What to do if you are sexually harassed in school or college?

Many times when sexual harassment happens there are many who are too quick to jump to conclusions. Just Google the Duke LaCrosse case and Mike Nifong about that! Nifong destroyed his life over jumping to conclusions and political correctness. Many members of the media and Duke executives make themselves look pretty silly when they realized they were made a fool.

Though those boys should not have hired a stripper though! What agency did they use? Lots of lessons in this case. Now ESPN is making movies about this and Nifong’s name will always be synonymous with dirt and leaping to conclusions.

Furthermore, some will inevitably say that he/she must have done something to provoke the harasser. For the most part, this is a totally wrong approach. That is what they say in Arab run countries.

In other words you are blaming the victim when you should be holding the harasser responsible. If you are student it is vital to know your rights in case you are sexually harassed on campus. If you are employed at a school or college, you also have the right to pursue action against the harasser and/or employer.

Sexual harassment lawyers point out that harassment is often meted out by known people. This means that victims often face assault from unexpected quarters and so they are often unable to react in a timely fashion to stop the harasser. They are caught off guard. Their trust is broken.

If you study sexual assaults you will not be able to identify a set pattern. This means that most attacks are random. This is why there is no way of predicting an assault. Reactions vary from person to person. For instance, some will attempt to fight back while others will be too confused to stop the harassment. There are different reasons why some people choose not to fight back.

Sexual harassment attorneys say that often the victims are too scared to repel. Sometimes when a friend or a relative is involved victims often desist from taking extreme action because they are afraid of hurting the perpetrator or perhaps, because they blame themselves for their ill-fate.

What steps will you take after you are assaulted?

 Do not stay at the location of the assault. Get away from the crime scene and go to an area where you feel safe and contact someone you trust and reveal the incident. Sexual harassment lawyers say that you must report the assault to the appropriate school or college authorities immediately.

Get a Forensic and Physical Exam

A forensic and physical exam can not only help you catch the culprit but you can also get medication to prevent various sexual transmitted diseases and pregnancy. This is why it is a step widely recommended by a sexual harassment lawyer. You will be also thoroughly examined by a nurse who will collect physical evidence of the assault.

How to protect forensic evidence after an assault?

To begin with, you must submit to a forensic analysis as soon as possible. If would be prudent not to bathe/shower until the examination is conducted and if the assault happened in your room do not wash or dispose of the linen. If you think that you must change clothes (which is understandable) get hold of a brown paper bag and place all your clothes and accessories in the bag. Never use a plastic bag because you will inevitably contaminate the evidence. You must try to handover the evidence as soon as possible but it can be preserved for 72 hours though.

Start the process of recovery immediately. Your bodily wounds will perhaps heal sooner than your mental trauma. So speak with a counselor who is authorized by your college or someone else you know and trust such as a priest.

If you are assaulted or face any type of harassment on campus, make sure to reach out to a sexual harassment lawyer who can guide you on how to proceed legally. With the involvement of a legal counselor school authorities will know that you are serious about pursuing the matter legally, and will take necessary steps to support you. If they do not, that same legal representative you have hired will know what to do.    

You do not have to worry about someone like Mike Nifong being on this website (Sexual-Harassment-USAttorneys) or Nifong himself since he has been disbarred. This website is what you can use to find that legal help. If you need to target the school, then so be it. You certainly need to target the person who did this to send him and anyone else a lesson. There could be other people to target as well. Listen to your lawyer.

Contact us if you need any assistance.