A student’s guide to getting help after a sexual assault
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If you are sexually assaulted, you’re not alone. You have choices about what happens next. It’s important to know your options for getting help from victim advocates, health care providers, counsellors, and the police. Laws, policies, and services vary by province, territory, city, and institution.
Many campuses are developing policies and resources designed to prevent sexual assault, support survivors, and hold perpetrators accountable. Usually, students can access more extensive sexual assault services in the community. Your options are not mutually exclusive. If you want to initiate an investigation, you will need to report the assault to the police.
Before disclosing an assault to any professional, ask whether you are entitled to confidentiality and what processes your disclosure could initiate. “Confidentiality on campuses is preserved to the extent possible, case by case, depending on what the complainant is willing to disclose and wants to have happen,” says Barb MacQuarrie, Community Director at the Centre for Research and Education on Violence Against Women and Children, Western University, in London, Ontario.
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Police
Services
Sexual assault and consent are defined by the federal Criminal Code. If you want to, you can report a sexual assault to the police. You can request an immediate investigation or defer that decision. An investigation might result in the prosecution of the alleged perpetrator. Reporting an assault to the police is a separate process from reporting to campus authorities.
The decision to report
It is your choice whether or not to report a sexual assault to the police. Many survivors choose not to. “Reporting sexual assault does not always result in the outcomes that a survivor is anticipating,” says Nicole Pietsch, Coordinator of the Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres. To discuss the pros and cons of reporting, contact a Sexual Assault Centre or Rape Crisis Centre.
POLICE
Laws, policies, processes, resources, and terminology vary by province, territory, city, and institution. This content might not be accurate in your situation. Always ask.
Immediate steps
When you go to a police station, an officer will interview you, probably on video, or you’ll write a witness statement. If the assault was recent, the police will help you get to a health care provider for a medical examination and (on your request) the collection of physical evidence. The process varies by location and typically takes several hours.
Next steps
Based on the evidence available, the police will determine whether to lay charges against the alleged perpetrator. The Crown Attorney will decide whether to seek a conviction in court and can apply to the judge for a publication ban to keep your identity private. If the case goes to court, you will be called to testify as a witness.
Good to know
- A friend or trained victim advocate can accompany you to make the police report. This person could be subpoenaed if the case goes to court.
- There is no legal time limit for reporting a sexual assault. If you involve the police sooner rather than later, more evidence can be collected.
- Most provinces and cities require that sexual assault cases are handled by specially trained and accredited police officers.
- If charges are laid by the police, you and the offender will be under a no-contact order (that is, he or she is not to have any direct or third-party contact with you) until the charges are resolved.
- You can apply for a restraining order through the family court. You can apply for a peace bond from a Justice of the Peace.
Sexual Assault Centre or Rape Crisis Centre
Counsellors and advocates at community-based Sexual Assault Centres (also known as Rape Crisis Centres) provide support and trauma-informed care to survivors of recent and past sexual assault. Resources and services vary depending on location. Staff and volunteers might include legal advocates or lawyers, medical advocates, educators, social workers, and/or rape crisis counsellors.
Services may include
- Free, confidential counselling
- 24-hour phone support
- Information on your medical and reporting options, the criminal justice process, and the roles of all parties
- Advocates from these centres can go with you to your medical exam and help you understand and navigate your follow-up care
- Advocates can also help you understand your rights and accompany you to court
- Support groups and education
- Case management
Sexual Assault Centre or Rape Crisis Centre
Laws, policies, processes, resources, and terminology vary by province, territory, city, and institution. This content might not be accurate in your situation. Always ask.
Good to know
- You can go to a Sexual Assault Centre for support whether or not you choose to report to the police.
- You can go to a Sexual Assault Centre for support whether the sexual assault occurred recently or some time ago.
- Counsellors will not share your information without your agreement, unless you are under 16 and have been harmed by a person in authority (e.g., a parent, coach, or teacher).
- Some community sexual assault centres collaborate with college or university administrators and/or student organizations. Sexual assault specialists may be active on campus or take referrals at their community locations.
- Some provinces have mandates addressing sexual assault issues, and/or collaborative sexual assault initiatives that are testing new service models.
Some community-based Women’s Centres provide relevant services for female survivors, including workshops, groups, and counselling for those who have left abusive relationships, and information on sexual assault. Some provinces also have specific resources and services available for male survivors.
Sexual assault services at the hospital
Your options after a sexual assault are likely to include specialized medical and forensic intervention. Specialist care often involves a Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) and/or a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE), usually located at the hospital.
Services
- Your medical care should include treatment of injuries; testing and preventive treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs); emergency contraception for female survivors; and referrals for ongoing support.
- If you choose to report the assault to the police, the forensic nurse at the hospital will collect physical evidence (known as a rape kit exam) and provide it to the police.
- If you choose not to involve the police, in some locations you will be able to have forensic evidence collected in case you decide to report the assault later. In any case, the forensic nurse will create a confidential record of your care including documentation of injuries.
- The forensic nurse can testify as a witness in court.
Sexual assault services at the hospital
Laws, policies, processes, resources, and terminology vary by province, territory, city, and institution. This content might not be accurate in your situation. Always ask.
Immediate steps
The sooner you seek medical attention, the more evidence can be collected. Typically, evidence needs to be collected within three days (72 hours) of a sexual assault. Seeking health care earlier increases your chances of preventing STIs and, for female survivors, pregnancy. (Survivors can seek medical attention outside these parameters.)
Next steps
A forensic medical exam usually takes 2—4 hours. You will be offered choices about your care and whether to report to the police. You will not be rushed into any decisions, and your choices will be respected.
Good to know
- It can be a good idea to bring a friend, if possible. Talking with a sexual assault crisis line counsellor can be helpful before, during, and/or after the medical process.
- You can decide which procedures you get, the extent of the physical exam, and what information you receive. You can refuse any part of the exam, though this might mean evidence is missed.
- Terminology varies by province. For example, in Ontario, these services are provided at Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Treatment Centres, located in hospitals.
- Specialized sexual assault care and forensic services are not available in all locations. In some rural and regional locations, the options are more limited—e.g., If you report a sexual assault to the police, you may be referred to a non-specialist emergency clinician for the medical exam and care, or a Women’s/Community Centre.
- If possible, don’t shower, brush your hair, or change your clothes before going to the hospital, so physical evidence is preserved. If you do so, you can still access medical follow-up, and health care providers may still be able to collect evidence.
- STI preventive treatment and emergency contraception are also available via other health care providers, including at Public Health Units. Some types of emergency contraception are available at pharmacies without a prescription.
- “The police or legal justice options are separate from getting medical intervention, and can be thought/felt about later,” says Karlene Moore, a counsellor at the Toronto Rape Crisis Centre/Multicultural Women Against Rape.
WHAT IS A RAPE KIT?
A rape kit, or Sexual Assault Evidence Collection kit, refers to forensic evidence collected after a sexual assault. This is usually done at a specialized sexual assault care program located at the hospital.
The process can include:
- A full-body physical examination.
- Collection of blood, urine, hair, semen, and other body secretion samples.
- Collection of the survivor’s clothes.
- Photos to document any injuries.
- Collection of any other physical evidence that might be from the scene of the assault.
Sometimes called:
- SANE kit: (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner)
- SAFE kit: (Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence)
- SOEC kit: (Sexual Offense Evidence Collection)
- SARC kit: (Sexual Assault Resource Center)
- PERK: (Physical Evidence Recovery Kit)
Laws, policies, processes, resources, and terminology vary by province, territory, city, and institution. This content might not be accurate in your situation. Always ask.
What is a sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE)?
A Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) is a nurse who undergone specialist training and a clinical practicum on sexual assault, and has taken certification examinations. SANEs are qualified to:
- Provide comprehensive, sensitive crisis support and medical care
- Collect forensic evidence
- Document your case
- Provide you with referrals for ongoing health care and other services
Some nurses have received on-the-job training with sexual assault response teams but are not SANE-certified.
In many provinces, specialized sexual assault care providers collaborate with colleges and universities to improve trauma-informed care on campuses.Campus sexual assault services
Campus services relating to sexual assault are highly variable. Many colleges and universities are developing or launching sexual assault policies, guidelines, and services. Some campuses are collaborating with specialized sexual assault programs in the community. “Being proactive and taking responsibility shows that colleges and universities recognize these issues can exist and are willing to do something about them,” says Jackie Stevens, Executive Director of the Avalon Sexual Assault Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Your campus
- To find out whether your campus has sexual assault support and counselling services, search your college or university website or contact your student union.
- If there are no sexual assault support services on campus, contact your local Sexual Assault Centre or Rape Crisis Centre.
- Before disclosing an assault to a professional, ask whether you are entitled to confidentiality and what processes your disclosure could initiate. Disclosing an assault on campus does not mean it will be reported to the police.
Campus sexual assault services
Laws, policies, processes, resources, and terminology vary by province, territory, city, and institution. This content might not be accurate in your situation. Always ask.- Campus sexual assault policies typically address safety, accommodations, and referrals for survivors, and consequences for perpetrators.
- On some campuses, sexual assaults that took place on campus, or at a campus-related event, can be reported to the campus security service, campus Sexual Assault Centre, or campus Sexual Assault Counsellor.
- Campuses are increasingly active in sexual assault education, advocacy, and outreach aimed at students, faculty, and staff.
- Campus health services may provide testing and preventive treatment for STIs and/or emergency contraception. Unlike specialized treatment centres at hospitals, Student Health Centres may not be open 24/7.
- Emotional support may be available from the college counselling service. Ask about follow-up services.
- On some campuses, sexual assault support services can help you with safety measures and accommodations to your academic or living situation (e.g., if the survivor and alleged perpetrator live in the same residence or attend the same class, the perpetrator may be transferred out).
- Student clubs, including women’s organizations, can be a source of support.
- On some campuses, the campus security service can create a safety plan, accompany survivors to the hospital or court if they decide to pursue legal action, and more.
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