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Go to a place that is safe and seek medical treatment If a sexual assault occurs, safety and medical assistance are the first priorities. On campus and in the local area, 24-hour assistance is available. Call the police or go directly to the hospital (who will call the police for you). Whether or not you decide to report the incident, seek medical treatment immediately and get counseling as soon as possible. For the purpose of preserving evidence, do not douche, bathe, shower, or change clothes before seeking medical attention because valuable evidence may be lost. Preserving evidence is important in later pursuing a criminal or other judicial case. Do not wash sheets or other bed coverings where critical DNA evidence can be found. Evidence collection must take place as soon as possible after the incident occurs to preserve it correctly for prosecution.

If you need medical transportation to the hospital, call the ºÚÁÏÉçÇø Police Department at 513-529-2222 or the Dean of Students at 513-529-1877. Calling for transport will not result in a criminal investigation unless the survivor wants to pursue one. Visits to the hospital for medical treatment and counseling are confidential. A qualified sexual assault counselor will meet with you and provide emotional support and advice on disciplinary and legal options.

Conversations with S.A.N.E. nurses and counselors are not disclosed to anyone (unless there is a threat of physical harm to that individual or others) without the expressed permission of the person seeking assistance.

Seek counseling Even if you don't report the sexual assault or press charges, you should seek emotional support. Counseling is available 24 hours a day by calling the independent Women Helping Women at 513-381-5610 or 1-877-889-5610. This program provides victim advocates who can meet survivors at the hospital, help them work through feelings, discuss options, and offer assistance with referrals and follow-up. Students may also seek assistance from the Student Counseling Service at 513-529-4634 during normal business hours. On-call counselors can be reached at any time through the university police dispatcher at 513-529-2222.

Report the sexual assault to the authorities The more often sexual assaults are reported, the easier it may be to prevent them. Reporting an assault to the University Police or other law enforcement or campus security authorities does not require filing criminal charges, but it does allow support systems to be put in place for the survivor. Reporting is best done as soon as possible after the assault, but it may be done at any time. Students can make their report to any campus security authority, including, but not limited to, University Police (513-529-2222), Oxford Police (513-524-5240), Office of Community Standards (513-529-1417), the Dean of Students (513-529-1877), Resident Advisors, advisors to recognized ºÚÁÏÉçÇø organizations and athletic coaches. The University will assist ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs who report sexual assault in obtaining medical support and information regarding available legal and judicial resources as well as counseling and support services.

Students who choose to notify police should be aware of the importance of the immediacy of reporting the incident and the importance of preserving physical evidence at the assault scene as well as on the person assaulted. The gathering of physical evidence can provide important evidence and support criminal charges leading to a successful prosecution.

Students who are reporting an immediate assault should be accompanied to a healthcare facility of their choice to allow for the collection of evidence and treatment. If a sexual assault victim chooses to report the incident days, weeks, or even months after the assault, important support systems are still available and can be arranged; however, criminal investigations are much more difficult.

Sexual assaults, for which individuals seek medical treatment, must be reported to the appropriate police unit by healthcare officials. However, as noted above, ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs are not required to criminally prosecute the case or file a police report, unless the sexual assault survivor is a minor.

Reporting an assault to the police ensures that the incident will be included in the University's annual crime statistics report. It does not commit you to pursuing the charge but does allow you to keep your options open.

You will not be billed for services. Survivors of sexual assault at Miami also are strongly encouraged to report it to police. But even if you don't know whether you want to prosecute, reporting will ensure the collection of evidence and the documentation of facts while they are still fresh in your mind.

If you are 18 or older your parents will not be notified unless a life-threatening circumstance requires it.

No. Miami provides immunity for sexually assaulted ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs. While the University does not condone underage drinking or violation of other University policies, it considers reporting sexual misconduct including sexual misconduct/assaults to be of paramount importance, and ºÚÁÏÉçÇø will therefore extend limited immunity to ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs who have been the victim of sexual misconduct/ assault to encourage reporting and adjudication of sexual misconduct, including sexual misconduct/assaults on or off campus. This policy solely applies to instances of sexual misconduct/assault.

Depending on where the crime occurred, either the ºÚÁÏÉçÇø Police or the Oxford Police will take the report and be responsible for the criminal investigation. Regardless of who takes the initial report, however, both police departments may cooperate during the investigation.

It is the policy of the ºÚÁÏÉçÇø Police Department that victims make personal decisions for themselves during an investigation. Victims work directly with an investigator, who will answer questions and provide information to help them make informed decisions. Although the progress of the investigation depends almost entirely on the victim, the police will only make decisions for victims who are unable to make them for themselves (such as a victim suffering from serious injuries).

Names and other identifiers of victims are not given to the media, published in safety bulletin, or listed on the front page of initial police reports (which are public record). General details, with no specifics, are sometimes given to the media because they help to generate investigative leads.

In the event that a crime occurs, on campus or on the public property surrounding campus, that, in the judgment of the ºÚÁÏÉçÇø Police constitutes an ongoing serious or continuing threat to the campus community, a Safety Bulletin will be issued. The purpose of a Campus Safety Bulletin is to enable persons to protect themselves and to heighten safety awareness as well as to seek information that will lead to an arrest and conviction of the perpetrator when violent crimes against persons or major crimes against property have occurred. Every attempt will be made to distribute a Safety Bulletin soon after the incident is reported; however, the release of the Safety Bulletin is subject to the availability of facts concerning the incident.

Safety Bulletins are usually distributed for the following Uniformed Crime Reporting Program (UCR)/National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS) classifications: arson, criminal homicide, and robbery. Cases of aggravated assault and sex offenses are considered on a case-by-case basis, depending on the facts of the case and the information known by MUPD. For example, if an assault occurs between two ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs who have a disagreement, there may be no ongoing threat to other Miami community members and a Safety Bulletins would not be distributed. In cases involving sexual assault, they are often reported long after the incident occurred, thus there is no ability to distribute a "timely" warning notice to the community. Sex offenses will be considered on a case-by-case basis depending on when and where the incident occurred, when it was reported, and the amount of information known by the ºÚÁÏÉçÇø Police Department. The ºÚÁÏÉçÇø Police Chief or designee reviews all reports to determine if there is an ongoing threat to the community and if the distribution of a Safety Bulletin is warranted. Safety Bulletins may also be posted for other crime classifications, as deemed necessary.

On the Oxford campus, the Chief of Police or a designee is responsible for preparing and distributing the Safety Bulletin via blast email. Safety Bulletins are posted on Crime Alerts and are distributed to ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs, faculty, and staff via an email blast.

The offices of Business Services on the Hamilton and Middletown campuses and the Director's office on the Voice of America Learning Center are responsible for preparing and distributing the Safety Bulletins for their respective campuses via email blast to their faculty, staff and ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs. The Dean of the Luxembourg campus or a designee is responsible for preparing and distributing the Safety Bulletin via email blast to its faculty, staff, and ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs on that campus.

• Oxford Police Department contact Lt. Dan Umbstead at 513-524-5242.
• ºÚÁÏÉçÇø Police Department contact LT. Sgt. Jim Bechtolt at 513-529-1449.

If you know someone who has been sexually assaulted you can be of help. In the aftermath of a sexual the victim may be experiencing fear, insecurity, frustration, and need care and support from others. You, as a friend (or spouse/partner or family member), can play an important role by providing reassurance and support.

Allow your friend to reflect upon what has happened and the feelings experienced, but do not press for details. Let her/him set the pace. Listening is one of the best things you can do at this time. In short, be a trusted friend.

If your friend has not received medical attention, encourage her/him to do so. For additional help and support, call the Coordinator of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program or the Dean of Students at 513-529-1877, the ºÚÁÏÉçÇø Police Department at 513-529-2222 or call the Women Helping Women at 513-381-5610 or 1-877-889-5610. Students may also seek assistance from Miami's Student Counseling Service by calling 513-529-4634. An advocate can accompany you and your friend to the hospital and expedite medical attention.

You can be a valuable resource to your friend by seeking out and providing information that will assist in understanding available options. For example, you can let your friend know that reporting the rape and collecting evidence does not automatically lock her/him into pursuing prosecution of the offender. What it does do is assist the police in identifying the method and possible identity of the assailant.

Making the decision to report a sexual assault to the police and to undergo the subsequent processes of evidence collection and possible judicial proceedings will be very difficult for your friend. Although it is only natural that you will want to give advice, you must avoid trying to control the situation. A victim of sexual assault needs to regain control and must be allowed to make her/his own decisions.

Whatever decisions are made by your friend needs to know that she/he will not be judged, disapproved of, or rejected by you. The victim of sexual assault can suffer a significant degree of physical and emotional trauma both during and immediately following the rape that may remain for a long time. Being patient, supportive, and non-judgmental you can provide a safe accepting climate into which your friend can release painful feelings