Sexual assault* is unwanted, non-consensual sexual contact including ... touching, penetration by a person or object either vaginally or anally, and oral sex. It also includes forced touching of another’s body.
Rape is a specific form of sexual assault that includes sexual intercourse without consent.
Date/Acquaintance Rape is still rape. It is non-consensual sexual activity between people who know one another on some level, and where consent for sexual activity was not given, or was given under duress.
Date Rape Drugs such as alcohol, Ketamine, GHB, and Rophynol are sometimes used to keep a person from resisting, or even to render the victim unconscious. Alcohol, however, is the #1 date rape drug.
Consent is when a person says yes or freely, and actively participates in the sexual act. Consent is mutual agreement. Consent cannot be assumed, cannot be given under pressure, out of fear, or when you are not fully aware of what is going on - like when a person has had too much to drink or has used other drugs.
Silence is not consent.
* Sexual Assault is violence. It is not about sex; it’s about using sex to have power and control over another person.
Be examined for physical injury and possible Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). The examination also provides an opportunity to discuss options for available counseling and for pregnancy prevention.
Medical evidence that supports a case is best collected within 72 hours of an assault.
Call someone—a friend or family member and/or …
Call one of the numbers on this brochure and ask for a sexual assault counselor or a rape survivor advocate to talk to, or be with you at the hospital and walk through things with you—for support and to be sure you are treated well.
FYI, the hospital or attending physician is required by law to notify the police, but the survivor decides whether to talk with the police or to press charges.
You do have the option to only report the incident for police or public records without pressing charges.
Since every person and situation is different, survivors of sexual assault will respond in various ways. There is no right or wrong way to react. Some survivors recover relatively quickly, while others feel the effect of their victimization longer.
Emotional / Psychological / Physiological Effects
There are many emotional, psychological and physiological effects survivors may experience, such as headaches, vomiting, shock, denial, anger, shame, self-blame, fear, anxiety, depression, loss of self-esteem, loss of trust in others, sleep disturbances, panic attacks, eating difficulties, hyper-vigilance, and isolation.
Presented in conjunction with Project SAFE, a campus response toward eliminating violence.
(Content provided by the Health Resource Center, Student Health Services.)
