If Sexual Violence Has Occurred
If you are have experienced sexual assault, remember that it is never your fault. Your immediate safety is important. Get to a safe place such as a family member’s or friend’s home. Seek emotional support or discuss your options in a confidential and safe environment by speaking to one of our psychologists at the Counseling and Psychological Services at (316) 978-4SWC (4792) during office hours. Alternatively, you can call the 24 hour crisis line offered by the Wichita Area Sexual Assault Center at (316) 263-3002 or 1-877-927-2248 (toll-free). If you decide to report the assault to the police, call 911 or (316) 978-3450.
If you have been sexually assaulted, these are some things that you can do:
Ensure Immediate Safety
Go to a safe place immediately and call someone you can trust and who can be with you, such as a family member or a friend.
Seek Medical Care
If you have been sexually assaulted, get medical attention as soon as possible at the WSU Student Health Services and/or a local emergency room. Even if you are not planning on making a police report, it is important to get a full physical examination to identify and treat physical injuries and determine the risks for pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STI). The health care provider will discuss with you any concerns about possible pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases and prevention treatment options. Pregnancies may be prevented by taking emergency contraception within 3 to 5 days of the assault. Some STI and HIV can be prevented if you seek treatment as soon as possible. HIV can be prevented if you are assessed to be at high risk of contracting HIV and if the treatment is started within 72 hours. Evidence on the assault can also be collected and stored if you need time to decide if you want to report the crime.
For physical injuries, testing for and preventing pregnancies and STI (excluding evidence collection)
WSU Student Health Services
Location: Student Wellness Center, 1845 Fairmount Wichita, KS
Phone number: 316-978-4SWC (4792)
Hours: Open Mon-day - Friday, 8 am - 5 pm
Services: Student Health Services offers confidential medical services and advocacy work (e.g., front-line psychological support and referrals) following HIPAA and FERPA privacy rules. Professional clinical staff will assess your needs and work with you to help decide your options. Services available include first aid treatment for physical injuries such as bruises, emergency contraception, testing and treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STI) including follow up testing. Student Health does not have the resources to conduct evidence collection, but if you chose to have evidence collected, the staff will provide you with the necessary contact information and refer you to the local emergency room for SANE/SART services.
For physical injuries, testing for and preventing pregnancies and STI, and preserving of evidence (whether or not you want to report the assault):
Ascension Via-Christi St. Joseph’s Hospital SANE/SART Program
Location: 3600 E. Harry Wichita, KS
Phone number: 316-689-5252
Hours: 24/7
Wesley SANE/SART Program
Location: 550 N. Hillside Wichita, KS
Phone number: 316-962-9122
Hours: on-call 24/7
The Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner and Sexual Assault Response Team Services (SANE/SART) utilizes registered nurses specifically trained to provide a thorough assessment of patients, help prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, collect forensic evidence, photo-document and diagram all injuries and connect patients to resources they may need once they leave the hospital. The information and evidence will be kept confidential unless you decide to report the assault.
How to Preserve Evidence
Physical evidence of the assault must be collected for preservation up to 96 hours of the assault. The evidence can be kept up to 5 years. Evidence collection can only be done by the SANE/SART Programs at the Via-Christi St. Joseph’s Hospital and Wesley Medical Center. Having the evidence collected does not obligate you to take legal actions against the perpetrator. However, it does offer you the option to do so should you decide to press charges at a later time. While this may be difficult, writing down as many details as you can remember from the incident, including a description of the assailant, can help in criminal charges if you decide to do so in the future.
Ascension Via-Christi St. Joseph’s Hospital SANE/SART Program
Location: 3600 E. Harry Wichita, KS
Phone number: 316-689-5252
Hours: 24/7
Wesley SANE/SART Program
Location: 550 N. Hillside Wichita, KS
Phone number: 316-962-9122
Hours: on-call 24/7
If you choose to preserve any physical evidence, you need to take note of the following before you go to the hospitals:
- Do not wash your hands or face.
- Do not bathe, shower, or douche.
- Do not brush your teeth.
- Do not change clothes. If necessary, put clothing in separate paper (not plastic) bags.
- Do not straighten up the area where the assault took place, including washing sheets or couch cushions.
- Do not use the toilet (you can save a urine sample in a jar with a lid on it).
- Do not drink (especially soda pop or alcohol).
- Seek emotional and psychological support
Whether you decide on making a police report, this is a traumatic event and you will benefit from getting emotional and psychological support. Talk to someone whom you can trust – a friend, a family member, or even a staff/faculty. If you do talk to a staff/faculty, s/he is obligated to inform the University. The University will respond to the situation but it will not trigger a criminal investigation. The ultimate choice, whether to pursue criminal prosecution, is yours to make.
There are other confidential options to get emotional and psychological support. You can get crisis intervention, process what happened to you, develop safety plans, and learn how to cope with the impact of an assault through counseling at the WSU Counseling Testing Center or at the Wichita Area Sexual Assault Center.
Counseling and Psychological Services
Location: Student Wellness Center, 1845 Fairmount, Wichita, KS 67206
Phone number: (316) 978-4SWC (4792)
Hours: Monday – Monday - Friday 8am to 5pm,
After office hours, you can contact
Wichita Area Sexual Assault Center
24 Hour Crisis Line
(316) 263-3002 or 1-877-927-2248 (toll free)
