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Last modified: Monday, 19-Nov-2012 16:36:34 EST
Sexual Assault and Dating Violence What to do
If You Are Sexually Assulted
Go to a safe place with people you know.
Seek medical attention as soon as possible.
You may have hidden injuries and also may want to explore options for preventing pregnancy and STDs.
Drugs used for emergency contraception and to prevent HIV and STDs have a limited time within which to work.
Seeking medical attention allows you to have evidence collected.
You don't need to decide whether you want to file a report about the incident immediately, but you do need to have the evidence collected as quickly as possible.
Having evidence collected within 72 hours preserves your right to decide at a later date whether you wish to go forward with the University's judicial process or with the criminal justice system.
Someone, such as a friend, or a Counselor from Rape Crisis Service (585.546.2777), should accompany you to the Emergency Room.
You should not take a shower, change clothes, or brush your teeth in order to preserve evidence that can be used later, if you decide to press charges. If you want to change your clothes, set your clothes aside in a plastic bag.
Emergency Room charges for the Rape Evidence Collection Kit visit are billed directly to the New York State Crime Victims Board on a routine basis.
This process allows everyone, whether they have made a report to University Security or to the Police Department or not, to bypass their private medical insurance carrier. This is especially important to individuals who do not have medical insurance and to those who may not want their parents to learn about the Emergency Room visit.
Individuals are asked to complete a form giving permission for the hospital to notify the Crime Victims Board that the individual went to the Emergency Room for sexual assault.
Get support. This is not something you should have to go through alone.
Talk with friends with whom you feel safe.
Contact Rape Crisis Service at 585.546.2777 to speak with a Counselor.
Make an appointment at the University Counseling Center at 585.275.3113.
It is not unusual to face a myriad of reactions including depression, anxiety and fear, difficulty trusting others, and self-harming behaviors as well as many, many other emotions.
Everyone reacts differently. Some people may experience reactions immediately. Others may seem to function fine immediately, but have reactions long after the event occurred.
Getting help now can help to reduce the impact the assault has on your life later on.
Take care of yourself.
You have been through a traumatic event. It is vitally important that you attend to your physical and emotional health needs as you cope and recover.
If you decide not to press charges, you might want to consider asking that a Proxy Report be completed.
Filing a Proxy Report with the University Intercessor (585.275.9125) or Rape Crisis Services (585.546.2777) provides you with an anonymous way to report a sexual assault that will not result in charges being pressed, but does allow your story to be heard.
If you do decide to press charges, either within the University's judicial system or externally with the Rochester Police Department or the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, Kathy Sweetland, University Intercessor (585.275.9125) can assist you with the process.
Remember, you are not to blame, regardless of the circumstances. Nothing you have done (dress provocatively, drink too much, had sex with the same person before, etc.) warrants someone sexually assaulting you.