| |
Get Help Now
If you have been sexually assaulted:
- Are you safe?
Your safety and well-being are the highest priority. If you are unsure where to go or you do not feel safe where you are now, please consider calling Sexual Assault Support Services (SASS) to discuss possible options of shelter and a safe space for yourself.
Phone: (541) 343-SASS
or 1-800-788-4727
- Strongly consider seeking medical care.
You may need medical evaluation for possible injuries. The University Health Center and the three local hospitals can provide treatment for possible exposure to sexually transmitted infections, as well as emergency contraception. Trained Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) may be available to speak with you about all of the medical options.
If you would like evidence collected, it is important to try not bathe, shower, brush your teeth, drink, or even use the restroom.
All these things destroy physical evidence that may be helpful in a criminal investigation.
Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs) are specially trained nurses that provide care for survivors of sexual assault.
SANEs can:
- Do a complete or partial physical exam
- Collect evidence which can be stored (if the survivor chooses to report to law enforcement at a later date)
- Provide treatment for STIs and other medical issues
- Provide emergency contraception. This should be taken as soon as possible, but has some efficacy for 120 hours (5 days) after the assault.
- Order testing for “date rape drugs”. This must be done as soon as possible.
University Health Center: (541) 346-2770. The University Health Center is unavailable in the evenings and on the weekends. Survivors should consider the hospitals rather than waiting.
Sacred Heart Medical Center University District (541) 686-7300. 1255 Hilyard Street, Eugene, OR 97402
Sacred Heart Medical Center at Riverbend: (541) 222-7300. 3333 RiverBend Drive, Springfield, OR 97477.
McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center: (541) 726-4400. 1460 G Street, Springfield, OR 97477
- You may contact the Office of Student Life.
The Office of Student Life works closely with campus resources and may assist you in determining what, if any, steps you wish to take. Student Life can put you in touch with the Student Health Center staff, the Counseling Center, as well as off-campus resources. During business hours, call the office at 541-346-1156; after business hours you can call the Department of Public Safety’s Dispatcher at (541) 346-5444 and ask to have them contact an advocate in the Office of Student Life.
- Consider calling a trusted friend, relative, Sexual Assault Support Services (343-SASS) or a counselor at the UO Counseling & Testing Center (541) 346-3227
These people can provide you with the support and care you may need at this time. Please seek some form of emotional support. While taking care of your physical needs may be the first step in taking care of yourself, it is important not to neglect emotions you may be experiencing as a result of the assault.
- You may choose to file a report with the local police or through the Office of Student Conduct
- Know that you are not alone.
There are people who can help you process what you are experiencing and explain the options that are available to you at this time.
- It is your choice to determine when and in what manner you recover from your trauma.
It is up to you to make the decisions that will be the best for you.
- Remember, the assault was not your fault.
Emergency Contact Information
- Eugene Police Department:
(541) 682-5111 or 911
Call the Eugene police department to report a sexual assault, arrange for transportation to the hospital, or to access other resources through the Police Department
- Sexual Assault Support Services:
(541) 343-7277 or 1-800-788-4727
Call SASS 24 hours a day or drop in Monday-Friday 9-4 to meet one-on-one with an advocate for crisis intervention or peer counseling, information about support groups and self defense classes, to discuss your options, to receive support, or for campus and community resources and referrals. SASS advocates can respond to requests for advocacy at the hospital or University Health Center, law enforcement agencies, the University campus, or other community agencies in Lane County 24 hours a day.
- University of Oregon Counseling Center:
(541) 346-3227
Call the Counseling Center to make an appointment. Emergency appointments are available. Services are free.
- Student Health Center:
(541) 346-2770
Call the Student Health Center to make an appointment or to receive important medical referrals and information. Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) are available to help you with your medical needs following a sexual assault.
- Office of Student Life:
541-346-1156
The Office of Student Life can ensure that a student's needs are being met as they heal from the assault. Staff can provide information on the campus judicial process and advocate for the student's rights on campus.
- Housing Office:
(541) 346-427
Your residence life staff can help by providing support, referral, and resource information. You can also contact your RA/FA. These individuals are trained to assist you with support and resources if you have experienced sexual assault.
-Information adapted from the William & Mary College Website of Sexual Assault Prevention and Education.
If Your Friend Has Been Sexually Assaulted:
Friends of survivors of traumatic events can help immeasurably by offering loving, non-judgmental support. Alternatively, friends may re-traumatize the survivor by questioning her/his experiences or suggesting that the survivor is at fault. This information is for friends of survivors. If you are a survivor reading this information, you can feel free to show it to friends who want to help but don’t know how.
Supporting a survivor can be a long process with lots of ups and downs. You need to think about how prepared you are to help the survivor and not agree to become an integral part of her/his support network if you do not feel that you are emotionally or mentally in a place where you can provide support. Also, when supporting a friend who is a survivor of sexual assault, keep in mind the wide range of emotional, physical, and mental reactions that a survivor might experience as the result of being sexually assaulted. It is crucial to remember that each survivor of sexual assault may respond very differently. There is no universal response to sexual assault; each individual’s experience will be different.
The following symptoms may be examples of what a sexual assault survivor can experience after a traumatic event:
Fear.
Anger. Sadness.Rage.
Guilt. Embarrassment. Depression.
Helplessness. Isolation. Tension or Anxiety.
Numbness. Confusion.Denial.
Hyper-vigilance. Inability to concentrate.
Intrusive memories of the assault.
Change in eating and sleeping habits.
Increased alcohol consumption or
the use of substances as a coping mechanism.
Avoidance of loved ones or activities
that were enjoyable prior to the assault.
Lack of trust. Need to regain control.
Nightmares or flashbacks of the incident.
Insomnia. Increase or decrease in sexual activity.
Low self-esteem. Extreme paranoia.
Suicidal thoughts. The need to escape or forget.
Other physical symptoms such as eating disorders,
nausea, diarrhea, muscle-tension, anxiety,
trouble breathing, gynecological problems,
headaches, panic attacks.
These are just a few of the reactions a person may have. Healing takes time and begins with compassionate support from loved ones and friends. It is important not to judge the survivor’s feelings. These reactions are not unique to sexual assault; anyone in crisis may show some of these behaviors. Many of these symptoms are common following any severe attack, loss, or injury. Your friend may have "flashbacks" (intrusive, vivid memories) about the assault. Your friend may have specific fears and anxiety reactions related to the appearance of the assailant or the location where the attack took place. Problems with your friend's ability to concentrate, changing sleep patterns, and changing relationships can disrupt his or her daily functioning. As a friend, you may also experience similar symptoms because your friend's difficulties strike personal chords with crises you have had in your own life.
Some people do not exhibit "visible" indications of the crisis because all of their coping efforts are taking place inside of them. In fact, some people cope by making an extra effort to "look normal" and only gradually let on that something has happened to them. Sexual assault experts have found that acknowledging the assault to oneself and opening up about it to trusted people often helps survivors in their healing process.
Helpful Strategies
As a friend, you are a good judge of what emotions and behaviors are common for your friend. If your friend, for no apparent reason, begins to act in an atypical manner, don't be afraid to ask what is wrong. You may be the first person to respond to your friend's problem, and for a survivor of sexual assault, this is the starting point of recovery. Here are some strategies that you may find useful in helping your friend when she/he has experienced sexual assault.
- Believe your friend. Studies have shown that the reaction of the first person to whom a survivor disclosed his or her story, whether positive or negative, will affect the way in which healing occurs. Believing someone when the person tells you he or she has been sexually assaulted, without question or hesitation, is the most important thing you can do for your friend.
- Listen non-judgmentally. We all tend to analyze and question when someone tells us a story, whether we are trying to find a way in which to personally relate to what the person may be saying or we are just trying to understand. Active listening skills teach us to talk less. Never question a person's actions, details of the assault, why your friend feels the way he or she does. If you are having difficulty understanding what your friend may be saying, clarify. Paraphrase or relate feelings back to the person to ensure that you are not assuming that your friend's feelings reflect your own beliefs or judgments.
- Assure your friend that it is not his or her fault and your friend is not to blame for the assault in any way. Survivors of sexual assault often blame themselves for what has happened. It is important that we help them understand that no matter what happened- it was not their fault.
- Assure your friend she or he is not alone. Survivors of sexual assault often feel isolated, scared, and powerless. You can be the most helpful just by being there. Your presence can reassure the survivor and allow them to work out their feelings in a safe environment.
- Empower your friend. Remember, it is always up to the survivor to make choices that will affect the healing process. Survivors may ask for guidance or advice. Providing resources and options for them to utilize will help them regain the control they have lost. Support your friend’s decisions.
It is often in our nature to want to rush in and fix the problems of those we love by taking on their burdens ourselves. Unfortunately, this does not solve any problems but could potentially create a co-dependent relationship which is damaging to someone who needs more than anything to regain the control they have lost by being assaulted
Helpful Phrases
Helpful phrases when empowering a survivor of sexual assault or encouraging your friend to talk:
- What do you want to do?
- How do you feel about that?
- Tell me more about __________?
- What have you tried so far?
- What does he/she/they think about that?
- What does that mean to you?
- What do you think about that?
- What is it that bothers you about that?
- In what way?
- Do you want to?
- What would you like?
- What would you like to see happen?
- What I'm hearing you say is _______.
- What is the best thing that could happen?
- What is the worst thing that could happen?
Things to Avoid
Things to try to avoid when helping a survivor of sexual assault:
- NO MORE VIOLENCE!! We often want to respond to violence with aggressive action. This is not helpful for your friend who has been assaulted and could make things worse. Respect their right to make their own choices.
- Evaluating: “You shouldn't”, “You ought to”, “You're wrong.”
- Interpreting, analyzing, diagnosing: “You're doing that because...”
- Ridiculing, shaming: What were you thinking? Why did you do such a thing?
- Interrupting or Dominating Conversation: “Yeah, that happened to me once”, “I never would have done that!”
- Warning, ordering, threatening: “If you don't do _____, you'll regret it.”
- Criticizing, blaming: “This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't...”
- Interrogating, cross examining: “When did it happen? Where did it happen? Why did you do that?”
- Advising, offering solutions: “I think you should ____...”
- Giving too positive evaluations: “I'm sure you'll be fine, it will all work out.”
- Distracting, diverting: “It isn't that bad, let's talk about something more pleasant.”
-Information borrowed with permission from the William & Mary College Sexual Assault Education Website.
Information on Helpful and Non-Helpful Responses adapted from the VAASA Volunteer Manual, 2nd Edition, 1998 and Avalon: A Center for Women and Children "Active Listening" handbook.
Emergency Contact Information
There are many resources available in the area of sexual violence support. If you know someone who has been sexually assaulted, you may choose to share these options with your friend. You are also free to utilize any of the resources for yourself, as dealing with sexual violence can be a very emotionally-charged and complicated experience.
- Eugene Police Department:
(541) 682-5111 or 911
Call the Eugene Police Department to report a sexual assault, arrange for transportation to the hospital, or to access other resources through the Police Department
- Sexual Assault Support Services:
(541) 343-7277 or 1-800-788-4727
Call SASS 24 hours a day or drop in Monday-Friday 9-4 to meet one-on-one with an advocate for crisis intervention or peer counseling, to discuss your options, for information about support groups and self defense classes, to receive support, or for campus and community resources and referrals. SASS advocates can respond to requests for advocacy at the hospital or University Health Center, law enforcement agencies, the University campus, or other community agencies in Lane County 24 hours a day.
- University of Oregon Counseling Center:
(541) 346-3227
Call the Counseling Center to make an appointment. Emergency appointments are available. Services are free.
- Student Health Center:
(541) 346-2770
Call the Student Health Center to make an appointment or to receive important medical referrals and information. Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) are available to help you with your medical needs following a sexual assault.
- Office of Student Life:
541-346-1156
The Office of Student Life can ensure that a student's needs are being met as they heal from the assault. Staff can provide information on the campus judicial process and advocate for the student's rights on campus.
- Housing Office:
(541) 346-427
Your residence life staff can help by providing support, referral, and resource information. You can also contact your RA/FA. These individuals are trained to assist you with support and resources if you have experienced sexual assault.
|
