Title IX & Sexual Offenses

To address immediate medical concerns:

• If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency contact 911 (or 9-911 from a campus phone). Be sure to note which campus you are on as it will better direct the emergency personnel.
• You can visit Century College Health Services for basic medical care.
• The closest urgent medical care is St. John’s Hospital.
• SOS Sexual Violence Services can provide medical onsite advocacy for hospitals in Ramsey County (Regions, St. Joseph’s, and St. John’s Hospitals). They can be reached 24-hours a day at 651-266-1000.
• The Minnesota Day One Crisis Hotline can connect you with the nearest agency in your geographical area and other support services. This service can be reached at 1-866-223-1111.

To address immediate safety concerns:

• Call 911 (or 9-911 from a campus phone). Be sure to note which campus you are on as it will better direct the emergency personnel.
• Call 651-747-4000 (or 4000) for Century College Campus Safety

If you have experienced sexual harassment or sexual assault, there are a number of resources available to you.

• Personal counseling is available in the Advising, Counseling, and Career Center at Century College
• The GPS LifePlan website has various community resources including health care, suicide, and temporary living
• Resources Cornerstone (866-223-1111) and SOS Sexual Violence Services (651-266-1000) are both excellent at crisis support and education. They provide support groups, 24-hour crisis services, safety planning, and legal advocacy (and other services).

To find out about support services and accommodations on campus, contact Jenn Rassett, Title IX Coordinator. You can learn about interim accommodations such as academic and workplace adjustments and you can learn about the formal resolution process.

When someone you care about has been assaulted, you may feel upset and confused. At a time when you may want to help most; you might be dealing with a crisis of your own. Your support at a time like this can be extremely helpful to a victim of sexual assault. Here are some guidelines to help you through this time:

Believe. Believe her/his experience without question. Do not blame them. Whatever the circumstances s/he was not looking for or asking to be assaulted. It is very common for the victim of a sexual assault to blame themselves. The blame for rape rests squarely and only with the assailant. There is no way of knowing what would have happened if the victim had acted differently.

Respect. Respect her/his fear. Assailants commonly threaten to harm the victim if s/he does not comply. Often victims feared that they would not survive the assault. This fear does not go away when the rapist does. This fear is real. Help her/him deal with it by finding ways to increase their safety.

Accept. There may be strong feelings. S/he has the right to any emotion: to be numb, sad, angry, in denial, terrified, depressed, agitated, withdrawn, etc. Being supportive is an attitude of acceptance of all feelings, an atmosphere of warmth and safety. Tolerate their needs; be there for them.

Listen. Let them know you want to listen. It does not matter so much what you say, but more how you listen. Try to understand what they are going through. They did the very best they knew how in a threatening situation. They survived. Give them credit.

• Let them talk; do not interrupt.
• Find time to focus on the victim. Ask what they need from you.
• You may feel nervous about stalls and silences. It’s okay to be quiet.
• Try repeating back the things they’ve said as a way to continue the talking.
• Reassure them that they are not to blame. Blaming questions such as, "Why didn't you scream?" or "Why did you go there?" are not helpful. Instead, you might say, "It's difficult to scream when you are frightened" or "Going someplace unfamiliar is risky, but you were not asking to be assaulted."

Take it seriously. Pay attention. This will help validate the seriousness of their feelings and her/his need to work them through. Sexual assault can be a shattering experience which a victim does not get over in a hurry or alone. It may be months or longer before s/he feels fully recovered. Recovery is a process of acceptance and healing which takes time.

Stay. Stay with them as long as they want you to. One of the most upsetting losses experienced by rape victims is the loss of independence and solitude. For a while, many victims feel frightened and vulnerable about being alone. This will pass with time. Meanwhile, be good company.

Let the victim make their own decisions. Do not pressure them into making decisions or doing things they are not ready to do. Help them explore all the options. It is essential to respect privacy and confidentiality. Let them decide who knows about the sexual assault.

Care about their well-being. In order to care about your friend, you may need to cope with some difficult emotions of your own. If you are experiencing rage, blame or changes in how you feel about your friend/relative, you can be most helpful by finding ways of coping with your own emotions. Sexual assault is not provoked nor desired by the victim. In fact, sexual assault is motivated by the assailant's need for power and control, and a desire to humiliate and degrade the victim. Advocacy programs in your area have staff/volunteers that can help people sort through their feelings and emotions.

Content modified from OIIR Illinois.

Their mission is dedicated to bringing hope, healing and recovery to people’s lives. They achieve this by helping children, adolescents, adults and families who struggle with mental health, chemical health, and domestic and sexual abuse.

Make an appointment at one of our clinic locations by calling (651) 777-5222. Check out their locations here.