Please know that the survivor is never to blame for an assault. You have many options regarding potential next steps, and we want to support you in exploring the decisions you feel are right for you at the right time. Below are a few options for you to initially consider:

• Go to a place that feels comfortable and private for you to be able to speak freely if you are connecting with a resource via phone or virtually.
• Try not to bathe, douche, or change clothing immediately after the assault. It can also be helpful to preserve any physical evidence that you may have (e.g., bedding, items that the offender may have touched or drank from, condoms, etc.), placing any physical evidence that exists in a plastic trash bag/Ziploc bag for safe keeping.
• Contact the Office of Respect Hotline (404-727-1514) to speak to the on-call advocate to answer any questions that you may have. The advocate can also help get you connected to medical resources and police if you choose that as a next step.
• Consider getting a forensic exam performed to collect physical evidence from the assault. Even if you are not sure that you want to move forward with a criminal investigation, having the evidence collected shortly after the assault may help the Police investigate your case if you choose to go forward at another time. Consider getting medical follow-up for possible transmission of STI’s and pregnancy.
• Schedule a follow-up appointment with an advocate in the Office of Respect to discuss your rights, options, and support resources that are available to you.

Please speak to an Office of Respect advocate to learn more about how advocacy services can be customized to fit your needs.

Examples of advocacy include: 

• Free Advocacy-Based Support: An advocate is available to provide non-mental health related support around intimate partner violence 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. The advocate will help you to understand your options and identify potential barriers for accessing resources, assist you in creating plans that best support your needs for safety, and provide a space of validation and acknowledgement regarding what you have experienced. 

• Coordination of Care & Referral Services: Our advocates can support and accompany you as you navigate the different system/entities such as hospitals and medical providers, (e.g. if you would like to obtain a sexual assault forensic exam), law enforcement, courts, and the Title IX adjudication process. We can also help connect you with additional resources for emotional, mental health, medical, and legal support if needed.

• Legal: Consultation on criteria and the process for obtaining a Temporary Protective Order (TPO). Coordination of care in obtaining the order from the appropriate court jurisdiction.

• Medical: Coordination of care around forensic exam collection appointments, connection to follow-up medical and mental health care services.

• Academic: Physical or virtual accompaniment to appointments with faculty/staff for support, assistance with articulating and recognizing the impact of trauma as it relates to challenges faced as the student completes their studies, and referrals to academic offices to best assist with needs for additional support.

A sexual assault forensic exam affords the opportunity to collect any DNA and other evidence that may have been left by the offender. If you choose to obtain a sexual assault forensic exam, it must be completed within 120 hours of the assault. 

During the exam, a SANE-trained provider will obtain a complete and thorough medical history from the victim. The medical forensic exam will involve a thorough head-to-toe physical examination, including the genital area. This may include:

• Collection of blood, urine, and hair samples
• Photo documentation
• Collection of the victim’s clothing, especially undergarments
• Collection of any possible physical evidence that may have transferred onto the victim from the rape scene

Once the examination is complete, collected specimens are carefully packaged and stored to assure that they are not contaminated. Specimens are maintained under chain of custody until further action is taken. 

Georgia Network to End Sexual Assault contains a list of locations that offer sexual assault forensic exams.  Victims of sexual assault in the State of Georgia may request, at no cost to the victim, a forensic medical examination for sexual assault, regardless of whether the victim participates in the criminal justice system or cooperates with law enforcement in pursuing prosecution of the underlying crime. For more information, refer to the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.

The Office of Respect and the Office of Title IX are separate offices, both of which work with students impacted by sexual assault, sexual harassment, and intimate partner violence (IPV). Both offices serve distinct roles and functions in the experience of a survivor. The Office of Respect supports survivors by providing individual support and advocacy, individual and community education, and upstream awareness and prevention of sexual violence on campus.

The role of the Office of Title IX is to support the federal mandate that protects students who attend higher education institutions from gender discrimination, including sexual harassment. The Office of Title IX staff investigate complaints on behalf of the university and provide education on the Sexual Misconduct Policy (8.2), how to report to the institution if you have been impacted by IPV, and options regarding seeking administrative action to investigate reports of misconduct.

The Office of Respect provides general support and advocacy to survivors and persons who have been directly and indirectly impacted by intimate partner violence (IPV.) If the survivor identifies that they need more intensive and ongoing support, the advocate will connect the survivor to one of the following campus resources:

• CAPS: Emory Counseling & Psychological Services
• TimelyCare
• Emory Student Health Services
• Student Case Management and Intervention Services
• Community mental health/support groups

Currently, most university employees are mandated reporters for Title IX cases, so they will need to make a report to that office regarding any incidents of sexual misconduct that you share with them. All other records and information are kept private and only shared on a need-to-know basis.

If you desire for your identity and conversations to be confidential, you can choose to talk to specific resources including:

Emory Confidential Offices

• Counseling & Psychological Services
• Office of Respect
• Ombuds Office
• Religious and Spiritual Life
• Faculty & Staff Assistance Program
• Student Health Services

Community Confidential Services

• The Day League
• Partnership Against Domestic Violence
• Women’s Resource Center
• Community Rape Crisis/Domestic Violence Agencies:
  • https://gcadv.org/ 
  • https://gnesa.org/page/rape-crisis-centers-georgia
• Clergy
• Medical Professionals

As a survivor, you have the right to not disclose what you have experienced. If you are contacted by any Emory office or resource, you can let the person know that you are not interested in receiving assistance, or you can choose not to respond.

If you are needing medical assistance regarding sexual violence or injury resulting from physical abuse, the Respect advocate can help connect you to the following campus or community resources:

• The Day League: Forensic Exam, STI/pregnancy follow-up

• Emory University Hospital: Emergency Medical follow-up

• Emory Student Health Services: Primary Medical Care, STI/Pregnancy follow-up

An advocate from the Office of Respect can meet with you to determine what resources and options are available to you, and what potential resolution(s) you are interested in pursuing. A survivor can choose any combination of reporting options below, in any order, individually or simultaneously, or may choose not to report. We encourage the survivor to pursue the option that best fits their needs, and support will always be provided as requested.

Criminal: A survivor has the right to seek police involvement and a criminal investigation if they have been a victim of a crime (e.g., sexual assault/rape, domestic violence, stalking). 

Administrative: If you are interested in having Emory investigate your report of intimate partner violence, and the person/s is also a member of the Emory community, you may consider filing a report with the Office of Title IX. If needed, a Respect advocate can accompany a survivor through the Title IX process. Our Respect advocates can also work with the Title IX office to request individual academic accommodations.

Civil: A Temporary Protective Order (TPO) can be pursued if eligible criteria is met by standards set for by the court. A TPO is a legal document issued by a court (Clerk of Superior Court of DeKalb County) to help victims obtain protection from persons abusing, harassing, or stalking them. A TPO will generally prohibit contact between parties and may remove or restrict someone from a certain place or residence.  If needed, a Respect advocate can accompany/coordinate assistance with getting a survivor connected to the court to obtain the TPO, and answer questions about the process. 

Interim Measures from the Office of Title IX:  A survivor may request a no-contact order from the Office of Title IX. The student is not required to pursue or to participate in a formal investigation to receive interim measures from the office.

The scope of service for the Office of Respect includes support for Emory students. The Faculty Staff Assistance Program (FSAP) is available to support Emory faculty and staff for a variety of needs, including intimate partner violence support and resources.

The best way to schedule a non-urgent appointment with the Office of Respect is to email: respect@emory.edu.

If you are interested in connecting with community resources that can assist survivors of sexual violence, dating violence, intimate partner violence, also known as domestic violence, and stalking, please check out the following resources:

• Campus and Community Resources
• Atlanta Specific Resources
• Cultural Specific Resources

If you are interested in connecting with different national and international resources that can assist survivors of sexual violence, dating violence, intimate partner violence (IPV), also known as domestic violence, and stalking, please check out the following resources: 

• Cultural Specific Resources
• National Resource for IPV