Resources for Survivors and Those Affected by Sexual Assault

By: Talia Walters ‘20

In the face of recent events both on and off campus, it is necessary that we open the conversation about Sexual Violence not only with our administration but also with each other. The problem is pervasive and growing. Among all undergraduate students on college campuses, 23.1% of females and 5.4% of males experience sexual assault or rape.

Instead of focusing on the negative aspects of the conversation surrounding sexual assault, I’d like to instead focus on the resources and advocacy groups available to USC students. While justice and retribution is necessary, conversations with a focus on healing and prevention often get pushed to the wayside despite being an important aspect for many assault survivors. Below is a compiled list of resources depending on your situation. It is important to remember that assault can happen to anyone; these resources are available to you regardless of gender, sexual orientation, and experience, so please reach out if you feel as though it may be helpful.

If you’re a survivor of sexual assault:

• We believe you.
• Immediately after the assault, you can visit the Santa Monica Rape Treatment Center 24/7 for medical services. They are located at 1250 Sixteenth Street, and their number is (424) 256-7208. An RSVP counselor can accompany you to the treatment center; if you are interested, contact (213) 740-4900.
• In the time following the assault, Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention and Services (RSVP) is available for therapy services. They are able to guide you through medical options and reporting options, and they provide crisis counseling and survivor advocacy. It is important to note that RSVP is NOT required to collect crime reports/statistics, so their services are 100% confidential. They are located in Engemann, suite 356, and their number is (213) 740-4900.

• If you are interested in reporting your assault, I would recommend still going through RSVP, as they will help navigate the sometimes-tricky path that is reporting sexual assault.
• If you are interested in reporting online, USC has a CALLISTO reporting system. It’s an online record of your sexual assault that is only shared if you want it to be. This is a great option for those who are unsure if they want to report but would like to save the details of their assault in case they choose to report in the future. This is the link for USC:  https://usc.callistocampus.org/
• If you are a former patient of USC’s former gynecologist, RSVP also has counseling services available. There is individual counseling available by contacting the number (213) 740-4900, and there is group counseling available every Thursday from 4 – 5pm. For group counseling, there is no need to register ahead of time or to come regularly. RSVP is also able to point you in the direction of non-USC counseling if you would prefer going outside the student health center.
• If you would like to report your experiences with the former gynecologist, you are invited to either call (833) 889-8833 or report online: https://app.mycompliancereport.com/report.aspx?cid=usca
• As healing begins, it’s important to remember that everyone’s healing journey is different. Keep in mind that you can take as much time as you need to come to terms with your experiences. You have a support system through USC.
• Survivors of sexual assault are able to continue counseling through RSVP, and RSVP is able to direct you to outside sources if you are interested in continuing counseling outside of the student health center.
• Yoga as Healing (YAH) is a 5-week yoga program meant to reacquaint survivors with their bodies and introduce them to mindfulness techniques that are presented in a trauma-informed manner. This program is specifically for individuals who are victims of sexual-based violence. Classes are normally held on Thursdays from 1:30 – 3:30pm, but contact RSVP for further information.
• RSVP also puts on programs and workshops by request. Among commonly requested workshops are Supporting Survivors of Gender-based Harm in the Long Term, Crisis Support for Survivors of Gender-based Violence, and Creating Healthy Relationships. If you are interested in requesting a workshop, the form can be found here: https://uscstudentaffairs.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2rX5XMkmP2bToTH
• In the past, USC has hosted GLOW Exercise and Barre classes for sexual assault survivors. These don’t happen at a regular time, so it is important to keep an eye out for dates and times. All information about these programs can be given through RSVP.

Other resources include:

• Project Consent: A national program aimed at sexual violence survivor advocacy and support. USC’S own Hailey Robertson is acting managing director, and the project has an entire online support network through social media. You can contact them directly at hello@projectconsent.com or follow their Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook for more information, all @ProjectConsent
• Peace Over Violence: A California/LA based group that specializes in Sexual and Gender based Violence education, prevention, and advocacy. They partnered with the Downtown Women’s Center to provide the Trauma Recovery Center. The TRC has a host of resources for individuals experiencing or recovering from Sexual or Gender based Violence. All services are offered in English, Spanish, and American Sign Language. For more information visit https://www.peaceoverviolence.org/trauma-recovery-center/ or call (213) 955-9090.

If someone has come to you about their own assault:

• If the assault just occurred:
• Ensure they’re safe.
• Go through the above list with your friend. They likely are unaware that these resources exist or what steps to take next. Making your friend aware of their options is important, but never push them to do something they don’t want to do. 
• Offer to stay with your friend or to contact someone that they would like to stay with them
• Do not ask for details that aren’t volunteered; they are likely coming to you because they trust you, not to rehash the experience
• Ask what you can do to help them

• As healing is happening:
• Listen to the survivor and don’t interrogate. Sometimes they just need someone to talk to.
• Don’t blame your friend for anything that may have happened.
• Be sensitive: the situation is going to be hard for them to deal with. Never demand that they move on or brush off their feelings. Be patient.
• Realize that it may also be difficult for you, and that it’s okay for you to also have feelings residual from the assault. Take care of yourself too, and make sure that if you need to speak to someone about the situation at hand to seek out the help you need to feel comfortable again.
• Stick with them and be gentle. They are likely feeling alone and looking for support during such a difficult time.

If you believe you may have assaulted someone or are under investigation:

• If you feel you may have crossed a line, contact Student Counseling Services to talk through the experience and get advice. The service is entirely confidential and offers support as you address what may have happened. From there, they will be able to advise you on the best path moving forward.
• If you have been named the Respondent in a Title IX investigation, this time will be stressful, and it is important to stay calm and know your options.
• First and foremost, do NOT contact or confront the reporter. While it may seem like the best way to fix any misunderstandings, it will be seen as retaliation or malicious dissuasion. It is best to only contact the reporter through the means set up by the investigation if there are any.
• If you received the notification by email, make sure you respond to the email as soon as possible in order to avoid holds being placed on any of your university accounts.
• Immediately begin gathering and saving any evidence that may be necessary in defending yourself against the allegations. Save any text messages, voicemails, Facebook posts, etc. that may be helpful, and write down your own memory of the encounter. Make sure you include as many details as possible. This is important to do as soon as possible, so it’s still fresh in your mind, and you don’t lose details that may be helpful.
• Call a friend, family member, or someone else that you trust in order to support you through the investigation.
• Contact a respondent advisor, listed here: https://titleix.usc.edu/resources/list-of-title-ix-respondent-advisors/ , who will be able to help you through the investigation. You are also able to bring in an outside advisor if you so choose. These individuals will sign a confidentiality agreement before meeting with you to ensure the privacy of all those involved in the investigation. However, the university will not contact the advisor but instead you, so make sure you don’t make any decisions without speaking with your advisor.
• While the university will likely not change your status during the course of the investigation, there are certain circumstances in which you will be placed on interim protective measures if you are deemed a danger to the university. This does not necessarily mean that you are going to be found guilty of any allegations; in these cases, stay calm and move forward in a cooperative manner.
• It is the university’s goal to make sure everything is done within 60 calendar days. Sometimes, these investigations need to go on longer, but in theory, everything should be decided and done in two months.

If you’d like to get involved in Advocacy or Volunteering:

• Project Consent: Founded in 2014, Project Consent (PC) is an entirely online advocacy network meant to educate about sexual violence and support survivors. There are volunteers located globally, and the managing director, USC’s own Hailey Robertson, says they’re looking to start making physical chapters available on college campuses across the country. They hold seasonal campaigns like Red Zone (educating schools on the “Red Zone,” a time during the school year when sexual assaults are more prevalent) and Not a Yes (a campaign focusing on clothing freedom), and they sponsor women’s shelters and marches. Feel free to contact them on social media like Instagram and Twitter @ProjectConsent. They’re currently looking for a Social Media Manager, so if you’d like to apply, send your résumé and cover letter to hello@projectconsent.com. Otherwise, their normal volunteer applications will come out in January, so keep an eye on their website (projectconsent.com) for more information.
• Peace over Violence: Peace over Violence (PoV) is the current collaborator with RSVP services. They are a nonprofit and community based organization dedicated to violence-free relationships and communities. They focus on five different service departments: Emergency, Intervention, Prevention, Education, and Advocacy. As a feminist organization, they are aware of the historical and sociological impacts of current patriarchal society and are sensitive to feminist concerns in regards to partner gender-based violence. They believe that Violence is Preventable, and they take actions they feel are necessary in order to prevent and protect. If you’re interested in Volunteering for PoV, they have two different programs. Either you could work for their 24-Hour Crisis Hotline and Emergency Response program or for their Domestic Abuse Response Team. More information on both of those opportunities can be found here: https://www.peaceoverviolence.org/volunteer/ They also have internships for graduate students available, and more information on those can be found here: https://www.peaceoverviolence.org/internships/
• VOICE: Violence Outreach Intervention and Community Empowerment (VOICE) is a peer organized outreach group through RSVP that allows USC students to support survivors and advocate against further gender-based violence on campus. They serve as liaisons between survivors and RSVP counselors, encouraging open conversations between the university and the students. Usually, VOICE representatives will meet biweekly on Fridays between 1:15 and 3:15. If you’re interested in applying to be a VOICE representative, find more information and the application here: https://studenthealth.usc.edu/rsvp/voice/
• RSVP Internships: RSVP also has undergraduate internship opportunities for those interested in a longer term commitment to on-campus violence prevention. It is unpaid, but you may be able to receive course credit through SWMS 311 or other internship courses, it’ll just have to be approved first. They expect about 12 to 15 hours of on-site commitment per week, and that would include advertising RSVP and its services on campus and helping RSVP representatives with miscellaneous tasks as the organization prepares for various events on campus. You can find more information on the website here: https://studenthealth.usc.edu/rsvp/training-and-opportunities/ and if you would like to apply then send your letter of interest and résumé to BrendaKaye.Ingram@med.usc.edu

While I want the focus of this post to be on the resources available to USC students during the tough times following sexual violence, I feel it is also important to note how difficult it was to compile information together. It took incredible amounts of time to dig through website after website of advice, advocacy systems, and resource databases for victims that USC has set up. It makes information difficult to get to, and if you even find it, it’s difficult to interpret what is the most important. Many times, you would have to click on multiple tabs, get redirected to multiple different sites, and find random pages in order to get all of the information above.

Hopefully this can act as a single place with all possible resources available for survivors and others going through experiences related to assault. I also hope that this encourages students to get up and advocate for those survivors, even if it is just as small as demanding information about sexual assault resources be clearer and more prevalent for students on campus.

In the end, remember that we are here for you. As a student body, it is our duty to protect and support survivors in their time of need.

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