How to Help Victims

One of the best ways to help victims of sexual assault, intimate partner/dating violence, or stalking is to encourage them to seek help. Remember, help is available to a student of any gender, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation.

In many cases, students need someone they trust to be with them, support them, and to listen.

Consider encouraging them to report the incident(s) and seek medical attention and counseling.

What to Look For

Victims/Survivors are not always going to be forthcoming about what happened to them.

No one reacts the same way to an assault. But there are several common reactions you might encounter:

• physical reactions
• psychological reactions
• social reactions

Anonymous Reports

A victim may not want to report an assault. You also might feel uncomfortable contacting police or the university.

You can anonymously report sexual assaults—or any other crimes—through Silent Witness, a program the University Police Department manages.