24
Hour MTA Sexual Assault Crisis Line 540-7427
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Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault are not your fault!
S.H.A.R.E. is the best way to CARE for yourself and your friends.
Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault can happen to anyone. Students, active in all aspects of community life, are no exception. After harassment or assault, normal parts of daily life like going to classes, going to work, studying and socializing become anything BUT usual. S.H.A.R.E. is available to all students regardless of whether a crime occurs on or off campus. You do not have to file a police report to get services from S.H.A.R.E.
S.H.A.R.E. staff have training as Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners. The Coordinator has over 20 years of experience working with victims. The university Nurse Educator can provide medical followup at the Student Health Centre such as testing for STIs and emergency contraception. S.H.A.R.E. staff work in concert with the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Programme at the Moncton City Hospital where important procedures and medications are available quickly, and free of cost.
- What are my options?
- What happens if I…?
- How can I?
- missed classes or work,
- room change,
- course disruptions,
- safety planning and concerns
S.H.A.R.E. can help with ongoing distractions or interruptions (involvement in any judicial processes/appearances) and work to resolve any matters or concerns that arise related to the crime and its impact on the college experience.
Services are provided within a framework that is confidential, attentive, sensitive and knowledgeable so that no matter where our students live, work and socialize, if there is ever a need, there is a wealth of assistance through S.H.A.R.E.
- explain the reporting process and assist the student, if he/she chooses, in filing a report with the appropriate law enforcement agency;
- serve as the spokesperson for the student within the MtA community so that the victim's privacy and dignity are maintained in all aspects of intervention and assistance and, as necessary, to serve as liaison with individuals off campus;
- work with the student to reasonably accommodate possible disruption to the student's class attendance, class work, academic schedule, or initiating necessary changes that may result from the immediate incident and its impact;
- offer immediate crisis intervention and initial support;
- explain the victim's rights, responsibilities and options;
- assist in locating appropriate on campus and community resources, information or remedy to meet the student's specific immediate and ongoing needs; and
- This program provides confidential and comprehensive victim assistance at one convenient location. All contact with C.A.R.E. is handled with the utmost discretion and with the consent of the individual being served.
S.H.A.R.E. is piloting a Crisis Support programme in September, October
and November 2007. Call S.H.A.R.E. 24 hours a day at 540-7427
S.H.A.R.E.provides support to male and female survivors
as well as their
supporters. S.H.A.R.E. provides options, information, support and crisis
intervention as appropriate. Trained S.H.A.R.E. staff will accompany the
victim to the hospital, police, university judicial, court, and other
related emergency and non-emergency appointments. We provide advocacy
for victims as well as concrete support such as transportation, arranging
emergency shelter, and liaison with faculty.
It is probable that less than 10% of victims of violent crime report to police. Why? When asked, victims list a host of issues – embarrassment, loss of privacy, fear of reprisal, fear of being ostracized by their peers, fear of being removed from university by parents, possible media attention – the list is long. The 2005 Research for Practice Report sponsored by the US National Institute of Justice, notes that confidential reporting is considered a best practice. Confidential reporting allows the victim to decide whether to file an official report and still get the information and intervention a victim needs, as well as allowing the crime to be counted, if appropriate, in national crime statistics. Students working with S.H.A.R.E. are given confidentiality using Information Release Forms. These forms allow S.H.A.R.E. to disclose as much or as little (or no information) to anyone – parents, professors, administrators - as dictated by the victim. While we strongly encourage victims to disclose such information to parents and are glad many do so, we neither mandate that they disclose nor call parents. Within the victim services arena, giving control to a victim who is of legal age -- control that was taken away by the offender -- is an essential element to a recovery process. Eliminating the "chilling effect" that prevents students from getting the information and assistance they need is why we have a S.H.A.R.E. Program. Our mission is to safeguard the rights of victims so that their voices may be heard, their choices valued and their recovery process may become a constructive reclamation of life.
Whether one is the direct victim of a crime, the roommate, the best friend, the boyfriend called immediately after a victimization, or the witness to a crime, there is fallout that needs to be addressed, questions to be answered, decisions to be made, and short- and long-term ongoing needs to be met -- all related to the initial victimization. So, whether you’re looking at missed classes or classwork; emergency needs; anticipated disruption that may occur due to involvement in the a judicial or criminal court process, or you need resources to deal with the fallout, S.H.A.R.E. has the knowledge, experience and resources to help.
Is
C.A.R.E. a counselling program?
While counselling is a valuable component in the recovery process for
a victim, S.H.A.R.E.’s focus is to look at the overall picture of
the victim’s needs, providing or obtaining information, serving
as the liaison so that the student can retain privacy in all campus-related
interventions (such as with professors for missed classes), and meeting
the distinct needs relating to the crime itself or its impact. Excellent
counseling services are available through Student Life by calling 364-2255.
S.H.A.R.E. can make referrals to Personal Counsellors at students’
request.
Absolutely! We realize that not all victims choose to report. In fact, students are less likely than non-students to report violence committed against them. As advocates, S.H.A.R.E.’s role is to ensure that you have information that can help you make choices based on your needs, provide intervention that is discreet and does not identify information you wish to keep private, and offer resources that specifically address your immediate and long-term needs.
The fact is that most crimes committed against students occur off campus and that holds true even for those who live on campus. If you become a victim of a crime, no matter where the crime occurs on or off campus, S.H.A.R.E. services are available free of charge to all currently enrolled students.
S.H.A.R.E. can help after any incident considered a crime against the person. Examples include any form of discrimination or harassment, sexual or physical assault, and relationship violence. S.H.A.R.E. recognizes that both males and females, are vulnerable to any type of crime. S.H.A.R.E. is here to help you, the student, to get the help you need.
How
can I reach S.H.A.R.E.?
For non-emergency assistance call the S.H.A.R.E. office at 364-2613.
You can make an appointment through the Student Health Centre by calling
the receptionist at 364-2163.
Emergency response (for an incident that has just occurred) is available
by calling 540-7247.
The S.H.A.R.E. Office is located at 15 Salem Street on the main floor.
What
our students are saying about S.H.A.R.E. services:
"Explanation
of rights/options was beneficial. Once professors saw S.H.A.R.E. was involved,
they didn’t ask me questions and understood that was why I missed
class sometimes. I didn’t want to talk to anyone about this other
than S.H.A.R.E."
"Talking with S.H.A.R.E. helped me feel comfortable enough to speak with my parents. I wasn’t going to tell them. I really needed to do that. Also, S.H.A.R.E. helped me deal with faculty without having to release details or invade my privacy."
"Thanks to S.H.A.R.E. I knew my daughter was being well taken care
of."
"Everyone needs to be aware of this program."
"Thanks. I appreciate everything you’ve done. I’m thinking
of pursuing a career in victim services after I graduate."
Why get a sexual assault protocol exam?
During a sexual assault protocol exam, the following may be collected as evidence:
- Head hair and pubic hair combings
- Fingernail scrapings
- Oral, rectal, and vaginal cultures and smears with specimens sent to crime lab for DNA testing and STI testing
- Blood draws for syphilis testing and crime lab testing
- Clothing worn at the time of the crime
At the same time, the patient will receive examination and treatment for injuries, sexual transmitted diseases, possible pregnancy. Medications and followup will also be arranged. Since sexual assault protocol exams are specialized exams, conducted by medical staff specifically trained in this area, not every hospital has the capability of performing them.
- Examination and testing for STIs
- Access to morning after pill within 72 hours of the assault
- Pregnancy testing
- Referrals
for further treatment and counseling
- Shock
- Denial
- Fear
- Confusion
- General Nervousness and/or Anxiety
- Withdrawal
- Guilt
- Distrust of others
- Symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Emotional detachment
- Sleep disturbances
- Flashbacks and/or Mental replay of assault
- Depression
- Attempted or completed suicide
- Alienation
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Unhealthy diet-related behaviors such as appetite loss or overeating
- Vomiting
- Strained relationships with the victim’s family, friends, and intimate partners
- Less emotional support from friends and family
- Less frequent contact with friends and relatives
- Lower likelihood of further sexual relationships
- Unprotected sex
- Choosing unhealthy sexual partners
- Having multiple sex partners
- Trading sex for food, money, or other items
- Using
or abusing harmful substances, including:
o cigarettes
o alcohol
o drugs (Champion et al. 2004; Jewkes, Sen, and Garcia-Moreno 2002; Raj, Silverman, and Amaro 2000)