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Sexual Assault
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Emergencies # 911
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C.W.U. Police # (509) 963-2958
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A.S.P.E.N. (24 - hour assault response) # 1-866-925-9384
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- Go to a safe place as soon as possible: your home, a friends home, a locked car, or busy public place
- Obtain assistance. Contact a close friend or other trusted person who
can help you clarify what you want to do next. Trained
advocates at A.S.P.E.N. are available
24-hours a day at # 1-866-925-9384. A.S.P.E.N. (Abuse,
Support and Prevention Education Now) can provide medical
advocacy, support groups, legal advocacy, information and
referrals. All services are FREE and CONFIDENTIAL.
- Obtain a medical examination in all cases of sexual assault or rape.
An exam will check for physical injury and the possibility
of sexually transmitted diseases or pregnancy. It is important for your
well-being. If done promptly, the exam can obtain important evidence that
can be used in a criminal prosecution.
- Contact the police to report the assault. A.S.P.E.N. advocates
and other C.W.U. personnel are available to assist you
in contacting the appropriate law enforcement authorities,
including on-campus and local police. It is import to
remember that sexual assault is never the victim's fault
and perpetrators should be held accountable.
- Contact S.A.R.C. (Sexual Assault
Response Coordinator) at # 963-3233. She will act as your guide and
coach as you decide how you want to respond to your assault.
If you need legal or medical assistance, the S.A.R.C. can
refer you to the proper people. Also S.A.R.C. can
provide academic accommodations or alternative housing.
- Preserve all physical evidence available to document a sexual assault
or rape. Do not bathe, shower, or douche until you have
had a medical examination. You can change clothes, but
do not launder what you were wearing at the time of the
incident. Keep clothes from the incident in a paper bag
to preserve evidence. If the crime scene is accessible
to you, disturb it as little as possible. Do not change
or launder bedding.
- Students who have been the victims of a sex offense or other type of
sexual misconduct can request modifications in their on-campus
living and/or academic arrangements.
- You can report a rape in progress by calling # 911.
911 is used
to report rapes which are still in progress or shortly
after when the perpetrator is still in the vicinity. The
dispatcher will ask you if the situation is currently in
progress, where you are located and who you are. An officer
will be sent to your location.
- If there is no immediate danger or some time has lapsed since the rape
or assault call # 925-8534 (C.W.U. police) or call the S.A.R.C. at
963-3233 during regular business hours.
Males |
Females |
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Be aware of language.
Words are very powerful, especially when spoken by people with power over others. We live in a society in which word's are often used to put women down, where calling a girl or woman a "bitch," "freak," "whore," "baby," or "dog" is common. Such language sends a message that females are less than fully human. When we see women as inferior, it becomes easer to treat them with less respect, disregard their rights and ignore their well-being.
Communicate.
Sexual violence often goes hand in hand with poor communication. Our discomfort with talking honestly and openly about sex dramatically raises the risk of rape. By learning effective sexual communication, stating your desires clearly, listening to your partner, and asking questions when the situation is unclear. Men make sex safer for themselves and others by using open, effective communication.
Speak Up
You will probably never see a rape in progress, but you will see and hear attitudes and behaviors that degrade women and promote rape. When your best friend tells a joke, about rape say you don't find it funny. When you read an article that blames a rape survivor for being assaulted, write a letter to the editor. When laws are proposed that limit women's rights let politicians know that you will not support them. Do anything but remain silent.
Support Survivors of Rape.
Rape will not be taken seriously until everyone knows how common it is. In the U.S. alone, more than one million women and girls are raped each year (Rape in America, 1992). By learning to sensitively support survivors in their lives, men can help both women and other men feel safer to speak out about being raped and let the world know how serious a problem rape is.
Work to End Other Oppressions.
Rape feeds off many other forms of prejudice including racism, homophobia and religious discrimination. By speaking out against any beliefs and behaviors including rape, that promote one group of people as superior to anotherand deny other groups their full humanity, you support everyone's equality.
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Think carefully about leaving a party with a person you do not know
well. If you do leave with someone, tell another person
that you are leaving and be sure to say with whom you are
leaving with.
Communicate your wants early. Know what your limits are for both alcohol
and sex before going to a party or bar.
Be assertive about communicating what you want from another person.
Ask the person you are with to do the same.
Trust your instincts. If a situation feels uncomfortable for you, there is probably a good reason.
Be aware of the effects of alcohol on your body. Alcohol interrupts
the ability to make sound decisions and impairs your ability
to communicate clearly.
Do not leave your drink unattended, especially at a bar or a party.
Avoid being alone with an unfamiliar person, especially when alcohol
is involved. If you are alone, make sure that your friends
know where you are and how long you will be gone.
When on a date with someone new, make sure that you are responsible
for your own transportation. It is safer to meet up with
someone than to rely on an unfamiliar person for a ride.
Remember: Drunk sex jeopardizes your ability to get and give consent.
Try to avoid situations in which you may be vulnerable. Give consideration
to ambiguous statements such as, "We can just cuddle."
When dating someone, watch out for controlling behaviors by your companion,
such as:
- Making all the decisions.
- Paying for everything.
- Telling you how to dress or with whom to associate.
- Pressuring you to have sex
- Forcing or coercing you to consume alcohol or other drugs.
excerpted from
Western
Washington University
Sexual Assault-Prevention/Response
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- Keep what is said confidential.
- Provide a safe environment. If possible stay with your friend.
- Listen and accept what you hear. Do not press for details. Allow your
friend to reflect on what has happened and to share some
of her or his feelings.
- Validate the survivors feelings by using his or her words.
- Confirm the seriousness of the problem and let your friend know that
she or he is not to blame. Many victims tend to blame them
selves for the offenders actions, especially if the perpetrator
was an acquaintance.
- Encourage your friend to obtain a medical examination if she has not
done so already, but in other respects resist your natural
desire to give advice. Survivors of sexual assault need
to regain a sense of control over their lives. Allow your
friend to make their own decision about their next steps.
- Seek emotional support for yourself. Call A.S.P.E.N. # 1-866-925-9384
or S.A.R.C. at # 963-3233. S.A.R.C. is located in the Wildcat Wellness Center SURC, Room 139, Ellensburg.
- Be patient and understanding. Survivors have their own time table for recovery.
- Accept their choice of solution to the assault even if you disagree with what they have chosen to do. It is more important that they feel empowered to make choices and take back control than it is for you to impose what you feel you think is the correct decision.
- To be considered a victim of sexual assault when any unwanted act of sex is forced on them through any type of coercion violent or non-violent.
- To be believed, no matter what choices were made at the time of the
assault to survive.
- To be considered a victim of sexual assault regardless of the relationship
to the assailant. Including marriage, kinship and long-term
partnerships.
- To have as much credibility as a victim/survivor of any other crime.
- To be treated in a manner that does not take control away, but that
empowers the survivor to determine their own needs
and how to best meet those needs.
- To be provided with information about all possible options related to legal and medical expenses.
- To receive medical and mental health treatment or participate in legal
procedures only after giving one's informed consent.
- To be asked only those questions that are relevant to a court case
or to medical treatment.
- NOT to be asked questions about previous sexual experience.
- NOT to be exposed to prejudice against race, class, age, lifestyle, experience, or occupation.
- To be provided with information about their rights.
- NOT to report and assault to the police.
- To have legal representation that is supportive.
- To be protected from future assault.
- Free sexual assault therapy is available for you and/or your family. A.S.P.E.N.(# 1-866-925-9384) can provide you with a list of treatment providers
in our area. By going to the hospital you have taken
an important step towards caring for yourself. The
hospital staff is there to help you. You may have a
lot of feelings. You may want to have extra support
or you may want some time to be left alone.
- It is okay to ask for what you need to feel safe and comfortable.
- The hospital or Planned Parenthood will
automatically call an A.S.P.E.N. advocate.
- An advocate can:
- Answer question about the rape examination and related medical procedures.
- Answer questions about legal concerns.
- Provide a list of names and numbers of community resources who can
help with issues about your assault.
- Remind you that you are not responsible for the rapist's behavior.
- Victims of sexual assault have priority after life-threatening cases
in the hospital. If you have been waiting a long time,
it is okay to ask to be seen more quickly.
- The exam takes an hour to an hour and a half. You may be at the hospital
anywhere from two to five hours total.
- A.S.P.E.N. offers free emergency
advocacy to all sexual assault victims. An advocate
can meet you at the hospital or at the police station
to provide emotional support and information. Hospital
staff can call the local hot-line to arrange for an
advocate to be with you.
- A.S.P.E.N. has a private room at
the hospital and at Planned Parenthood already
prepared for clients.
- A trained Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner will perform the forensic exam.
Currently their are 3 trained Sexual Assault Nurse
Examiners in Kittitas County, all are female; however
on occasion a male doctor does have to perform the exam.
- The advocate can stay with you during your medical exam if you like
- The hospital medical staff will want to know the circumstances of the
assault to provide you with the best possible medical
care and check for injuries of which you might not
be aware. Please be sure to bring to the doctors attention
any pain, injuries or bruises you have.
- The Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner will check for external injuries,
such as bruises and cuts. An internal exam will be
performed to check for internal injuries. For a women,
the exam will include a pelvic examination to insure
that the vagina has not been injured.
- Blood will be drawn to test of sexually transmitted diseases of infections
(STD/VD). A urine sample will be taken to test for
internal injuries and to check for pregnancy. You should
ask the hospital staff about an AIDS test if you would
like one, however, it is not mandatory to be tested
for AIDS. As a precaution, medication maybe offered
for STD's and pregnancy.
- Many people are concerned about contracting AIDS after a sexual assault.
The chance of getting AIDS from a sexual assault
are very low. Even if the person who assaulted you
has AIDS, it is still a very low risk. If you are concerned
about this or would like more information about testing
options, talk to your medical advocate.
- The "Morning After Treatment" is available at some hospitals.
The nurse or doctor can explain the procedure as
well as the risks and side effects. If you are going
to receive the M.A.T., it must be administered to you
during the first 72-hours after the assault.
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