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If You Have Been Sexually Assaulted
Find a safe place. This should be a place where you can feel secure and comfortable, such as a friend’s apartment, a resident advisor’s room, the local campus police or the Campus Assault Resources and Education Office (CARE).
Seek Medical Attention. Medical care will help in your physical healing, can prevent pregnancy, and may be useful for evidentiary purposes during legal action or investigation. You should not wait before seeking medical attention, and seeking medical care or evidence collection does not commit a person to taking legal action.
Some things to know:
- Drugs and evidence are only retrievable within the first 72-96 hours.
- You should not bathe, douche, or brush your teeth
- Save unwashed clothing in a PAPER (not plastic) bag.
Get Support. Experiencing a sexual assault can be both physically and psychologically traumatic. It can be helpful to have the support of family, friends, or professionals.
Report the Crime. Although it can be difficult to do, you are encouraged to report the crime. Some reasons to make a report include: many crime victim compensation programs require immediate reporting to the police; crimes reported sooner may have higher arrest rates; reporting may prevent later assaults; and authorities may be able to direct you to further assistance. Reporting the crime can help you regain a sense of personal power and control.
Immediately after an assault: A sexual assault, whether by a stranger or an acquaintance, can be very frightening and disorienting. Often, survivors of sexual assault do not know where to turn. If you have been sexually assaulted or raped it is important to remember that it is not your fault and you did not cause this to happen by anything you did or said. There are people here to help you with your recovery and you do not have to deal with this alone.
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