*A recent department of justice study estimated that a woman has between a one in four & one in five chance of being raped during college years.
*Previous studies have shown that alcohol use is associated with at least 50% of sexual assualts females college students.
*55% of the men and 53% of the women who reported sexual assault on a date
*100% of the incidents in which the victim was drinking involved perpetrator drinking.
*Women in college have a higher risk of being raped than women of the same age in the general population.
*Not all rapes are reported. It is estimated that for every one rape that is reported between 3 and 10 have actually occured and go unreported.
*Most people who are raped are victimized by people that they know, not strangers. 
*Rape victims may be forced through threats or physical means. In about 8 out of 10 rapes, no weapon is used other than physical force. Anyone may be a victim of rape: women, men or children, straight or gay.    

Several studies that compared the characteristics of men who had committed sexual assault with those who had not noted the following differences (Seto and Barbaree 1997):

• With respect to personality traits, men who had committed sexual assault were more hostile toward women and lower in empathy compared with other men.
  
  
• With respect to attitudes, men who had committed sexual assault were more likely than other men to endorse traditional stereotypes about gender roles--for example, that men are responsible for initiating sex and women are responsible for setting the limits.
  
  Perpetrators of sexual assault also were more likely to endorse statements that have been used to justify rape--for example, "women say 'no' when they mean 'yes'" and "women enjoy forced sex."
  
  Finally, men who had committed sexual assaults were more likely to hold adversarial beliefs about relationships between men and women (e.g., "all's fair in love and war") and to consider the use of force in interpersonal relationships acceptable.
  
  
• With respect to their personal experiences, sexual assaulters were more likely than other men to have experienced abuse or violence as a child, to have been delinquent in adolescence, to have peers who viewed forced sex as acceptable, and to have had early and frequent dating and sexual experiences.

Medical Information
   Find a safe environment - anywhere away from the attacker. Ask a trusted friend to stay with you for moral support.

·  Know that what happened was not your fault and that now you should do what is best for you.

·  Report the attack to police by calling 911. If you want more information, a counselor on the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE can help you understand the process.

• To preserve evidence of the attack - don't bathe or brush your teeth.
• Write down all the details you can recall about the attack & the attacker.
• Get medical attention. Even with no physical injuries, it is important to determine the risks of STDs and pregnancy.
• To preserve forensic evidence, ask the hospital to conduct a rape kit exam.
• If you suspect you may have been drugged, ask that a urine sample be collected. The sample will need to be analyzed later on by a forensic lab.

·  If you know that you will never report, there are some things you should still consider:

• Get medical attention. Even with no physical injuries, it is important to determine the risks of STDs and pregnancy.
• Call the National Sexual Assault Hotline, operated by RAINN, for free, confidential counseling, 24 hours a day: 1-800-656-HOPE.

·  Recognize that healing from rape takes time. Give yourself the time you need.

·  Know that it's never too late to call. Even if the attack happened years ago, the National Sexual Assault Hotline or the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline can still help. Many victims do not realize they need help until months or years later.    


Help a Loved One

•  Listen. Be there. Don’t be judgmental.
• Be patient. Remember, it will take your loved one some time to deal with the crime.
• Help to empower your loved one. Rape and sexual assault are crimes that take away an individual’s power, it is important not to compound this experience by putting pressure on your loved one to do things that he or she is not ready to do yet.
• If you are dealing with an issue involving your child, create a safe place by talking directly to them.
• If you are the non-abusing parent in a case of incest, it is important to support your child and help them through this situation without blaming them. This is also true if you are not a parent but still an observer of incest.
• If your loved one is considering suicide, follow-up with them on a regular basis.
• Encourage your loved one to report the rape or sexual assault to law enforcement (call 911 in most areas). If your loved one has questions about the criminal justice process, talking with someone on the National Sexual Assault Hotline, 1.800.656.HOPE, can help.
• Let your loved one know that professional help is available through the National Sexual Assault Hotline, 1.800.656.HOPE, and the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline.
• If your loved one is willing to seek medical attention or report the assault, offer to accompany him or her wherever s/he needs to go (hospital, police station, campus security, etc.)
• Encourage him or her to contact one of the hotlines, but realize that only your loved one can make the decision to get help.

  Self-Care for Friends and Family Members 
When someone that you care about tells you that they have been a victim of sexual assault or sexual abuse, it can be difficult. You may have a range of reactions that could include…

Shock                                                                                          

• You may be very surprised to hear what has happened.
• You might have difficulty figuring out how to respond.

Anger

• You might feel angry at the perpetrator for hurting your loved one.
• You might also feel angry at your loved one for not telling you sooner or for telling you something that is hard for you to hear.
• This can be especially true if the assault was committed by someone that you know. An example of this would be sexual assault that is committed by a family member (incest).

Sadness

• You might feel sad for your loved one, for his or her family, or for what this assault may change about both of your lives.

Anxiety

• You might feel anxiety about responding the “right” way to your loved one.
• You might feel anxiety about how this will impact your relationship.

Fear

• Depending on the circumstances of your loved one’s assault, you might be concerned that something similar could happen to you.

… almost anything is normal.

• Everyone has a different reaction when they find out that someone they care for has been sexually assaulted.
• There is no “wrong” way to feel. What is important is that you show the victim that you care and that you can help support them.
• Here is a list of ways that you can support your loved one as they cope with the assault.

It’s also very important for you to take care of yourself! Even though you were not the victim of the assault, hearing your loved one’s story and helping to support them can impact you as well. 

  Self Care for Survivors 
     Physical self-care is an area that people often overlook.

• Food
• Food is a type of self-care that people often overlook. People are often so busy that they don’t have time to eat regularly or that they substitute fast food for regular meals.
• It’s not always reasonable to expect people to get 3 square meals a day (plus snacks!) but everyone should make sure they get adequate nutrition.
• Exercise
• Exercise is one of the most overlooked types of self-care. The CDC recommends at least 30 minutes of exercise 5 times a week. See these physical recommendations for more information.
• Exercise, even if it’s just a quick walk at lunchtime, can help combat feelings of sadness or depression and prevent chronic health problems.
• Sleep
• Although everyone has different needs, a reasonable guideline is that most people need between 7-10 hours of sleep per night.
• See this MedlinePlus article for more information about getting a good night’s sleep.
• Medical care
• Getting medical attention when you need it is an important form of physical self-care.
• Some survivors put off getting medical care until problems that might have been relatively easy to take care of have become more complicated.

Emotional self-care will mean different things for different people. It might mean…

• Counseling
• This could mean seeing a psychologist, a clinical social worker, or therapist.
• Local rape crisis centers often provide counseling or can connect you with a provider. Call (800) 656-HOPE or go to http://centers.rainn.org/ to find a center near you.
• Keeping a journal.
• Some survivors find that recording their thoughts and feelings in a journal or diary helps them manage their emotions after an assault.
• Meditation or relaxation exercises
• Relaxation techniques or meditation help many survivors with their emotional self-care. For example:
• Sit or stand comfortably, with your feet flat on the floor and your back straight. Place one hand over your belly button. Breathe in slowly and deeply through your nose and let your stomach expand as you inhale. Hold your breath for a few seconds, then exhale slowly through your mouth, sighing as you breathe out. Concentrate on relaxing your stomach muscles as you breathe in. When you are doing this exercise correctly, you will feel your stomach rise and fall about an inch as you breathe in and out. Try to keep the rest of your body relaxed—your shoulders should not rise and fall as you breathe! Slowly count to 4 as you inhale and to 4 again as you exhale. At the end of the exhalation, take another deep breath. After 3-4 cycles of breathing you should begin to feel the calming effects.
• Emotional self-care can also involve the people around you. It’s important to make sure that the people in your life are supportive.
• Nurture relationships with people that make you feel good about yourself!
• Make spending time with friends and family a priority
• If you have trouble finding people who can support your experience as a survivor, consider joining a support group for survivors.
• Be wary of…
• Friends or family who only call when they need something
• People who always leave you feeling tired or depressed when you see them
• Friends who never have the time to listen to you
• Anyone who dismisses or belittles your experience as a survivor
• You can deal with these people by setting limits.
• You don’t have to cut them out of your life (especially with family, that may not even be an option!) but choose the time you will spend with them carefully.
• Make sure that your time with these people has a clear end.
• Cut back on the time you spend with people who don’t make you feel good, or spent time with them in a group rather than one-on-one.
• Screen your calls!! There’s no rule that says you have to answer your phone every time it rings. If you don’t feel like talking on the phone, call people back at a time that’s more convenient for you.
• You can deal with these people by letting some go.
• If there are people in your life who consistently make you feel bad about yourself, consider letting those friendships or relationships go.
• This can be a difficult decision. Remember that you deserve to have people around you who genuinely care about you and who support you.

Another challenge can be in finding time for fun leisure activities. Many survivors have full time jobs, go to school, volunteer and have families. Finding time to do activities that you enjoy is an important aspect of self-care.

• Get involved in a sport or hobby that you love!! Find other people who are doing the same thing!
• Knowing that people are counting on you to show up can help motivate you.
• If you have a spouse or partner, make a date night and stick with it.
• Turn off your cell phones (within reason. If the babysitter needs to be able to find you, consider leaving him/her the number of the restaurant so that you can turn off your ringer!)
• Treat leisure appointments as seriously as business appointments. If you have plans to do something for fun, mark it on your calendar!

Make your self-care a priority, not something that happens (or doesn’t happen!) by accident.
      (www.rainn.org)