Sexual assault protocol
Your safety is the number
one priority. If you are a victim of sexual assault, follow these steps:
- Find
a safe environment — anywhere away from the perpetrator. If you are at
immediate risk, contact the police. You can give the police as much or as
little information as you wish, or request that they contact a victim/witness
advocate, who will help you understand the process and provide support. Call
the Northern Arizona University Police Department at 928-523-3611 or the
Flagstaff Police Department at 928-774-1414.
- If
there is serious physical injury, go immediately to a hospital emergency room
to be examined.
- If the victim reports the sexual assault
to Flagstaff Medical Center, the nurses and
doctors there are required to notify police and make an incident report, but
the victim is not required to talk with the police unless they choose to. The
victim will be treated for injuries and taken to Northern Arizona Center
Against Sexual Assault if they wish to proceed with the report and
there is no medical reason for them to remain at the hospital.
- If
there is no serious physical injury, go to a medical center as soon as possible
to be examined for sexually transmitted infections or pregnancy. Campus Health Services is available for
all university students.
- Know
that what happened was not your fault and that you should do what is best for
you. Ask a trusted friend to stay with you for moral support.
- Call
Victim/Witness Services at 928-779-6163 if you would like advice and support
and to clarify your options.
- Recognize
that healing takes time. Give yourself the time you need. If you would like to
seek assistance through counseling, contact Counseling
Services.
Understanding the options
It is the victim's choice
whether or not to report a sexual assault and how to proceed in the process.
There are many ways in which a victim can report a sexual assault. At any time
during the process, the victim has the right to speak up and stop the process.
A victim may choose how much or how little they wish to be involved in the
process.
Common responses to sexual assault/abuse
Victims differ in their responses to sexual assault and abuse.
The long-term effects may be influenced by the severity of the assault, the victim's
coping skills, and the support the person has following the incident.
Nevertheless, a victim of sexual assault may experience:
- a decrease in self-esteem, including frequent feelings of shame,
humiliation, guilt, anger, and powerlessness
- a shift in the way they perceive their body, which can lead to
self-abuse a difficulty trusting
and being intimate with others a disinterest in sexual intimacy for some time,
or a desire to engage in risky sexual behaviors
- flashbacks of the incident
fear of being alone or another future attack
- nightmares or other sleep
disturbances
- difficulty in concentrating and focusing, which can affect academic and
job performance