Tell someone you can trust: the police, a S.A.R.T. volunteer,
a Resident Advisor or Resident Coordinator, a friend, counselor,
or minister. You need emotional support and assistance in
making a plan. Remember that only S.A.R.T. can
provide you anonymity and only the Counseling
Center, Health
Center or chaplains can
offer confidentiality. Click on Who
Can Help for more on helping resources.
Call Public
Safety (305) 284-6666 if the assault occurred on campus,
or Central Dispatch (911) if it occurred off-campus. For
investigative purposes, the police recommend that you do
not change your clothes, bathe or shower, eat or drink after
a sexual assault. These activities could destroy evidence
in the event that you decide to prosecute the assailant later.
When UM
Public Safety is involved, they will usually contact a member
of the S.A.R.T. team
(305) 798-6666 when they are notified of a sexual assault. You
may also contact S.A.R.T. yourself. The
advocate who takes your call can arrange to meet you if you wish,
at a campus office or can assist you over the phone.
The police will take you to the hospital for
a medical examination. Normally they will take you to the Rape
Treatment Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital. You can
bring a friend or a S.A.R.T. advocate
can go with you, if you wish. Bring a change of clothes with
you. The doctor will give you a rape examination to collect
evidence, and will provide medical treatment as well.
If you decide not to contact the police or to
forgo a rape exam, you may go to the Student
Health Center to be checked. You may have injuries of
which you are unaware. You probably will want to discuss
pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases with a doctor too.
As soon as you can, write down everything you remember in as much
detail as possible. This will help you in your own healing
process as well as help if you do decide to take legal action.
Remember that the assault was not your fault. Don't
hesitate to get support.
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