Anti-Rape Task Force

1 in 3 women will be raped or sexually assaulted in their lifetime.
1 in 6 men will be raped or sexually assaulted in their lifetime.
In the U.S., a woman is raped every 2 minutes (U.S. Department of Justice).
Women ages 16-24 are the most at risk of being raped.
37% of assaults occur at or near victim's home or lodging.
21% of assaults occur at or near friend/relative/neighbor home.
57% of those rapes happened on dates.
A college with 10,000 female students could experience more than 350 rapes a year (National Dept of Justice's study on Victimization of College Women 1994).
A survey of 32 colleges & universities found that 84% of women raped knew the attacker.
Over 31,000 males over the age of 12 reported being the victim of rape or sexual assault, and over half knew their perpetrator (2002 U.S. Dept of Justice).
In rapes/attempted rapes/sexual assaults: 84% were unarmed (Dept of Justice, 2002).

Get to a safe place.
Call Crisis Services' 24-hour support at 834-3131 (Erie County's Rape Crisis Center). Service is free and confidential.

To preserve the best evidence, do not bathe, douche, comb your hair, change clothing, or disturb the area in which the crime occurred.
Seek medical attention at your local Emergency Room Immediately University Police can provide you with transportation to the hospital and can make arrangements for you through Crisis Services.
Crisis Services can provide an advocate to meet you at the hospital, and provide support, assistance, and make sure you know your rights and your options.
Even if you have no physical injuries, it is important to determine the risk of STIs and pregnancy.
There is a small window of time to receive medication to prevent HIV, STIs, and pregnancy.
It is your choice to preserve forensic evidence at the hospital, with a trained SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) nurse who will conduct a rape kit exam. You can collect the evidence at the hospital and decide later to press charges or not.

It is your choice to file a police report or not.
You can file a report and decide later to press charges or not. NY State lifted the statute of limitations for all sexual crimes taking place on or after June 23rd 2006.
You can file the report with UB police, or with the jurisdiction that the assault happened in.
Call Crisis Services if you would like an advocate to be with you. They will explain your options and how the process works.
While UB encourages students to report any and all assaults, reporting an assault does not mean that you must prosecute.
You can file a direct report, a proxy report, or a third party report. Information about reporting through UB Police is located here.
Female officers are available upon request.

It is your right:

To have all incident and medical records kept strictly confidential.
To be treated without prejudice regarding race, class, lifestyle, sexual orientation, gender, age, occupation, and/or religious beliefs.
To be made aware of and receive medical treatment, psychological support, and legal counseling.
To prosecute or not to prosecute.
To answer only those questions that are relevant to the crime.
To have an advocate present with you at the hospital, police station, and court proceedings.

A sexual assault is never the victim's fault; the assailant is responsible for the assault, not the victim.
It doesn't matter what you did or did not do during the assault.
Every rape situation is different.
Victims react in various ways to a sexual assault.
While some people resist, others do not due to fear, self-blame, or unwillingness to hurt someone they know.
Consider professional counseling.
Healing from rape and sexual assault takes time. Give yourself the time you need. It is never too late to seek support. Many survivors do not seek support until months or years later.
You don't have to cope with an assault on your own. Talk with someone with whom you feel comfortable about what happened to you.
There are many support services at UB and in the surrounding area to help you get through it. Crisis Services Advocate program offers free and confidential short and long term counseling for survivors of sexual assault.

Believe her/him.(Less than 2% of rapes are falsely reported.)
Listen.
Reinforce that the assault was not her/his fault.
Encourage her/him to receive medical care, and to preserve evidence.
Encourage her/him to seek psychological and legal help, but let her/him make her/his own decisions.
Get help for yourself, but respect her/his privacy.

Hang out where there are other people and you feel safe.
Avoid alcohol and drugs. Your best defense is having a clear mind.
Be aware of date rape drugs and how they are used.
Establish buddy systems with your friends and watch out for one another. Agree to tell each other when you are leaving.
Be aware – Trust your instincs – Be assertive

Crisis Services 24-hour Hotline: 716-834-3131 (Erie County's Rape Crisis Center)
Buffalo Police Dept. Sex Offense Unit: 716-851-4494
Amherst Police Dept.: 716-689-1311
NYS Crime Victims Board: 1-800-247-8035
NYS Coalition Against Sexual Assault: 1-518-482-4222

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