Actions You Can Take

Seek Support Offered by the School

Contact the SRC Gender Representative 

The Advocates can get you help, or discuss your medical, legal and support options following a sexual assault or any other form of sexual misconduct/ abuse. With a focus on empowering the survivor to make his or her own decisions, the Gender Representative will  facilitate referrals, accompany survivors to medical treatment, answer questions about legal options and ensure appropriate follow-up and support. They also connect survivors with resources that can minimize the impact an assault may have on a student’s academic career with the help of the school administration.

Report the Incident

Call +26329272515 Central Police Station, ZSM Administrator or the Chief Security Officer to file a report.

Administrator
+263292290596-8

Seek Medical Treatment.

Go to the resident Matron (Hostel) or Hospital to receive medical treatment.

local Community Hospitals have trained sexual assault nurse examiners on call 24/7 to provide sensitive care and forensic exams to victims to collect and preserve evidence.

• The school will arrange transportation to the hospital and accompany you to your exam.
• The hospital recommends that you take measures to preserve evidence such as not showering or changing clothes before a forensic exam. An exam can still be performed regardless.
• Forensic exams can be conducted up to 96 hours after a sexual assault.

How to Help a Friend

More often than not, the first person a victim-survivor reaches out to tell about their experience is a friend or peer, so it can be important for you to know how to help a friend who has experienced sexual misconduct (including sexual assault), relationship violence or stalking.

If a friend tells you about their experience, it’s important to thank them for trusting you with this information and to let them know that you believe them and are there to support them. It’s also important to remember that experiencing interpersonal violence means that they have experienced a loss of control, so you should always focus on supporting the individual in whatever choices they decide to make. Individuals can experience and react to trauma very differently, so it’s important to be sensitive to whatever emotions they might be feeling. A victim-survivor might feel frightened, upset or angry. They also might feel numb and experience a desire to return to normal as soon as possible.

If Your Friend has Experienced Sexual Assault, Relationship Violence or any form of abuse

• Help your friend understand all their options and available resources.
• Offer to support or accompany your friend in getting help or accessing resources. You could offer to call The SRC Gender Representative for them or to walk with them for Counseling.
• Let them know that you are there to support them. Check-in on them to see how they are doing, but be respectful if they don’t want to talk more about what has happened.
• Respect your friend’s privacy. Don’t tell other people what they have shared with you unless you have received their permission or you suspect they may be in danger.
• Take care of yourself. Supporting someone who has experienced sexual violence can be a difficult and frightening task on its own. Friends and family of survivors may experience burnout or secondary trauma as a result of trying to help the victim-survivor.
• It’s important for you to know that you can also access any of the campus resources if you need support or advice.

If Your Friend is in an Unhealthy or Abusive Relationship

• Never try to force your friend to leave if they are not ready.
• Focus on offering them healthy friendship and support and let them know you are there to help them whenever they need it.
• Help them to make a safety plan of ways to keep themselves safe in the relationship if needed.