Be willing to say nothing. Just being there is often the biggest help. It's also good to do something fun or distracting. We all need to take a break during hard times.
Find your own support. You are also affected by this situation. Find other friends, support people, or get counseling yourself as a way to deal with your own feelings related to what happened to your friend.
It is important that rape survivors take charge of regaining their control over their own lives. Partners, friends, or family members can play a pivotal role in helping survivors regain a sense of themselves as being powerful and in control.
Law Enforcement Information
As the victim of a crime, you have the right to report the crime to law enforcement (police or sheriff). Law enforcement officers have the responsibility to serve and protect the citizens in the community, which includes investigating reported crimes.
If at anytime during the investigation process you would like to make an official comment on the actions of an officer, detective, or other employee of the law enforcement agency with which you are working, you have the right to do so. The information provided below can help you to:
- File a compliment when you would like to recognize the excellent service of your law enforcement officer(s).
- File a complaint when you feel that the law enforcement officer(s) takes action that you perceive to be unfavorable.
Following this information are the phone numbers of law enforcement agencies in central Ohio that you may call to make an official comment. For many of the departments, the number listed is the main or non-emergency number. For others, the listed number is that of Internal Affairs, the division responsible for investigating the actions of police officers.
To ensure accuracy, law enforcement recommends that you, as the crime victim, personally make the compliment or complaint. Most law enforcement agencies can take the compliment or complaint from another person, but will then contact the victim directly in order to proceed with any necessary investigation.
Both the Sexual Assault Response Network of Central Ohio (SARNCO) and Sexual Violence Education and Support (SVES) at OSU can help you with this process. Please call the SARNCO Long-Term advocate Coordinator at 614-566-3933 or the SVES CAP Coordinator 614-292-4527 for assistance or advocacy.