8 Crucial Things To Do After You or Someone You Know Has Been Raped

Cosmopolitan.com

No one expects to be in the position of dealing with the aftermath of an attack, so here's what you need to know.

-Find a safe location away from the perpetrator. Ask a close friend to be with you for support.

-If you are still in the location where you were raped (for example, if it happened in your apartment or dorm room), don't clean, straighten up, or remove anything.

-Report the crime to law enforcement, campus police, or a trusted school administrator.

-Don't take a shower, wash your hands, brush your teeth, eat, or smoke.

-Preserve all evidence of the attack-don't wash your clothing or sheets, etc.

-Write down all the details you can recall about the attack and the perpetrator.

Related: 7 Crucial Factors of a Strong Sexual Assault Policy

-Even if you don't feel up to it, go to the hospital. Once there, tell the doctor or nurse what happened and ask for STD tests and the morning after pill (if you're not on birth control). Request a rape kit so that you'll have biological proof of the attack. (Rape kits must be administered within 72 hours of the assault, and the sooner you get one done the better.) If you think you might have been drugged, ask for a urine sample to preserve evidence. To find a local hospital or healthcare facility that is equipped to collect forensic material, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE.

-If your school hasn't protected your rights after a rape, contact Security on Campus at securityoncampus.org or the Victim Rights Law Center, a national organization that provides free legal services to sexual assault victims, at (617) 399-6720.

For free, completely confidential support and advice about anything, you can contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline 24/7 by calling 800.656.HOPE or IM-ing anonymously with a staffer from RAINN (The Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network) at online.rainn.org.

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