Get to a safe place Immediately and receive medical attention as soon as possible.  Prompt medical treatment for the survivor is essential in all sexual assault cases. 

Medical personnel have been trained to perform these exams in a manner which respects the emotional well-being of the survivor in addition to treating their injuries and addressing their concerns regarding sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy.  A hospital examination ensures that valuable corroborative evidence is not lost.

For sexual assault cases, all hospital emergency rooms have been provided with a Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kit from the Department of Health.  The best medical evidence is collected up to 72 hours after a sexual assault.  This kit can be used on both males and females.  If the victim does not have medical insurance, the medical facility will provide the examination and collection at no cost. 

The RI Department of Health will accept sexual assault evidence kits whether or not the victim has decided to file a police complaint.  Victims who are unsure about making a report at the time of the incident may decide to come forward in the future, and the evidence may be helpful at that time.

A sexual assault victim should be advised not to change clothes, shower, bathe, douche, eat, drink, smoke or chew gum before the examination.  Even if she or he has, an exam may still produce evidence.  The victim should be advised that the clothing worn at the time of the assault will also be collected as evidence.

Medical Attention

• Of the possibilities of physical injury or trauma.
• Of the need to collect evidence should the victim decide to press charges.
• Of the possibilities of pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases.

If you decide to receive medical attention you should:

• Not disturb your appearance.
• Not wash, bathe, douche, or change clothes.
• Take the clothes you were wearing at the time of the incident, if you have changed. The clothes may be held as evidence.
• Tell the emergency room staff that there has been a sexual assault, so that you will be attended to immediately.

Medical Resources

Counceling and Emotional Assistance

Although survivors react in different ways, sexual assault victims experience profound emotional trauma.  Common responses include: initial feelings of shock and disbelief; fears about personal safety; preoccupations with recurrent, intrusive thoughts about the assault; sleep disturbances; anxiety; impaired concentration; mood swings; depression; and feelings of anger, shame and self-blame.

Survivors of acquaintance rape often experience especially intense feelings of shame and self-blame.  Many also feel betrayed because they have been violated by someone they initially trusted.  Some survivors lose confidence in their own judgment and find it hard to learn to trust again.

Regardless of whether you report the assault you should always seek counseling and support to help with the emotional trauma associated with sexual assault.  Two counseling resources are:

Students may access the Counseling Center staff after hours by contacting:

• RWU Public Safety (254-3611)
• The on-call C.O.R.E.
• A TeamCARE member (RA, Health Advocate or P.E.E.R. Educator)

In addition, the Day One (formerly known as the Sexual Assault and Trauma Center) operates a 24-hour hot line. Advocates are trained to provide a variety of services (e.g., meeting you at Women's and Infants Hospital, helping you to file charges with the local police office, appearing in court, etc.).

You may report the assault to one of the following on or off campus Law Enforcement Offices.

Many sexual assault cases go unreported because the survivor fears retaliation or possible humiliation if word gets around that she has been the victim of a sex offense. Survivors tend to feel guilty, as though they did something to bring it on themselves, and often keep the assault to themselves or share some of the incident with a close friend.

Students who have been sexually assaulted in any way are not to be blamed. Their assailants are at fault and the behavior is not acceptable. In order to stop this type of criminal activity, we encourage survivors to help start the healing process by reporting what has happened to them. Recognizing the different needs of survivors, there are a range of ways to report the perpetrator's behavior. A student may pursue any or all of these options:

Filing a report helps to:

• Protect you and others from victimization
• Apprehend the alleged assailant
• Maintain future options regarding criminal prosecution