Despite all your awareness, alertness and the other skills that have been proven to maximize safety, there’s no surefire way to prevent a crime. If you’ve been raped, go immediately to a hospital emergency room (ideally with a friend) for an examination. Going to a hospital doesn’t mean you have to report the crime to the police; they’ll keep everything confidential if you ask them to! Make up a “just in case” list of facilities in your area that have specially trained staff who treat rape victims sensitively and know how to administer a rape kit (not all hospitals do!). Your campus counseling center or a rape crisis hotline can give you local information. Don’t shower, bathe, douche, or brush your teeth after a rape and keep anything with DNA samples on it, such as clothing, so you can preserve physical proof of the rape in case you decide, at a later date, to prosecute your attacker. You never have to prosecute; but it’s wise to keep your options open.
The absolute best way to put a traumatic event into perspective and get on with your life is to talk to someone who understands what you’re going through. Most campuses have counseling centers that won’t disclose what you tell them or call one of the national hotlines like RAINN (1-800-656-HOPE) or the National Center for Victims of Crime for immediate compassionate help and local referrals.
And, hold onto this thought: If you’ve been affected by sexual violence, it’s not your fault—even if you think you did something stupid that made you vulnerable—and, you’re not alone. Please, please, please, men too, reach out and get help. Crime Prevention 101
