Transcript What Everyone Should Know

What Everyone Should Know About
Sexual Assault
Presented by
Joe Hamilton, MA, LPC, NCC
Assistant Director
University Counseling Services
Truman State University
The truth about Rape
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Rape is an act of violence
Rape is about control & power,
not about sexual desire
Rape is not the victim’s fault
Most rapes involve persons who
are known to each other
No one asks to be raped
Rape can happen to anyone
Truman Surveys
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2006 Core Survey
(487 responses)
8.1% of females and 10.3% of males said they had been taken advantage of
sexually during the past year.
1.6% of females and 5.5% of males said that they had taken advantage of
another sexually during the past year.
National College Health Assessment
Within the last school year, Truman students reported experiencing:
Percent(%)
Male
2005 2007
Verbal threats for sex against their will
1.7 4.1
Sexual touching against their will
5.2 6.1
Attempted sexual penetration against their will
0.7 2.0
Sexual penetration against their will
0.0 1.5
2005 – 1,126 responses
2007 – 659 responses
Female
2005 2007
4.4 2.4
13.9 12.2
4.8 3.3
2.0 2.2
Truman’s Sexual Misconduct
Policy
“…the involvement in any sexual act with
another person without the
acknowledged and informed consent of
the other person. Failure of the other
person to object to the sexual act does
not qualify as acknowledged and
informed consent, particularly when the
other person is incapacitated by drugs,
alcohol, mental deficiency, or other
disability.”
Prevention of
Acquaintance Rape
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Decide on your own personal
sexual limits
Communicate Clearly
Be assertive - be firm
Avoid alcohol or drugs or excessive
usage
Never leave a bar or party with
someone you “just” met
Date Rape Prevention
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Stay in control – there is no question of
“owing” your date
Don’t let yourself be isolated
Trust your intuition – if you feel there’s
something wrong get away immediately
Be wary of people who have little respect
for others in general
Be wary of people who anger quickly,
drink too much or are overly possessive
Predatory Drugs
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Ruffies and GHB are date rape drugs
(also called roofies, rope, ropies, the forget pill, roach,
roachies, rib, rophies, la Roche, R-2)
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Rapists use these drugs to fool
someone & make them pass out
The drugs remove all memories of the
time you’re under the influence
(8-24 hour blackouts, memory loss, loss of muscle control,
inability to move, prolonged sleeping)
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The rapist can do whatever they want
with you…
Watch Out For Yourself
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Don’t drink beverages that you did not open
yourself
Don’t exchange or share drinks
Don’t drink from a punch bowl
If someone offers you a drink, watch it
being poured, carry it yourself
Don’t leave your drink unattended
If left unattended – get rid of it
Don’t drink anything that tastes unusual or
looks suspicious
Watch Out for Friends
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Have a designated “Sober” person to check
up on each other
If a friend appears very intoxicated, gets
sick, & passes out in an uncharacteristic
way make sure they’re safe & if necessary
call 911
If you see someone “dosing” a drink or
punch bowl – intervene & warn others
Tell friends about the dangers of date rape
drugs
What to do when a rape occurs
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If the assault has just occurred, first make sure
that the victim feels safe. If not you may want
to change locations.
Medical attention may be and often is required.
Victims may choose to pursue legal action. The
sooner a report is made, the better the case
against the assailant.
However, be open to the fact that the victim
may not be at a place where they can process
what has happened. Call Victim Support
Services at 665-1617 (1-800-668-1617) for
assistance. The sooner a report is made, the
better the case against the assailant.
What to say to the victim
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Helpful points to be communicated:
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I’m glad your alive
It’s not your fault
I’m sorry that it happened
You did the best you could
I believe you
Ask the victim how he or she wants to be
treated. Don’t take over control.
How to continue being of help
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Be a good listener. Be around just to sit and talk.
Realize that this will completely disrupt the victims
lives so be patient.
Understand that they are trying to regain control of
their life and encourage them to make their own
choices.
Seek help from other people. Rape is hard on
everyone involved. The more support available, the
better off everyone will be. Strongly consider
professional assistance from University Counseling
Services. Do not try to take on all of the
responsibility alone.
What you can do to stop rape
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Report
Communicate – Know your sexual limits
Alcohol and drug use increases risk
Speak up! Don’t be a bystander!
Be aware of rape supportive language
Support survivors of rape
Keep aware of rape issues and how they
affect men and women
Join and support anti-violence
organizations
Anti-violence organizations
http://www.mencanstoprape.org
 http://www.oneinfourusa.org
 http://www.rainn.org/
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University Counseling Services
(660) 785-4014 http://ucs.truman.edu
[email protected]
202 Patterson (located west of Grim Hall)
Free and confidential counseling to Truman
students
 6 Full-time professional therapists
 Offer individual, couples and group counseling
 Open 8-5 M-F
 Plus on call 7 days a week, 24 hours a day –
665-5621
 Do presentations to any group over a wide
variety of topics
 Referral assistance
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