Sexual Assault

Sexual assault represents a range of conduct from forcible rape to non-physical forms of pressure that compel individuals to engage in sexual activity against their wishes. It includes any physical contact of a sexual nature that is committed by either force or intimidation or that is directed upon someone who is mentally or physically incapacitated, including incapacitation from alcohol or other drug use. Sexual assault violates both state law and University Policy.

What to do if you've been assaulted
Victim Assistance
Links
Self-help Resources
Sexual Assault Anonymous Reporting Form

What to do if you’ve been assaulted

Get Medical Attention

If you have been raped, you should be examined immediately for injuries, including internal injuries that may not be readily apparent. Your medical provider may also test for pregnancy and for sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV. With your consent, physical evidence will also be gathered, to preserve your option of pursuing criminal charges. Victims are not billed for the cost of providing a medical exam or for evidence collection.

Get Professional Help and Support

Sexual abuse survivors commonly feel ashamed, fearful, confused, angry, and alone. These feelings may be difficult to endure and to overcome without support. A counselor can help you understand that the rape is not your fault, even if you were naïve, did not act cautiously or agreed to some level of sexual behavior. You may also benefit from participating in a support group, where you would receive help from the group’s facilitator and from others who have been assaulted.

Consider Reporting the Assault

Rape victims, unlike victims of other crimes, are often reluctant to report assaults to the police or University authorities. You may be afraid that others won’t believe you, or that you will be blamed for the assault. Perhaps you know the person who raped you, and you are worried about getting that person into “too much” trouble. You may be very uncertain about your rights.

There are several reasons you may choose to report a sexual assault to the police:

You may need medical attention, including internal injuries that are not readily apparent. You should be tested for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and for pregnancy. Law enforcement officials can help you access medical assistance.
Reporting an assault does not commit you to pressing charges or to prosecuting the assailant. However, promptly reporting an assault helps create the strongest case possible in the event that you decide to pursue criminal charges and/or university disciplinary action.
If you delay reporting, physical evidence may become unusable, making prosecution less likely.
Note: If you don’t want to pursue a formal complaint, you can still be treated at an Emergency Room.
Even if criminal charges are not filed, reporting the crime provides law enforcement personnel with important information, including a description of the assailant and the method of committing the crime. Such information may be helpful in solving other cases.
Reporting the assault also insures more accurate statistics on the incidence of rape, an important tool in enacting or modifying rape laws and for developing prevention strategies. Sexaul Assault Anonymous Reporting Form
As a crime victim, you are eligible for financial compensation through the Crime Victim Compensation Program. In Iowa, the crime must generally be reported to local law enforcement officials within 72 hours of the assault, in order to be eligible for this compensation (extenuating circumstances that prevent timely reporting are taken into account).
Rapists are often repeat offenders. Reporting may help authorities identify a pattern in a rapist's behavior.

Reporting a sexual assault is an active way of regaining control. It is a healthy way to channel anger and to appropriately place blame with the perpetrator.

Victim Assistance

After a rape, there are so many decisions to make, at a time when you can barely function. “Where should I go for medical care?” “Who can I trust?” “Will they believe me?” “Should I notify the police?” “How will I make it through school?”
Visiting this website is a wonderful way to begin privately gathering information about what to do. There are many programs, both on and off campus. Please know that you will be treated compassionately by these helping professionals and you will not be blamed in any way for this crime.

Links

Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault (ICASA)
http://www.iowacasa.org/
IowaCASA (Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault) unites people and organizations to promote a society free from sexual violence and to meet the diverse needs of survivors of sexual assault. IowaCASA has 27 member sexual assault crisis centers throughout Iowa which serve survivors of sexual assault. IowaCASA services include technical assistance, training, public policy advancement, assistance to communities of color, and maintenance of an extensive resource library.

Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN)
http://www.rainn.org/
RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) is the nation’s largest anti-sexual assault organization. RAINN implements programs to prevent sexual assault, to assist victims, and to ensure that rapists are brought to justice. RAINN partners with more than 1,100 local rape crisis centers to provide sexual assault victims with free, confidential services around the clock via their National Sexual Assault Hotline (1-800-656-HOPE).

Self-Help Resources

The Wellness Resource Lab, located on the 1st floor of the Wellness Recreation Center in Room 104, includes a resource library with many books, videos, cassettes, pamphlets and newsletters on a variety of health and wellness topics. There is also a special section for Violence Intervention Resources .

Checking out materials is free and you may keep these materials for two weeks.

If you have concerns about accessing materials from the Wellness Lab in person, please contact Violence Intervention Services staff member Mark Rowe to make confidential material check-out arrangements.

Consent

VIS 30— May I Kiss You? A Candid Look at Dating, Communication, Respect, and Sexual Assault Awareness.
Domitrz, Michael.
Awareness Publications, Greenfield, WI, 2003. 109 pages.
An in-depth look at the realities of dating and intimacy. While most people simply "make their move" on a date, Mike Domitrz reveals why asking first makes all the difference. Domitrz's candid advice, real-life scenarios, and interactive exercises will revolutionize your approach to dating while adding romance, building respect, and heightening your awareness of sexual misconduct and assault.

Recovery

VIS 19— Academic and Workplace Sexual Harassment
Paludi, Michele A. and Richard B. Barickman.
State University of New York Press, 1991. 215 pages.
Combines social science, legal, and management approaches to combat sexual harassment in schools and workplaces

VIS 24— Allies in Healing: When the Person You Love Was Sexually Abused as a Child.
Davis, Laura
HarperCollins Publishers, 1991. 303 pages.
Filled with information, support, and guidance, here is the eagerly awaited book that answers the most important questions asked by partners of survivors of child sexual abuse. Laura Davis, the coauthor of the bestselling The Courage to Heal and author of The Courage to Heal Workbook, offers practical advice, encouragement and much-needed support.

VIS 31— Alone & Forgotten: The Sexually Abused Man.
Tobin, Rod.
Creative Bound, Inc. Ontario, 1999. 91 pages.
In 1992, therapist Rod Tobin began working with male survivors of sexual abuse. Half of the men treated came from the general public; the other half had suffered abuse at boy's training schools. In Alone and Forgotten, he examines the major symptoms of sexually abused men, and explains how society's perceptions and the survivor's healing process differ from that of their female counterparts. This book offers a positive process of healing for male survivors of sexual abuse.

VIS 29— Free Yourself from an Abusive Relationship.
Lissette, Andrea and Richard Kraus.
Hunter House Publishers, CA, 2000. 288 pages.
is book is a comprehensive guide to recognizing and dealing with domestic abuse and violence. It outlines the different types and stages of abuse, and provides information on how to change such relationships or escape from them.

VIS 20— Helping Your Child Recover from Sexual Abuse.
Adams, Caren and Fay, Jennifer.
University of Washington Press, 1987. 157 pages.
The sexual abuse of a child creates a devastating family crisis. Parents want to know what to do and say to help their child, both immediately and in the long term. Helping Your Child Recover from Sexual Abuse offers practical guidance for parents who courageously face the days and months after a child's abuse.

VIS 23— How Long Does It Hurt?
Mather, Cynthia L. and Debye, Kristina E.
Jossey-Bass, 2004. 248 pages.
Step-by-step recovery guide for teenagers who are being sexually abused. The authors present concrete and practical advice on many crucial issues, including: knowing who to tell, getting safe, dealing with friends, becoming comfortable with your sexuality, going to court, living with your family after you tell, and ultimately, surviving the trauma of sexual abuse. Teens learn to overcome their feelings of isolation, confusion, and self-doubt.

VIS 25— In Their Own Words: A Sexual Abuse Workbook for Teenage Girls.
Munson, Lulie and Riskin, Karen.
Child Welfare League of America, 1995. 79 pages.
Written by two therapists, this work includes the words, thoughts, and experiences of many young women who have been sexually abused.

VIS 4— Incest and Sexuality: A guide to Understanding and Healing.
Maltz, Wendy & Holman, Beverly.
Lexington Books, 1987. 166 pages.
It is the first book to detail how sexuality is influences by early abuse and will relate to the needs of both men and women.

VIS 43— Surviving the Silence: Black Women's Stories of Rape
Pierce-Baker, Charlotte
W.W. Norton and Company. New York. 1998. 284 pages
In this powerful, forthright book, Charlotte Pierce-Baker weaves together accounts of black women who have been raped and who have felt that they had to remain silent in order to protect themselves and their race. It opens with the author's courageous account of her rape and includes the stories of her own family's response, as well as the voices of black men who have supported rape survivors.

VIS 12— Talking Back to Sexual Pressure.
Powell, Elizabeth.
CompCare Publishers. 1991. 255 pages.
Provides advice and specific skills for asserting and protecting your sexual rights, including what to say and do in uncomfortable or potentially dangerous situations, and where to get and give help.

VIS 3— The Healing Patch: A guide to Surviving Domestic Violence
Iowa Medical Society, 1996. 54 pages.
A resource for survivor's on healing after experiencing domestic violence.

VIS 21— The Me Nobody Knows: A Guide for Teen Survivors
Bean, Barbara and Bennett, Shari.
Jossey-Bass, 1993. 145 pages.
When teenagers are victims of sexual abuse, the 'normal' problems of adolescence are exacerbated. The authors validate the conflicting emotions aroused by sexual abuse and offer these adolescents simple, concrete advice about reporting the abuse and how to seek counseling.

VIS 37— Trauma and Recovery: The aftermath of violence-from Domestic Abuse to Political Terror.
Herman, Judith.
Basic Books, New York, 1997. 290 pages.
"...a psychology classic, called one of the most important psychiatric works since Freud, containing a new afterword by its author...discusses how violence in all forms affects its survivors and how those survivors cope."

VIS 22— When Your Child Has Been Molested: A Parents' Guide to Healing and Recovery.
Brohl, Kathryn.
Jossey-Bass, 2004. 202 pages.
This is the thoroughly revised and updated edition of the best-selling guide for families of children who have been molested. First published in 1988, this new edition includes current research and information on the nature and effects of molestation on boys and girls, as well as proven techniques for therapy, healing, and recovery. Using everyday language, the authors provide information, comfort, and advice on how to put the pieces back together again after a child has been sexually molested.

VIS 32— Who, What, Where, When: A Symbol Book for Communicating with Survivors of Sexual Abuse Who Use Augmentative and Alternative Communication.
Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault, 2006. 68 pages.
A comprehensive binder resource on this topic.

Sexual Violence

VIS 15— Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline Resource Guide, Third Edition
Community resource binder providing Iowa specific contact information. Revised September 2004.

VIS 14— Sexual Assault on Campus.
Bohmer, Parrot
Lexington Books, 1993. 280 pages.
The prevalence of sexual assault on college campuses is alarmingly high. In this thoroughly researched study, academics Bohmer (public & international affairs, Univ. of Pittsburgh) and Parrot (human service studies, Cornell Univ.) discuss all aspects of the problem. Coverage, which focuses mainly on legal issues, includes definitions of terms, landmark events in acquaintance/date rape history, how different colleges have handled the crime, campus codes and security forces, legislation, and solutions. Of particular interest are the descriptions of cases that culminated in lawsuits against the colleges where the assaults occurred. Although intended primarily for victims, counselors, representatives of women's centers, and college administrators, this clearly written book will be of interest to many others.

VIS 26— The Beauty Myth.
Wolf, Naomi.
Harper Perennial, 2002. 348 pages.
In this controversial national bestseller, feminist scholar Naomi Wolf argues that there is one hurdle in the struggle for equality that women have yet to clear--the myth of female beauty. She exposes today's unrealistic standards of female beauty as a destructive form of social control and a reaction against women's increasing status in business and politics.

VIS 16— The Complete Handbook for College Women: Making the Most of Your College Experience.
Weinberg, Carol.
New York University Press, 1994.
Praised by students and education professionals alike, this important guide provides a candid, mentoring voice for today's college women. Weinberg offers straightforward advice on eating disorders, alcohol and drugs, sexuality, rape and personal safety, physical and emotional health, living in a diverse environment, and much more.

VIS 33— The Macho Paradox: Why Some Men Hurt Women and How All Men Can Help.
Katz, Jackson.
Sourcebooks, Inc. Naperville, IL. 2006. 296 pages.
Violence against women is every man's issue. Jackson Katz's intended audience is not violent men who need help changing their ways, but all men, who, he says, have a role to play in preventing male violence against women.

VIS 18— The Sexual Victimization of College Women
Fisher, Bonnie S., et al.
U.S. Department of Justice, 2000.
Research focused on the sexual victimization of college women.

VIS 17— Unspoken Crimes: Sexual Assault in Rural America
Most service providers and researchers have not written on the topic of sexual violence in rural communities. This document presents some compelling issues concerning this largely underserved population and reviews the literature of practitioners and researchers. The summary discusses the impact of these studies on service providers and implications for further research.

VIS 8— Violence: Resource and Education Manual
Iowa Coalition of Domestic Abuse
A comprehensive binder resource.