5 Things Recommended That a Victim Do After a Sexual Assault
Sexual assault is a big issue, especially in college towns like Fort Collins. Being educated on the aftermath of assault and knowing all your options can be extremely helpful for a survivor’s healing process. Make note that there is nothing a survivor should do, but rather multiple options for them to consider. The choice is completely in the hands of the individual.
- Reach out to an advocacy center
One avenue that a survivor can take is by contacting an advocacy center. Sexual Assault Victim Advocate, or SAVA, is a great resource that many victims in the Northern Colorado area utilize. Advocacy centers can offer many resources to a survivor including advocates to occupancy you to various post assault examinations, advice on what steps you might want to take next, and reporting the crime to the police.
Cassie Hurley, the Larimer County Victim Services and Outreach Coordinator for SAVA, says, “We want to provide the survivor with all of the options for support, and give them the power to decide what will be best for their healing process.” Advocacy centers, like SAVA, strive to be the best resource to survivors and want to help them through the healing process that comes after an assault.
To learn more about SAVA and their resources visit https://savacenter.org/
Additional advocacy centers in Northern Colorado include: https://wgac.colostate.edu/
2. Sexual Assault Nurse Examination (SANE)
Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, or SANE, “is a registered nurse who completed additional education and training to provide comprehensive health care to survivors of sexual assault” (Office for Victims of Crime). These examiners help victims by being aware of the effects of sexual assault and apply this understanding while doing examinations.
SANE is another option for survivors which includes a professional medical examination, “for any injuries, while collecting evidence along the way” says Hurley. According to SAVA, SANE examinations can be done up to 7 days after the assault and are a great way to collect evidence for someone who might not be ready to report yet.
For more information about SANEs, please visit https://www.ovcttac.gov/saneguide/introduction/what-is-a-sane/
3. Report the crime
Some survivors find that reporting the assault helps them with the healing process and they want to see justice for the perpetrator’s crime. However, other survivors find that reporting can be more harmful than helpful. It is all up to the victim and how they want to proceed with their actions.
If a victim does decide to report the crime, Therese Jakobsson, the Corporal with the Fort Collins Police Department Crimes Against Persons Detective unit, suggests that they should, “not delete any communication on your phone or social media about what happened or direct communication with the suspect. Do not shower or change clothes so that any potential physical evidence can be collected.” These steps can help a victim collect evidence to use against the assaulter.
In addition, the police department can offer a, “team of Victim Advocates that support victims throughout the law enforcement investigation,” Jaboksson says.
For more information on how to report a sexual assault crime please visit https://www.larimer.org/sheriff/investigations/victim-response-team/victim-services
4. Therapy
Another great option for survivors is talking to someone through therapy. Therapy can be a daunting thing to start, but many victims find that it helps them heal by talking about what happened and learning to understand its affects on them more. There are many ways for one to get the therapy that they need. One good place to start is an advocacy center where the center can help the victim by giving them a free consultation and then pointing them in the right direction for a therapist.
While therapy can help many survivors, “Some folks will not be ready to begin therapy directly after an assault, and we support that. They may not be at a place where diving into trauma work feels manageable” says Hurley. If this is the case, other options before therapy may be the best route to go, but eventually when the victim is ready to talk about the assault, therapy can be a great resource to utilize.
To find a therapist that fits your needs located in Fort Collins visit https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/sexual-abuse/co/fort-collins
5. Call a hotline
RAINN, a sexual assault victim hotline, is a great place to reach out to someone to talk about what happened, find more resources to help in the healing process, and overall, find a sense of direction for what a victim could do next. To reach this hotline you can visit the RAINN website at https://www.rainn.org/about-national-sexual-assault-telephone-hotline or you can call (800) 656- HOPE(4673).
When you call the RAINN hotline, “you’ll be routed to a local RAINN affiliate organization based on the first six digits of your phone number” (RAINN). Once in contact with an affiliate they can connect you to services like confidential, free support from a staff member, help locating a health facility that preforms SANE exams, referrals to local resources to assist in the healing process, or even just someone to talk to about what happened.
Overall, the post-assault affects on people can be devastating and damaging to one’s self and knowing your options for what you can do to help the healing process is important. By reaching out to any of these resources or going down these paths, you can help kickstart the road to healing after an assault.
