Sexual Assault Information

Protect Yourself from Sexual Assault

There is no perfect way to protect yourself against rape, but the following have worked for many people.  It’s important to remember that a person might not show these behaviors from the start.  In fact, it’s common for someone to try to gain the trust or affection of a victim through flattery, being friendly, extending invitations or offering to pay for things.

  • Know you have the right to set sexual limits:  You may have different limits with different people; your limits may change.  Be clear about what you want and don’t want in each situation.
  • Communicate those limits:  Get them across to the other person.  ESP doesn’t work!
  • Stay Sober:  Alcohol is the number one drug used to facilitate sexual violence and rape.
  • Trust your feelings:  If you feel you’re being pressured into unwanted sex, you’re right.
  • Pay attention to behavior that doesn’t seem right:
    • Someone sitting or standing too close who enjoys your discomfort.
    • Power stares – looking through you or down at you.
    • Someone who blocks your way.
    • Someone speaking in a way or acting as if he/she knows you more intimately than he/she does.
    • Someone who grabs or pushes you to get his/her way.
    • Someone who doesn’t listen or disregards what you’re saying (like NO!).
  • Be Assertive:
    • Get angry when someone does something that you don’t want.
    • Act immediately with some kind of negative response.
    • Stand up for yourself – it’s ok to be rude to someone who is sexually pressuring you, afterall they aren’t paying attention to your feelings.
    • Take self-defense training.
    • Take Care of Yourself, Don’t Assume Others Will!

Signs that you may have been drugged/raped:
     1. You wake up very hung over.
    2. You have a memory lapse or a period of time for which you cannot
        account.
    3. You remember having a drink but can't recall what happened 
        afterwards.
    4. You have sensations of drunkenness that do not correspond with 
        the amounts of alcohol consumed.
    5. You feel as though someone had sex with you, but you can't 
        remember.
    6. You have unexplainable signs of physical trauma.

In Case of Sexual Assault – Go to a Safe Place.

Immediately after an assault, one of the first concerns should be to get out of physical danger.  Go to a safe place, such as a friend’s room, the Wellness Center during weekday business hours, or Campus Security in Ratcliffe anytime.  Call Campus Security at (443) 352-4500.  Call someone who can support you: your family, a friend, your RA, etc.  TurnAround, Inc. is Baltimore County’s sexual assault and domestic violence service.  You can reach their 24-hour hotline at (410) 828-6390.

Get Medical Attention Whether You Choose to Report the Assault to the Police or Not.

You can receive care at the Wellness Center, Monday through Thursday, 9am-5pm.  A Nurse Practitioner or Doctor will examine you for physical injuries, discuss emergency contraception, and test for STD’s.  The Wellness Center cannot perform a forensic exam and evidence collection.

If You Choose to Report the Assault to the Police, Call 911, or Campus Security (ext. 4500).

Until the police or security reach you, preserve physical evidence.  Save all the clothing you were wearing at the time of the assault.  Do not disturb anything in the area where the assault occurred.  Write down as much as you can remember about the circumstances of the assault, including a physical description of the assailant.  The police may ask you to have a Sexual Assault Forensic Exam (S.A.F.E.) at Greater Baltimore Medical Center in Towson.  Better evidence will be collected if you do not shower, bathe, go to the bathroom, douche, smoke, eat, drink, or brush your teeth or hair.  However, the S.A.F.E. exam can still be performed regardless.  You should bring a change of clothes with you, including underwear.  Campus Security can provide transportation to the hospital for the S.A.F.E. exam.

Even if you are undecided as to whether to report to police, you can have evidence collected in a S.A.F.E. exam, and it will be held under an assigned name for a period of time, giving you an opportunity to decide.

Find Someone You Trust to Talk With About the Assault.

Sometimes a victim doesn’t want to report a rape or assault immediately.  That’s your choice, but assault can be very traumatic and it’s important for you to speak with someone.  You may choose to tell a friend or family member about the incident or someone who works at the university.  If you choose to discuss what happened with a Stevenson employee, you should know that individuals in certain positions at the university can offer greater confidentiality by virtue of their profession.  As per the Higher Education Reauthorization Act, Stevenson administrators are required to report all allegations of sexual assault to Campus Security.  The Wellness Center professional counselors and medical staff (ext. 4200) are exempt from this obligation.  The University’s Sexual Assault Policy, in full, can be found in the Stevenson University Student Handbook.

Take Care of Your Mental Health
  • Sexual assault can be an extremely traumatic experience.
  • You may often feel numb, regretful, guilty, overwhelmed, fearful, depressed, worthless, panicked, worthy of blame, and even suicidal.
  • Some survivors may suffer Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD), characterized by extreme depression, panic attacks, sleep problems, flashbacks, irritability, mood swings, intrusive thoughts, and nightmares.  These symptoms can continue for months.  They are normal reactions to a traumatic event, and can be addressed with therapy.
  • Build a strong support network, keep your body healthy, and commit yourself to keeping your life going.  Eat regular meals, avoid excessive use of alcohol or other drugs, get daily physical activity and allow regular sleep.
  • Consider calling Counseling Services of the Wellness Center at (443) 352-4200.

Adapted from the websites of TurnAround, Inc, the University of Georgia, and Swarthmore College Gender Education.