Safe Harbor
Educational programming to promote the awareness of rape, acquaintance rape, and forcible and non-forcible sex offenses
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Presentations/Training Topics
- Education through Sexual Assault Awareness
- How to Support A Victim - What to do if someone you know has been sexually assaulted
- RAD Demonstrations
- Safe Harbor Services and Referral
- Advocacy for Victims of Sexual Assault
Presentations/Training Audiences
- In-class presentations (Univ classes, Women's Studies, HDFS, others)
- Athletic Dept.
- Residence Hall Advisors
- GTA's and GRA's
- New Faculty and Staff
- CWE Counselors
- Greek Life (Sororities and Fraternities)
- AU Administration
- High School Clubs/Organizations
Annual Concourse Events
- Welcome Back Week (Aug.)
- Safety Awareness Month (Sept)
- Clothesline Project (April)
- Take Back the Night Project (April)
- Domestic Violence Awareness Month (Oct)
- These Hands Don't Hurt (April)
CWE and SOS - Tiger Tables providing information for all CWE students and parents.
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| Prevention |
- Awareness + Common Sense + Early Planning = Best Prevention.
- Be aware of your surroundings and instincts.
- Expect to be respected. Assert your rights.
- Clearly communicate your thoughts and beliefs through actions and words.
- Meet social or business acquaintances in public places; arrange to have your own transportation or travel with good friends.
- Carry money to meetings and on dates in case you need to use the phone or pay for transportation.
- Control your environment. Don’t let yourself get put in a dangerous location like an alley or back room.
- Know your date’s first and last name, address and business.
- Especially with new people, watch how much alcohol or drugs both you and your date consume. Alcohol and drug use may increase your vulnerability by lowering your awareness and ability to react.
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| If you find yourself in a potentially bad situation,
consider: |
- The object is survival. Do whatever you can to survive. Try to remember as much as you can about the attacker: height and weight compared to yours, scars, tattoos, accent, etc.
- As in prevention, clearly assert your rights through your words and actions.
- Criticize your date’s actions, not him personally, so that he will understand what behavior to stop. For example "I’m not ready for sex." or "I have enjoyed our date until now, I don’t want to do this."
- If he does not listen to you, leave.
- Do not let embarrassment for him keep you from doing what is right for you.
- Choose effective means to get yourself out of the situation. Act with a purpose.
- Try to keep your composure; avoid falling apart.
- At the first opportunity, escape from the situation and go to a safe place and call for help.
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| Active Intervention Methods |
- Bite, scratch, kick, pull, twist and punch in vulnerable areas- stomach, sides, face, eyes, shins, hands, and the groin area.
- Run away.
- Attract attention by continually screaming and yelling "FIRE," "HELP," or "I DON’T KNOW THIS PERSON."
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| Passive intervention methods |
- Talk yourself out of a situation. Give a "convincing story." Tell him you have a contagious venereal disease, you’re pregnant, or a friend is expected to appear at any moment.
- Pretend to cooperate until an opportunity for escape presents itself. Put your attacker off guard.
- Act in a bizarre and/or repulsive manner (feign insanity or convulsions, urinate or vomit.)
- Do what is best for you and your situation.
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| After the Attack |
- Try to be as calm as possible in order to think more clearly.
- Call 911 immediately and ask to speak to a rape counselor or call the Crisis Center (826-8600). Do not disturb any evidence, including that on your body. Do not bathe, brush your teeth, douche, clean fingernails or change clothes. Take a change of clothes with you to the hospital.
- The student has the option to report a rape, and the campus security authority has the responsibility to help him/her report it to the proper people.
- The University wants to ensure the victim is both mentally and physically protected and that counseling is available and is encouraged. If living arrangements need to be changed, the University will assist in providing reasonable accommodations.
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| If You Know Someone Who Has Been Attacked |
- Be there. Your presence means you care and helps counter feelings of helplessness, guilt, and isolation that victims often experience.
- Listen to the victim. Don’t be judgmental of his/her actions.
- Offer to accompany the victim to the hospital or police station.
- Encourage the victim to seek help from a victim’s assistance program.
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