SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS –

BE INFORMED

Connie Johnson, RN, BSN, SANE

Clinical Manager, ED

            Sexual violence is a problem that people prefer to avoid.  Unfortunately avoiding it doesn’t make it go away.

FACTS ABOUT SEXUAL VIOLENCE:

Statistics reported by the Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs in 2004.

·     1 of 6 U.S. women and 1 of 33 U.S. men have experienced an attempted or completed rape as a child and/or adult.

·      In Kentucky 1 in 9 adult women has been forcibly raped at sometime in her life. Sexual predators commonly prey on people they know.

·      69% of female rape victims knew the offender either as a friend, acquaintance, intimate partner, or relative.

·     54% of female victims said they were less than 18 years old when they were first raped. 

·     Alcohol and other drugs are the weapons most frequently used by sex offenders.  More than half of women raped by an acquaintance had consumed alcohol or drugs.  75% of men involved had consumed alcohol or other drugs.  Perpetrators often target a person who is already drunk.

·     Date Rape drugs such as GHB, Rohypnol “Ruffies”, and Ketamine “Special K” are commonly used drugs to facilitate rape.  These drugs can be tasteless, odorless, and colorless. Suspect a date rape drug when a person has become “drunk” very quickly, and passed out for up to 12 hours, or has no memory or partial memory of the previous 12 hours. 

 WHO DOES THE MEDICAL/FORENSIC SEXUAL ASSAULT EXAM?

A physician or a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner will do the exam at the Emergency Department.  Pattie A. Clay RMC employs three registered nurses who have been specially trained to provide comprehensive care to sexual assault survivors. 

RISK REDUCTION:

The first step in reducing your risk of becoming a victim is to realize that you can be one.  Use the following tips to increase your safety and reduce your risk of becoming a victim.

1.      Awareness – realize that you can be a victim

2.      Transportation safety –

a.       Keep your vehicle filled with gas and your doors locked at all times, even while driving.

b.      Do not accept rides from, or provide rides for, people you do not know well.

c.       Keep valuables out of sight

d.      Before entering your vehicle, look inside and underneath it.

e.       If you are being followed, do not go home or try to “lose” the follower.  Instead, go to a well-lit area, group of people, or a police or fire station.  Stay in your vehicle and honk the horn until someone comes to your assistance.

f.        Only immediately before reentering your vehicle should you unlock your door.

3.      Home Safety

a.   Utilize outdoor lighting as a deterrent

b.   Keep the outside doors to your home locked at all times

c.   Do not hide a key around your home

d.   Do not leave notes on your door stating you are not at home,   your whereabouts, or when you will return.

e.    Do not admit strangers into your home.  If someone asks to use your phone, make them wait outside and call for them. 

f.     Keep shrubs trimmed at least six inches below the windowsill.

g.    If you are going out of town for more than a couple of days, put timers on your inside and outside lights and have someone collect your mail.

h.    Cover windows with curtains or drapes to avoid silhouetting.

i.    Do not let service personnel into your home without proper ID.

4.      Public Safety

1. Be aware of your environment
2. If you are being followed, let your follower know you are aware of his/her presence. Head for a well lit area, a group of people, or a store. Draw attention to yourself.
3. Walk at a steady, confident pace.
4. Be cautious in public places where you cannot control who else will be there: elevators, laundromats, rest rooms, parking lots, and night clubs.
5. Consider carrying a dual purpose key chain that also functions as a flashlight, pepper, spray, or a defensive weapon.
6. Whether you are entering your vehicle or your own home’s front door, always have a key ready.

5.      If you feel threatened

a.       Do not worry about appearing silly in escaping an uncomfortable situation

b.   Be assertive (and loud) by telling someone to move away form you or to stop harassing comments.

c.   Act decisively to preserve you safety; break a window, get out of the care, run.

6.      If you are attacked

a.       Yell commands like “no” or “stay back”

b.      Swing, throw, or shove objects in the attacker’s path.

c.       Strike the attacker in the eyes, nose, or throat.

d.      Jab your elbow(s) backward toward the attacker.

e.       Kick the attacker in the groin or stomp on his foot

f.        Never allow yourself to be taken to a second location.

g.       Each situation is different-assess the possibilities for escape.

h.       Contact law enforcement as soon as possible.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU ARE RAPED?

• Talk to someone.  If there may be immediate danger call the police.  Call the 24 hour Rape Crisis Hotline at 1-800 656-HOPE (4673).
• Get medical attention to make sure you aren’t injured internally. You should also be tested treated for a possibility of sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy.
• If you were assaulted recently, evidence can be collected using a “Sexual Assault Kit”. This usually happens at a hospital.  In order to preserve evidence, do not shower, change clothes, urinate, or brush your teeth. Evidence can be collected up to 96 hours after the assault.
• No matter when the violence occurred, you can get information and support from the local rape crisis center.

Rape is a violent crime and rape victims need support.  The Sexual Assault Response Team is a combination of Law Enforcement, Victim Advocate, Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner and/or Physician. Their primary purpose is to limit further trauma to victims and to improve the quality of evidence collection and investigation. Because this is a new, emerging area of specialization and a new program for Madison County it is our goal to provide sexual assault survivors with the best possible services available.

3/1/2005

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