Where to Report Sexual Violence

What is Sexual Violence?

Sexual violence refers to physical sexual acts perpetrated against a person's will or where a person is incapable of giving consent due to use of drugs/alcohol or an intellectual disability.Sexual violence can occur between friends, classmates, spouses, romantic interests, acquaintances, or strangers.
Examples of sexual violence include:

• rape
• sexual assault
• sexual battery
• sexual coercion

Dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking are also serious offenses. Please see deanofstudents.unt.edu for additional information on these issues.

UNT Survivor Advocate

The UNT Survivor Advocate's role is to connect students impacted by violence to resources (counseling, health, safety, academic, legal, etc.), and to act as their advocate. The Survivor Advocate can assist a student by contacting instructors for absences related to an assault, working with Housing to facilitate a room change, filing protective orders, completing crime victim's compensation applications, and connecting students to the many other resources that are available, both on and off campus. The Survivor Advocate can be reached by emailing SurvivorAdvocate@unt.edu or calling the Dean of Students Office at 940-565-2648. Please remember if this happens to you, you are NOT alone. Consider seeking out appropriate support. We are here to help.

A survivor of sexual violence will have a wide range of emotions following an incident. It is important to utilize available resources or refer someone you know who has been assaulted to receive necessary care and begin to process the events. Going to a hospital immediately following the incident provides survivors with urgent care as well as an opportunity for valuable evidence collection.

What should I do if I have been assaulted?

The primary concern for survivors of sexual violence is safety and to address medical issues related to injury, sexually transmitted infections, and/or pregnancy. The secondary concern is evidence collection to aid in a possible investigation.

• Get to a safe place immediately. Go to your apartment/home, residence hall, or the residence of a trusted friend. Do not change your clothing or shower in order to preserve physical evidence. If you change your clothes, it is important that they are kept in a paper bag. Do not apply medication to any injuries that have been sustained unless absolutely necessary. Do not drink or chew gum, or disturb anything in the area where the assault occurred.
• Get medical attention as soon as possible. Once you are in a safe place, medical attention at the local hospital is important to address medical issues related to the assault, and to preserve valuable evidence should you decide to seek prosecution through the criminal justice system. It is important to know if you go to the hospital, the police may be contacted.
• Seek free, confidential counseling at the Counseling and Testing Center. Call 940-565-2741. Help is available for the person assaulted and for UNT students helping a survivor of sexual assault. Other free local counseling resources are available.
• Utilize campus resources. The Survivor Advocate may be able to assist with changes in academic or living arrangements if reasonable accommodations are available.

What if I was under the influence of drugs/alcohol at the time of the sexual assault?

Use of alcohol or drugs impacts an individual's ability to consent to a sexual act and DOES NOT put the person at blame. A student who is assaulted while under the influence is encouraged to seek help and entitled to university and community assistance. UNT will not initiate disciplinary action for alcohol/drug use when reporting sexual violence.

How friends, family & staff/faculty can help

1. Say something. Lend a listening ear. Show that you care and are willing to listen. Do not force the issue but allow the individual to confide in you at his/her own pace. Never blame the person for what is happening or underestimate his/her fear of potential danger. Focus on supporting the individual's right to make his/her own decision.
2. Guide survivors to resources. Let him/her know they are not alone and people are available to help. Encourage him/her to seek assistance from the UNT Survivor Advocate.
3. Never judge survivors. Tell the person you are sorry they have been hurt. No matter his/her behavior prior to the assault, they are NOT responsible-- the perpetrator is. No one deserves to be assaulted.
4. Remind survivors that their feelings are normal. They may feel "crazy." Assure survivors they are not "crazy" and any feeling or reaction is normal.
5. Validate a survivor's feelings. Continue to do so even if they feel everything is terrible and even if you feel frustrated with their recovery.
6. Focus on his/her strengths. The individual may believe there is something wrong with him/her. Give him/her emotional support and help in recognizing personal strengths and skills. Emphasize that he/she deserves a life that is free from violence.
7. Find your own support. You cannot support someone else if you are not supported. However, do not try to receive that support from the survivor.
8. Get trained. For train ing opportunities on assisting survivors of violence, email SurvivorAdvocate@unt.edu.