Health and Well-Being

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If You Have Experienced Sexual Assault

If you have been raped or assaulted YOU ARE NOT TO BLAME! All people who are confronted with sexual assault or rape do the best they can, given the situation. Nothing that one does can cause a sexual assault, including having had a prior relationship with the person or using alcohol/drugs. It is never the victim's fault.

Call 911 to report to police if you are in danger or need immediate medical attention. Get to a safe place as soon as you can and contact a close friend who can be with you aslong as you need her/him. Your friend can assist you in finding an advocate from Program for Aid to Victims of Sexual Assault (PAVSA) and can accompany you to the medical exam, the police department, or counseling services. More information is available on the Medical Services page.

Try to preserve all physical evidence: Do not bath, douche, use the toilet (you can savea urine sample in a jar with a lid on it), brush your teeth, drink (especially soda, pop, or alcohol), wash your sheets or couch cushions, or change clothing (you can put your clothingin separate paper bags).

Get medical attention as soon as possible. Go to a local emergency room. A full physical exam will help assure that any injuries will be identified and treated, and concerns about possible pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections will be addressed. Forensic evidencecan also be collected for potential use in criminal cases. This full medical exam, includingevidence collection, will be provided free of charge at either of the Duluth hospitals. Evidence can be collected and stored if you need time to decide whether or not you want to report the crime. If you need additional assistance to obtain medical attention, Duluth Police (911), Campus Security x4000, a PAVSA advocate at 726-1931, and/or Student Health Services in Somers x6282 will help you get medical assistance.

Make an initial report as soon as possible. Be AWARE: you are NOT pressing chargesand no legal action will be taken without your permission, but it is important to makethe initial report as soon as possible. You can make a confidential report by using our confidential reporting form. Contacting the Campus Sexual Assault Support Staff (723-7020,723-6747, 723-7035), or by contacting PAVSA at 726-1931. You can make an official report by contacting The Duluth Police (911) or the St. Scholastica Campus Security Office (723-4000). For specific information about reporting, refer to the section of the Student Handbook on Bias Incident Reporting.

Seek counseling for assistance in dealing with this kind of experience. All assaults are traumatic events. You are not alone.

Contact our Confidential Sexual Support Staff:

Teresa Aldach - 723-7020 or taldach@css.edu
Brady Zubke - 625-4887 or bzubke@css.edu
Melissa Watschke - 723-6747 or mwatschk@css.edu
Julie Kim - 723-7035 or jkim@css.edu

Credit and thanks to the following colleges and organizations allowing us to utilize their violence prevention information: Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, Minnesota Center Against Violence and Abuse, University of Michigan Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center/U. Health Services, Kansas St. University (Counseling Services and the Women's Center), University of Minnesota Program Against Sexual Violence (The Aurora Center for Advocacy and Education), PAVSA, Safe Haven, MNCASA, and The Minnesota Center Against Violence and Abuse.

Disclaimer: The information found on this site is intended as educational information only. You SHOULD NOT rely on the information to make any medical or legal decisions. Any medical or other decisions should be made in consultation with your health care provider. Any legal decisions should be made in consultation with your legal representative. The Student Center for Health and Well-Being will not be liable for any complication, injuries, or other medical accidents arising from, or in connection with, the use of, or reliance upon, any information on this web site.