What to Do if You Are Raped

Call a trusted friend, family member, and/or rape crisis hotline. The following rape crisis centers are available to help you:

• Sexual Assault & Violence Prevention Resource Center (SARC), (858) 534-5793 or sarc@ucsd.edu
  • After hours or on weekends, call the UCSD Police Department, (858) 534-HELP and they will contact SARC staff for you
• Center for Community Solutions (CCS), San Diego County's rape crisis and domestic violence agency, (888) 385-4657
• National Sexual Assault Hotline, (800) 656-HOPE

A sexual assault victim has the option to have a Sexual Assault Forensic Exam (SAFE) (commonly referred to as "rape exam") without filing a police report. This is referred to as a Non Investigative Report (NIR).

The Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) interviews the victim, collects any physical evidence from the sexual assault, and stores evidence in a secure location using a case number without victim’s name or contact information. Physical evidence will be held for a period of 18 months, then it will be destroyed. The NIR will not trigger an investigation; therefore, no action will be taken against the alleged party as the result of this report. If the victim changes his/her mind and wants to make an investigative report to law enforcement, the victim will sign a release allowing the SANE to release evidence to the police. SARC staff is available to assist students with this process

Student Health Services and Thornton Hospital DO NOT conduct SAFE/NIR Exams. Only one facility in San Diego County, operated by Independent Forensic Services, performs the SAFE/NIR exams.

• UCSD students who want to utilize the NIR option should contact SARC (858-534-5793 or after hours: 858-534-HELP) to determine the appropriate medical facility for the exam.

Any residents of San Diego County who wish to utilize the NIR option can contact the Center for Community Solutions 24-hour hotline (888) 385-4657.

To preserve evidence of the rape:

• Do not wash your hands or face.
• Do not shower or bathe.
• Do not brush your teeth.
• Do not change clothes or straighten up the area where the assault took place.

*If you already cleaned up from the assault, you can still request a non-investigative report.

• It is your right to have a friend, family member, or sexual assault advocate present with you during the rape exam.

• If you don't know what to do, you can contact the UCSD Sexual Assault & Violence Prevention Resource Center (SARC) or the Center for Community Solutions (CCS) and speak confidentially and anonymously with an advocate who can explain more about your options and rights.

It is your choice to report the rape. For the quickest response, call 911 to be connected to the nearest police department.

• If you want your assailant to be held criminally accountable for the rape, call 911 immediately to report what occurred. The police may request that you have a medical evidentiary exam (rape exam).

• If you choose not to report the assault immediately, you can still do so at a later time, but there may be less physical evidence against the attacker if you report it later.
  • To preserve evidence of the rape:
    • Do not wash your hands or face.
    • Do not shower or bathe.
    • Do not brush your teeth.
    • Do not change clothes or straighten up the area where the assault took place.
  • If you already cleaned up from the assault, you can still report the crime, and the police will take a report and investigate.

It is your right to have a friend, family member, or sexual assault advocate present with you while talking with the police. You also have the right to have a sexual assault counselor and a support person of your choice present with you during the rape exam.

If you don't know what to do, you can contact the UCSD Sexual Assault & Violence Prevention Resource Center (SARC) or the Center for Community Solutions (CCS) and speak confidentially and anonymously with an advocate who can explain more about your options and rights.

Health providers can examine and treat physical injuries and test for sexual transmitted diseases (STDs) or pregnancy.

• Student Health Services, (858) 534-2669, provides medical treatment and follow-up care for all registered students. They offer a full range of STD testing and emergency contraception.

*Student Health Services and Thornton Hospital DO NOT provide Sexual Assault Forensic Exams.

• If you don't know what to do or you are interested in the Sexual Assault Forensic exam, contact the UCSD Sexual Assault & Violence Prevention Resource Center (SARC) or the Center for Community Solutions (CCS) and speak confidentially and anonymously with an advocate who can explain more about your options and rights.

Look into the following confidential services to see what is right for you:

• The UCSD Sexual Assault & Violence Prevention Resource Center (SARC) offers:
  • Informal but confidential advising
  • Crisis counseling
  • Individual and group counseling
  • Accompaniment to police interviews, medical evidentiary exams, court dates, and student judicial hearings
  • Advocacy on your behalf with regard to academic, housing, and safety concerns
  • Assistance in reviewing options found in the UCSD Sex Offense Policy(the University's official policy and procedures used when a UCSD student is a victim of sexual assault).
• UCSD's Counseling and Psychological Services, (858) 534-3755, provides confidential support and counseling to UCSD students.
• The Center for Community Solutions (CCS) provides free and comprehensive services for survivors of sexual assault and their families, including:
  • A 24-hour hotline, (888) 272-1767
  • In-person counseling
  • Hospital, police, and court accompaniment
  • Advocacy and information