Take action

• In most cases, the DNA evidence needs to be collected within 72 hours of the assault. However, a sexual assault forensic exam can reveal other forms of evidence (e.g. bruises and marks) even beyond this time frame. If you’ve already e.g. changed your clothes, place the relevant belongings such as clothes you wore at the time of the assault in a paper bag to safely preserve evidence. 
• You can visit a medical centre to have a sexual assault forensic exam (also known as a ‘rape kit’). To find a medical centre that is prepared to care for survivors or for other questions in relation to the exam, you can call the national sexual assault hotline in your country.
• Where possible, try to avoid activities that could potentially damage evidence such as bathing, showering, cleaning up the area, eating or brushing your teeth, using the restroom, changing clothes or combing your hair. If you have done any of the above already, don’t let it discourage you from getting the forensic exam done.
• In some localities (e.g. countries, states) the victim is required to file a police report should they request a rape kit while in others these are two independent decision making processes, and the victim can have the kit done and decide later if they want to make a police report. If you are unsure if you want to make a police report, you can check with e.g. a women’s centre, a sexual assault centre or by calling the national sexual assault hotline if this is a requirement in your locality in connection with having a forensic exam done.

Depending on your locality, there may be several options for reporting a sexual assault:

• Calling the relevant emergency number if you are in immediate danger.
• Contacting the local police department. Typically you can make a police report at any local station however the likelihood of being able to speak with staff that are trained and have experience in helping survivors may be greater if you go to a main station. Some survivors also feel more comfortable requesting to file the report with a female police officer. Women’s organisations and sexual assault centres may be able to have a befriender accompany you to the police station. If you’ve hired a lawyer they too may be able to accompany you (whether or not this can be helpful for your case may vary depending on the country and local customs).
• Visiting a medical centre. If you are being treated for injuries resulting from sexual assault or having a forensic exam (‘rape kit’) done, you can tell a medical professional that you wish to report the assault. You can also choose to have a sexual assault forensic exam. To find a medical centre that is prepared to care for survivors, you can call the national sexual assault hotline in your country. 
• If you are a student you may be able to contact campus-based law enforcement, if any.
• If it happened abroad (and not in your country of residence) and you are still in the country you can file a police report with the local authorities. If you’ve left the country, you will still typically need to make the police report with the local authorities. Depending on the country and the crime some local authorities allow for e.g. online reporting while others require the victim to travel back and make the police report in person. If it happens abroad and you are unfamiliar with the local laws it may be wise to get in touch with your nearest local embassy, commission or consular to seek guidance and assistance. Seeking legal counsel with a firm familiar with the local laws may also be helpful. If you are employed, you may have access to an employee assistance program that can provide guidance or connect you with other organisations that can.
• If you have access to a national or local sexual assault hotline, they or a national or local women’s organisation/sexual assault centre can typically advise of best options.

• If you’ve made the decision to tell loved ones, it is often advised to start by telling a person/people you trust most and are most confident will have a supportive reaction.
• Think about why you are telling them and what you are hoping to achieve from it (e.g. emotional support and understanding, support with navigating your options). They might ask you how they can help. Think about it in advance, and tell them what you need from them.
• Think about what you want to say. Tell them what you want them to know – you don’t have to share more than you feel comfortable with. If you get questions, have an answer prepared in advance for questions that you don’t want to answer (e.g. ‘Í am not yet ready to share additional details, I value your support and hope you can respect my boundaries’). People may not react the way you expect them to (for better or for worse) and for some people it may take some time to process. It’s also not unusual for people not know how to react or worry about saying the wrong thing.
• Pick a time when they are not distracted or in a hurry.

If you are not ready to make a police report, you could consider making a record of what happened and documenting the details to help you in case you decide to make a police report in the future. There are several options available for how to go about it, such as:

• Writing down what happened with an electronic time stamp and storing it safely to retain details if you decide to make a police report at a later time.
• If you are based in the United States and your college is using Callisto you may be able to create a record with the platform at www.mycallisto.org. You can also opt-in for the Matching system which allows survivors to create an entry about what happened, and connects victims of the same perpetrator to identify repeat offenders. In the event of a Match, you will be connected to an attorney provided by Callisto to think through your options for free. If your place of study is not using Callisto or if the usage is low at your school, or within your community, you may not receive a Match or you may have to wait a while to see if there is one. Or if other victims don’t create an entry or if there are no other victims, your entry would not result in a Match, and you wouldn’t be connected with an attorney.

You can contact a national or local women’s organisation or sexual assault centre or call a national or local sexual assault hot line to request to see a sexual assault advocate or case manager to help you navigate your options.

 Some options for finding a therapist or a counselor include:

• If you have health insurance, your insurance company may be able to provide a list of therapy providers covered and advise what is covered under your insurance policy.
• A general practitioner at a public or private hospital or medical clinic should be able to provide a referral.
• Women’s organisations, sexual assault/rape crisis centres or sexual assault hot lines may be able to provide recommendations and connect you with therapists. They may also be able to offer initial free or discounted sessions.
• If you are a student, your place of education may offer therapy services and/or if they have a dedicated medical clinic they may be able to provide a referral.
• If you are employed, your employer may offer therapy services as part of your benefits package and/or if they have a dedicated medical clinic they may be able to provide a referral.
• You can search for therapists and psychologists in selected countries and cities at internet portals such as www.psychologytoday.com/intl/counsellors and https://www.goodtherapy.org.
• Online Apps such as BetterHelp at www.betterhelp.com offer virtual counselling.
• If you experienced sexual assault in a relationship, Tanya Gaum who is a licensed family and marriage therapist, has compiled a global (select countries included) list of trauma-informed therapists that help survivors of domestic violence, narcissistic abuse, and otherwise toxic and psychologically disorienting relationships at https://www.tanyagaum.com/the-list.

Your therapist can also refer you to a psychiatrist if they believe that psychiatric medication would be helpful in your recovery.

You can make a police report without hiring a lawyer, but if you wish to consult one before hand and/or during the proceedings, or pursue other legal measures, some options for finding legal representation are:

• Women’s organisations and sexual assault centres may be able to provide recommendations and may even have agreements on discounted rates
• If you are employed, your employer may offer an employee assistance program as part of your benefits package including services to recommend legal firms
• Depending on your locality, you may have access also to the services of a for example a Community Justice Centre or a Legal Aid Bureau.

If the perpetrator was a colleague or a student/member of faculty at your place of education, you may be able to file a report with your employer or your place of education.

• To understand what your place of education or work considers a violation, what the potential consequences for the perpetrator are, and what the policy states in terms of possible retaliation following a claim, you can study the relevant code of conduct and reporting processes. Even if there is no policy you can still file a report by e.g. approaching your line manager or the HR department.
• You can consider meeting with someone from the relevant team in advance to understand the policies, consequences, timelines, confidentiality and retaliation policies in more detail and in order to feel more comfortable with the next steps.
• You can prepare for the meeting by having a clear idea of what behaviour you want to report and what your objective for filing a report is. Depending on the organisation or company, it may be possible for you to bring along a support person (typically from the same company/organisation) for emotional support as well as access support from an investigation care point of contact.
• If you are retaliated against or if no action is taken by your place of study or your employer, you may be able to file a complaint with a POC governing your rights (e.g. a IX Coordinator in the US) or a government agency (e.g. a Labor Office such as The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in the United States) respectively depending on the country (deadlines often apply). An advocate at a sexual assault centre or women’s organisation may be able to help the survivor navigate the process of filing with the Labor Office, and/or help to connect the survivor with a lawyer to navigate options.