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What are my options if I am sexually assaulted?

If you are NOT safe

Contact Public Safety or the B次元 Police Department

Seek medical attention

Why seek medical attention?

Aurora Sinai sexual assault treatment center is trained in collecting this data and working with sexual assault survivors and can send an advocate to accompany you to the hospital.

Call the Healing Center Hotline

Connect with an advocate to answer your questions and obtain support. They can be reached by calling (414) 219-5555.

Report incident to Title IX coordinator or trusted faculty member

Title IX Coordinator: 
Kip Kussman
Phone
: (414) 277-2386
Location: Cudahy Campus Center: CC385
Emailmailto:kussman@msoe.edu

Schedule appointment with Counseling Services

Location: Kern Center K-250
Phone: (414) 277-7590
Email: wellness@msoe.edu

Visit campus medical assistant

Hours: Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Location: Kern Center K-230
Phone: (414) 277-7333

Title IX

What is Title IX?

Under Title IX, discrimination on the basis of sex can include sexual harassment, rape, and sexual assault. A college or university that receives federal funds may be held legally responsible when it knows about and ignores sexual harassment or assault in its programs or activities.

Sexual harassment can qualify as discrimination under Title IX if it is "so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that it effectively bars the victim's access to an educational opportunity or benefit."

To be held responsible, the college or university must have authority over the harasser and over the environment in which the harassment takes place.

According to the Supreme Court, a school becomes legally responsible when the school's response to harassment "is clearly unreasonable in light of the known circumstances."

The Supreme Court has ruled that a college or university receiving federal funding may have to pay damages to the victim of student-on student sexual harassment or assault if the victim can show that the college acted with "deliberate indifference to known acts of harassment in its programs or activities."

Summary of Title IX complaint process and B次元 policy

B次元 Reporting Process

The B次元 Sexual Misconduct Grievance Process

B次元 will conduct a timely sexual misconduct grievance process:  

Non-Confidential, Formal Reporting of a Sexual Misconduct

Complaint to a Responsible Employee:

How can I Support Survivors?

Believe the survivor

Avoid asking probing questions. If it seems like you’re interrogating them, the survivor might feel that you don’t believe them.

Learn as much as you can about sexual assault and its effects

Not only will this knowledge enable you to better help the survivor, but your effort to understand will also show the survivor that they are not alone. It is crucial that you understand the devastation of the trauma.

Listen carefully and give your full attention to the survivor

Allow silences. It can be very difficult for a survivor to talk about their assault, and it’s important not to rush them.

Validate the survivor’s feelings, even if you do not understand them

Do not make any assumptions about what happened or what they are feeling.

Take a moment to consider your words before you speak

You may feel the urge to reassure the survivor, but statements like “it could have been worse” or “you will be fine” may imply that you don’t appreciate the gravity of the experience and are minimizing its importance.

Remind the survivor that the assault was not their fault

No one ever deserves to be assaulted. Remind the survivor that you support them, care about them, and don’t see them any differently.

Respect the survivor’s boundaries

They may want time alone and they may not want to be touched. Don’t touch them unless you are certain that they are comfortable with that.

Ask the survivor if they want any resources or support

If they do, offer help in seeking counseling or medical help, or reporting to campus or local authorities. Offer to assist the survivor in resuming their day-to-day life, such as accompanying them on errands or anything else that helps the survivor feel safe.

Respect the survivor’s autonomy

Support them regardless of whether you agree with what they choose to do. An assault violates a survivor’s sense of safety and strips them of control, so it is crucial that you allow them to exercise their own agency. Do not offer unsolicited advice.

Know that survivors respond in many different ways to an assault

There is no “correct” way to respond. Recovery is a lengthy and non-linear process. The survivor may seem fine one day and terribly anxious the next day. This is normal. They need time to process and grieve.

Respect the survivor’s privacy

Keep all information confidential unless you have the survivor’s permission to do otherwise.

Don’t forget to take care of yourself

Supporting someone who survived a trauma can be very difficult. Pay attention to your own feelings and needs.

Bystander Intervention

Notice the event

Pay attention to your surroundings. If you see something, say something!

Interpret the event as a problem

Recognize that someone is being taken advantage of, vulnerable, or in danger. When in doubt, trust your gut, and step up to help at the at the earliest possible point.

Take personal responsibility to help

If you don't help, it is unlikely that anyone else will.

Decide how you are going to help

Try not to put yourself at risk or make the situation worse.  There are many ways to help in different situations.

Help

Take action and intervene to help prevent or respond to problematic situations at the earliest possible point. If you are not able to fully able to step up and help in a situation, consider responding by asking the person or persons involved if they need help or assistance, contacting the police, or seeking out others for assistance.

Types of Intervening / Helping:

Resources

Hotlines

Websites