On this page: Sexual Assault and Other Sex Crimes, Reducing Risk, If You Are a Victim

Sexual Assault and Other Sex Crimes

Washington University is dedicated to creating a respectful learning community, free from any form of sexual assault or harassment.  Unfortunately, sexual assault is a reality on any college campus - effecting all members of the university community.  We must be responsible for one another and ready to offer our best support and information when circumstances demand it.

This information is intended to assist survivors of sexual assault, both female and male, and the friends who support survivors.  The campus resources for secual assault prevention and survivor support are available to all members of the University community.

What to Do

These are important steps you should follow to the extent possible after a rape or secual assault.  Leave the scene as is, get to a safe place immediately, and contact a friend who can support you through the following steps:
Get medical attention right away.*  Even if you do not want to report the event to the police, you may have injuries, sexually transmitted diseases, or a pregnancy that requires medical care.

• Bring a change of clothes to the hospital because those worn during the sexual assault may be collected as evidence.
• Print your WU Student Health Insurance Plan card from the SHS Web site and bring it along with your drivers license.
• Do not eat, drink, shower, douche, wash your hands, comb your hair, brush your teeth, or change your clothes.  Such activities destroy physical evidence which could be useful in possible prosecution of the alleged perpetrator.
• Consider contacting the Sexual Assault Response Team, a Crisis Counselor, or one of the other campus or community resources listed below.
• Consider contacting the Washington University Police Department at (314) 935-5555 or the police in the area in which the assault took place.  If you wish, the police may meet you at the hospital.
• When you get a quiet moment, record everyting that you can remember.  This may help you through your own healing process, as well as with any legal action you may decide to take.

* The importance of seeking medical attention cannot be overstated.  You have the ability to regain a greater sense of safety, control and empowerment by seeking immediate medical attention.  Thought the WU Student Health Services will support and act as a resource for any student, the most comprehensive, complete medical care, including emergency contraception is available at these hospital emergency rooms:
1.  St. Mary's Health Center  (314) 768-8360
2.  Barnes Jewish Hospital (affiliated with WU) (314) 362-9123
3.  Missouri Baptist Hospital (314) 996-5225
4.  St. John's Mercy Medical Center (314) 569-6090
5.  St. Louis University Hospital (314) 577-7777

Emergency contraception (EC) is available without a prescription at the emergency rooms listed here.  Should EC not be readily offered as part of the protocol, you may ask for it.  For detailed information on EC, including how to obtain it at Student Health Services and local pharmacies, visit shs.wustl.edu.

Filing a Report

Washington University encourages you to file a police report about the incident.  By providing the WUPD with information, you may be able to prevent future assaults against yourself or others.  Even if you report the assault, it is your choice whether or not to seek criminal prosecution.

If you choose not to file a report with the police, the University strongly encourages you to file an anonymous and confidential report form through the committee on Sexual Assault at assure that the incident is known to University officials who are concerned about your safety.  The report forms are available at Student Health Services, the Office of Student Activities, the Office of Judicial Programs, Residential Life, and the Washington University Police Department office.  The forms are also available online at coping.wustl.edu

The University has a judicial hearing process for incidents of sexual misconduct.  Details of this process can be discussed confidentially with Tamara King, Judicial Administrator at 935-4174.  Speaking with the JA does not mean that you must file judicial or criminal charges.

How to Help a Friend

• Listen and be supportive.  Your friend may reveal some graphic information.  It is important not to overreact.  Believe your friend and let your friend know you do.  People rarely lie about rape or sexual assault.
• Give your friend the chance to talk about the experience and her or his feelings.  Be thoughtful in your responses.  Questions about your friend's actions or judgement statements can further blame the survivor and add to the sense of guilt or shame.
• Communicate to your friend that any feelings she or he may have are normal and understandable.  Supporting a friend means validating her or his feelings and emotions.
• Show interest, but do not pry or ask for specific details which may make the survivor relive the experience.  Allow your friend to be silent.  You do not have to speak when she of he stops talking.
• Avoid making decisions for the survivor.  Instead, listen and then ask how you can help.
• Help your friend regain some sense of control.  Support your friend in making decisions about whom to tell and how to proceed.
• Do not touch or hug your friend without permission.
• Recognize your own limitations.  No one expects you to be an expert in counseling or sexual assault; therefore, avoid making strong recommendations to the survivor.
• Realize that as a friend you may need counseling to cope with the events your friend may have shared with you.
  

WU Judicial Code

Washington University Offenses Section of the University Judicial Code clearly prohibits the following conduct and states that students engaging in such conduct are subject to disciplinary action.

"Sexual contact with any member of the University community or visitor to the University without the person's consent, including, but not limited to rape and other forms of sexual assault.  Conduct will be considered "without consent" if no clear consent, verbal or nonverbal is given; if inflicted through force, threat of force, or coercion; or if inflicted upon a person who is unconsious or who otherwise reasonable appears to be without the mental or physical capacity to consent.  For example, sexual contact with a person who reasonably appears to be impaired in the exercise of their judgement by alcohol or other drugs may be considered "without consent".

A report made to the University Judicial Administrator does not preclude your right to make a public report and seek criminal prosecution if you are a victim of rape, sexual assault, or other sexual offenses.  Washington University will provide assistance to the victim of sexual assault in changing her/his academic or living situations after the rape/assault if requested and reasonable.  To request assistance in changing your academic or living situation, contact Tamara King, Director of Judicial Programs, at (314) 935-4174.

Definitions

Under Missouri law, rape and forcible sodomy are crimes of genital or anal penetration and certain other genital contact, committed by us of force and without consent.  MO. Rev. Stat. §§ 566.030, .060.  Sexual assault and deviate sexual assualt are similar crimes, but need not involve force.  MO. Rev. Stat. §§ 566.040, .070.  Sexual abuse is any sexual contact by forcible compulsion. MO. Rev. Stat. § 566.100.  Whether committed by a stranger, friend, or date, these sex crimes are criminal offenses subject to prosecution under the law.  We refer to these crimes as sexual assault.  While some Missouri statutes are gender - or  body-part-specific, both men and women can be perpetrators or victims of various forms of sexual assault. These acts, and others, are also violations of the University Judicial Code prohibition on sexual contact without consent.

Acquaintance rape, or date rape, is commonly understood as a sexual assault in which the survivor (male or female) and the perpetrator (male or female) know each other.  The perpetrator may be a casual acquaintance, friend, or steady dating partner.  Acquaintance rape is punishable by law, and under the Judicial Code, to the same degree as stranger rape.

Date rape drugs can be used in cases of sexual assault and rape to quickly sedate victims and render them incapable of defending themselves.  Alcohol is the most prevalent date rape drug on the WU campus and nation-wide.  If you think you have been drugged, time is of the essence.  Seek a drug test at a hospital immediately.

Rights of a Survivor

• You have the right to receive medical care and mental health treatment or participate in legal procedures only after giving your informed consent.
• You have the right not to be asked questions about prior sexual experiences.
• You have the right to keep your name from the media.
• You have the right to be protected against future assaults.
• You have the right not to report to the police
• You have the right to as much credibility as a victim of any other crime
• You have the right to be treated with dignity and respect.

• No one asks to be sexually assaulted
• It makes no difference how a person looks, where the person is, or what the person is wearing
• Sexual assault is never the fault of the survivor.
  

The Office of the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Students publishes and distributes a brochure, "Reality Check: What You Need to Know about Sexual Assault." The publication is available at the Office of Student Activities in the basement of the Women's Building, the Student Services Office on the main floor of the Women's Building, the Residential Life Center, the Women's Resource Center, and Student Health and Counseling Service. These offices also can provide you with the brochure "Sexual Assault: A Resource for Survivors and Their Friends."

Washington University Police Sexual Assault Response Commitment

Sexual assault, including acquaintance rape, is a very serious concern of this Department and we have specially trained female and male officers to assist you. If you feel you are a victim of a sexual assault on campus, the Police Department will guarantee the following:
• We will meet with you privately, at a time and place of your choice, to take your report.
• If you would feel more comfortable talking with a friend or advocate of your choice present, we will do our best to accommodate your request.
• We will not notify your parents without your consent.
• We will treat you and your particular case with courtesy, sensitivity, dignity, understanding and professionalism.
• Our officers will not prejudge you, and you will not be blamed for what occurred.
• We will assist you in arranging for any necessary hospital treatment or other medical needs. We will also assist in locating emergency housing if needed.
• We will fully investigate your case, and will help you to achieve the best outcome. This may involve the arrest and full prosecution of the suspect responsible. You will be kept up-to-date on the progress of the investigation and/or prosecution.
• We will assist you in privately contacting counseling and other available resources.
• We will continue to be available to answer your questions, to explain your options, to explain your rights, to explain the system and process involved (prosecutor, courts, etc.), and to be a listening ear if you wish.
• We will consider your case seriously regardless of your gender, sexual orientation, or the gender or status of the suspect.
If you feel you are a victim of sexual assault, call the Police Department at 935-5555 (any time day or night), to privately make a complaint.

Reducing Risk

Steps to take to reduce your risk of being a victim of sex crimes:
1. See "Crime Prevention" for steps to follow for your personal safety.
2.  When you go out, try to go out in a group, check with each other, and leave together.
3.  Avoid being isolated with someone you don't know or trust.
4.  Trust your instincts.  If a situation feels unsafe or uncomfortable, it probably is.
5.  Don't feel obligated to do anything you don't want to do.  "I don't want to" is a good enough reason.
6.  Stay alert.  Avoid alcohol and other drugs.  If you choose to drink, limit your intake.  Prepare your own drink and monitor it.
7.  Keep your cell phone with you.

With regard to date rape and acquaintance rape:
1. Know your own sexual values, expectations, wishes, and intentions, and communicate them clearly and openly.

2. Be observant of your acquaintance's or date's attitudes toward you.

3. Avoid using mood-altering chemicals such as drugs and alcohol. Studies have shown that being under the influence of alcohol contributes to the incidence of date rape.

4. Be assertive about your needs and rights. Reinforce your verbal "no" with physical resistance, unless you feel that this will further endanger you. Tell your assailant that he or she is committing a sexual act to which you do not consent and therefore is breaking the law.

If You Are a Victim

Support on Campus

Immediately following the assault and later when you need ongoing support and counseling, people on campus are ready to help.  Whether you live off or on campus, you may call anyone at the University with whom you feel safe and comfortable.  Do not go through this experience alone.

Quick Reference Resources

For assistance, referral or counseling, contact

On campus

Residential Life, Office of                                             935-5050
Judicial Administrator                                                   935-4174
Resident Advisor Duty Office                                        935-6071    
SARAH (Sexual Assault and Rape Action Hotline           935-8080
Dean of Students                                                          935-5050   
Habif Health & Wellness                                                935-6666 
Uncle Joe's Peer Counseling and Resource Center        935-5099
Women's Crisis Counselor                                             935-6695

Off Campus
The following programs, available in the St. Louis community, are not operated by or answerable to Washington University.

Anti-Violence Advocacy Project                                   503-2050
Life Crisis Services                                                      647-4357
Rape & Violence End Now (Raven)                              645-2075
Victim Service Counsel                                                889-3075
Safe Connections                                                        531-2003
YMCA St. Louis Regional Sexual Assault Center          531-7273
Barnes-Jewish Hospital Emergency Room                   362-9123  (Hotline)
Crime Victims Advocacy Center                                    652-3623

For student groups involved in sexual assault risk reduction or survivor support, please contact Health Promotion Services at wellness@wustl.edu.

Sexual Assault Response Team (SART)

WU has made special arrangements with SART, the YWCA's on-call Sexual Assault Response Team, to provide confidential assistance and support to the WU community.  A staff member from Washington University Police Department or Student Health Services can contact SART for you.  A SART volumteer can come to campus to meet you if you like.  If you prefer to meet a volunteer at the hospital, know that the volunteers that serve the hospitals are available to you whether or not you request assistance.

Call WUPD to contact SART and/or to make a report at 935-5555.

Committed to assisting survivors of sexual assault, WUPD is a 24-hour, 12-month resource.