Options for Survivors
Student options & resources handbook (PDF)
Faculty & staff options & resources handbook (PDF)
An Advocate or counselor can give you confidential information and support before you decide what to do next. You may have any or all of these options:
- Call 911 or community safety (503-788-6666) for immediate help or if you are afraid you will be hurt again (calling community safety will result in a Title IX report).
- Get medical attention, including a wellness exam and emergency contraception. An advocate can explain when a sexual assault forensic examination might be an option for you.
- Speak with a crisis advocate on campus (503-847-9772) or in the community (503-235-5333). Advocates are trained to listen to you and to offer information and support for all of your options. They can also help if you decide to report to the police or the college or go to the hospital.
- Get crisis intervention and on-going therapy from health and counseling services.
- Report to law enforcement in the jurisdiction where the assault or abuse took place. (At Reed, that is the Portland Police Bureau). Community safety can help you make the report.
- If you think that you might want to report to the police, it is important to preserve any evidence. This could include physical evidence (including fibers or fluids on your body or clothes, or anything else the offender touched), texts, and online posts and messages. Taking photos of damage to property or injuries can also be helpful.
- Make a report to the college, which will allow the college to provide services such as no-contact orders, academic support, and emergency housing. You can request that the college protect your confidentiality to the greatest extent possible.
- If the perpetrator is a Reed student, you can file a case with the Title IX Coordinator or the Sexual Misconduct Board. If they are faculty, you can file a complaint with the Dean of Faculty. If they are staff, you can file a complaint with the Director of Human Resources.
- Get a restraining order from a court to keep the offender from contacting you on and off campus, even if you don’t make a police report. They are free, and an advocate can help you through the process. You may qualify for a Sexual Abuse Protective Order, Family Abuse Prevention Act restraining order, or Stalking Protective Order.
Medical care after assault
Medical care: You may have injuries that can be treated at an emergency room or the health and counseling center. Strangulation and head injuries can be very dangerous and should be assessed by a medical provider.
If the assault was sexual, you can ask about prophylactic medications to help prevent some sexually transmitted diseases. Emergency contraception (Plan B) can reduce the risk of pregnancy and is available at the HCC and without prescription at pharmacies. If the assault happened within the last seven days, you can receive a free medical examination at an emergency room (you do not have to report to the police, and you do not have to have evidence collected). A SHARE advocate can coordinate free transportation to and from the hospital for you whether or not you report to the college.
Sexual Assault Forensic Exam: If the assault happened within the last seven days, you may receive a medical forensic exam from a trained nurse at an emergency room. The nurse will collect any evidence that may be on your body or clothes. You can have a friend or advocate with you. There is no cost to you. You do not have to talk to law enforcement. Without an exam, it is very hard to prove to a criminal court that the assault happened. If you think you might want an exam, it’s best not to shower, change clothes, eat or drink, or go to the bathroom. A SHARE Advocate can coordinate free transportation to and from the hospital for you.