Our mission:
Reducing the impact of crime through counseling, education and advocacy.
If you have been a victim, know a victim or have witnessed a crime–we can help.
All services are free and confidential. Call us at 1 (800) 352-7273.
- Home »
- Sexual Assault
Sexual Assault
Sexual assault happens to 1 out of 3 women and 1 out of 6 men during the course of their lives.
What to do if you are sexually assaulted
Seek medical attention
You need to be checked for injury, pregnancy, and STDs. Following an assault, there may be complications you are not immediately aware of and for which a doctor can check. If you call the Crime Victim Center, a counselor will accompany you to the ER and stay with you. Even if you do not think you want to press charges, it is a good idea to have the evidence collected by the hospital. The sooner you seek medical attention, the better the chances of finding evidence and the stronger the criminal case. Bring a change of clothes to the ER and do not shower, change, eat, brush your teeth, smoke or use the bathroom. If you must change, put your clothes in a paper bag and take them with you. While it is the hospital’s policy to call the police, it is your decision whether or not you want to talk to them.
Seek counseling
Sexual assault will not go away the next day. There will be emotions you need to work through, including some conflicting feelings, and a rape crisis counselor can help. All services at the Crime Victim Center are free of charge. A counselor is available 24 hours a day at (814) 455-9414 or 1-800-352-7273.
Remember: It is not your fault you were raped
You have the right to your body and to decide what happens. No matter what you were wearing, how late you were out, if you were drinking, where you were, if you agreed to have sex with him or her before, how well you know the person, or how much you trusted the person - it was not your fault. If you did not want it to happen, that person should have stopped and respected your wishes. There is not something you “should have” done. If you survived the assault, you did the right thing.
What to do if someone you know is sexually assaulted
Let them know you believe them
This is a very real fear for many people. If the first person they tell does not believe them, victims are more likely to stay silent and not get the medical and counseling treatment they need.
Let them know it was not their fault
No matter what they were wearing, how late they were out, if they were drinking, where they were, if they agreed to have sex before, how well they know the person, or even if they were flirting, it was not their fault. No one asks to be raped. If they survived the assault, they have done the right thing.
Encourage them to seek medical attention
He or she needs to be checked for injury, pregnancy and STDs. There may be complications from the assault that the victim is not immediately aware of and for which a doctor can check. Evidence collection can be invaluable should the person decide to pursue legal action…a decision they do not have to make immediately. Have them bring a change of clothes to the ER, and tell them not to shower, change, eat, brush their teeth, smoke, or use the bathroom, as this interferes with evidence collection.
Encourage them to seek counseling
Sexual assault will not go away the next day. All services at the Crime Victim Center are free of charge. A counselor is available 24 hours a day at (814) 455-9414, or 1-800-352-7273.
Remember you are not there to make decisions for the person
He or she just had all control taken away; your job is to empower them. Make suggestions and encourage, but do not force them to go to the hospital or call a counselor.
You may feel many emotions when this person discloses the assault to you
Please remain calm. Allow the victim to express his or her feelings and do not ask questions that start with “why.” You may call the Crime Victim Center yourself to discuss your own feelings, but for right now, you are there to help him or her.
What to do if a child is sexually assaulted
Believe the child
Specialists who work with sexually abused children report children rarely lie about sexual assault.
Stay calm
Shock, anger, fear, guilt, shame and disbelief are normal reactions, especially when the offender is someone you and/or the child trusted. This emotional turmoil adversely affects the child. However, you should not bottle up emotions, either. Instead, allow yourself to express your emotions in private.
Reassure the child
Say something like:
“I am really glad you told me.”
“I am proud of you for telling me.”
“I am sorry that someone hurt you.”
“Sometimes adults do bad things, but you did not do anything bad.”
“It was not your fault.”
“Thank you for telling me.”
“I love you.”
Seek help
Child protective services, child abuse agencies, rape relief centers and sexual assault centers around the United States and Canada usually have specialists for child victims of assault. If a center is not available in your community, talk to your family physician. A doctor may be in a good position to locate help for you and your child.
If the child brings it up, talk about the assault
Let the child talk about what happened and continue to reassure him or her. If the child is not allowed to talk about it, he or she will have a tendency to blame himself or herself. Do not underestimate the importance of reassuring the child. Even after repeated assurances, when a 4-year-old was asked if he would talk to the police, he asked, “Will they put me in jail, too?”
Take action
In many cases, the offender is a repeat offender. In the past, legal action was nearly impossible, especially when the victims were 6 years old and younger. Child advocacy centers have changed the way child abuse cases are investigated and prosecuted.
If the offender is a friend or loved one
A child does not want to get a friend or loved one into trouble. Let the child know your intention is not to put the offender into jail, but to get him or her help. The National Child Abuse Hotline Referral Service can be reached at 1-800-4A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453).
