Sexual Misconduct: Unwanted Sexual Behavior

If You've Been Assaulted or Experienced Sexual Misconduct

What do I do first?

• Get to a safe place. This includes physical and emotional safety.
• Contact someone you trust, a friend, family member, your resident or community assistant, so they can help and support you.
  
• It is important to seek immediate medical care, so you can be treated for any injuries and to be tested for pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases. You may choose to go to either of the Rape Crisis Centers: Jefferson or Episcopal hospitals. They have staff who are specially trained to provide medical attention in cases of sexual assault.
  
• Medical evidence needs to be collected within 72 hours of an assault in case you later decide to press charges. While you may not know now whether you want to prosecute, it is best to have the evidence collected, to keep your options open. You can always decide later whether you want to use the evidence
  
• Avoid showering, bathing, douching, or cleaning up in any way (this will preserve valuable evidence you will need if you decide to prosecute), though evidence can still be collected even if you have cleaned up. If you are still wearing the clothes you had on during the assault, take a change of clothing with you to the hospital, as your clothes may be needed as evidence. If you have changed, the hospital will want the clothes you were wearing. Be cautious not to transport them in plastic bags or containers—to preserve the evidence, use clean paper bags, clean sheets, or a clean pillowcase to wrap your items.
  
• You can also go to your private doctor or to the Student Health Center. Both of these options will provide valuable medical care for you but cannot collect evidence should you later decide to prosecute.

Who else can I contact?

On Campus:

• The Student Counseling Center can provide confidential emotional support (215.951.1355).
  
• The Student Health Center can offer medical advice and support (215.951.1565).
  
• Safety and Security can help you with transportation to the Rape Crisis Center at either Jefferson or Episcopal hospitals and provide additional assistance (215.951.2111).
  

Off Campus:

• Women Organized Against Rape can assist you with the next steps and provide support (215.985.3333).

Would it help for me to get emotional support?

It is important to take care of yourself. Being sexually assaulted, raped, exploited, or harassed is a trauma. Counseling is helpful in assisting you in sorting out your feelings, taking back control of your life, and helping you with future decisions. And, you can also seek out friends, family, and survivor support groups to help you process your feelings and anger.