What To Do If You Are Victim of Sexual Misconduct

Any individual who is a victim of sexual misconduct should follow these procedures immediately:

• Go to a safe place.

• Do not hesitate. If on campus, contact appropriate authorities and if during off hours, contact 24-hour Security, APSU Public Safety at (931) 221-7786, or 911. 

• Call a friend, a campus advocate, a family member or someone else you trust and ask her or him to stay with you.

• It is important for the victim to preserve the evidence if s/he intends to pursue criminal charges. 

• Do not shower, bathe, douche, or brush his/her teeth, and save all clothing worn at the time of the assault.

• Place each item of clothing in a separate paper bag. Do not use plastic bags.

• Do not disturb anything in the area where the assault occurred.

• Go immediately to see medical personnel either at the University student health center or a local hospital emergency department. 

• If you suspect that you may have been given a rape drug, ask the hospital or clinic where you receive medical care to take a urine sample.  The urine sample should be preserved as evidence.  Rape drugs, such as Rohypnol and GHB, are more likely to be detected in urine than in blood.

• If a victim has not seen the medical personnel at the time of the complaint, the victim will be immediately advised to do so. The University will provide the transportation to the hospital if needed.

• Write down as much as you can remember about the circumstances of the assault, including a description of the assailant. 

• Talk with a counselor who is trained to assist rape victims about the emotional and physical impacts of the assault.  You can call a hot line, a rape crisis center, or a counseling agency to find someone who understands the trauma of rape and knows how to help, or speak to someone at the APSU Counseling Center, located in Ellington Room 202, (931) 221-6162.