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Know Your Options

Rape Response serves victims/survivors of sexual abuse/assault, ages 13 and older as well as their loved ones who may also be impacted by an assault. We serve survivors of any type of sexual abuse/assault, no matter how long ago it happened. Some reach out immediately for options and support while others have waited years to tell anyone. Rape Response Advocates are ready to listen whenever you are ready to seek support. 

Call (770) 503-7273 or complete the form below to Request a Call from an Advocate.

Request a call from an Advocate

If you have an emergency or are currently in danger, please call 911. If you need to be speak with an Advocate immediately, please call our 24/7 crisis line at 770-503-7273. If this is not an emergency and you would like to speak with an Advocate, please complete the form below. An Advocate will contact you during our business hours.


Request a call from an Advocate

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Crisis Line

Our trained Advocates are available 24/7 to: 

  • Listen and help you process the assault
  • Inform you of your options with medical, law enforcement and other agencies
  • Provide crisis intervention
  • Provide referral services to counselors and other resources as needed
  • Provide a referral for medical aftercare for a follow up examination and screening for sexually transmitted infections 
  • Provide information on the best way to help a loved one who has been sexually assaulted
  • Provide assistance in filing Victims’ Compensation forms

Medical + Physical Help

After experiencing a sexual assault, many survivors are concerned with their physical health. Below are options survivors have to ensure their physical health is maintained after an assault. 

If the assault happened within 5 days or less:

Please contact Rape Response at (770) 503-7273 for information on setting up a Forensic Medical Exam with us. Rape Response has a space set aside where Forensic Medical Exams are conducted in a private exam room. A Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner will collect evidence, examine and document any injuries and offer preventative treatment for possible pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

Survivors can get a Forensic Medical Exam without making a report to law enforcement (as long as the victim is 18 years or older).

If you are outside of our service area, you can call our crisis line and an advocate will help connect you to resources near you.

If the assault occurred more than 5 days ago:

You can seek medical attention from your local health department or any other healthcare provider.

Contact Rape Response for information on receiving free medical aftercare from local health departments.

Medical aftercare:

Rape Response can provide you with a referral to any health department in our service area for FREE medical aftercare. If you received a Forensic Medical Exam one aftercare visit can be provided. If you did not receive a Forensic Medical Exam, two aftercare visits can be provided. A medical aftercare visit includes a medical examination and screening for sexually transmitted infections.

Reporting Options

Reporting to law enforcement:

If you want to report to law enforcement, you may do so at any time. However, the sooner you report the crime, the stronger the case may be. It is an individual decision and adults (ages 18 or older) are not required to report the crime. To report an assault, contact law enforcement in the county/jurisdiction where the assault happened. If you have questions about the reporting process, a Rape Response Advocate can provide information and help you to understand your options.

What to expect from law enforcement:

The law enforcement officer will create a crime report and assign a tracking number to the crime. Reporting the assault to law enforcement as soon as possible may help a victim/survivor in relaying details that are still readily available. Trauma has the potential to impact a survivor’s capacity to narrate one’s sexual assault. Even if the report takes place days or months later, it’s important to report the most accurate and comprehensive details, such as:

  • Sequence of event(s)
  • Timeframe / length of event(s)
  • Words that were exchanged
  • Physical assault / injury
  • Weapons used
  • Bodily fluids seen or felt
  • Unusual details
  • Grooming / premeditation behavior by the perpetrator

The police interview may take as long as several hours, depending on the circumstances of the case. Some questions will probably feel intrusive, and the officer will probably go over the details of the assault several times. it is the officer’s job to get every detail down precisely in order to make the strongest possible case against the perpetrator.

To read more about working with law enforcement click here.

Victim Notification for Survivors

In 2017, the Sexual Assault Kit Victim Notification Portal was created to assist survivors of sexual assault who believe their sexual assault kit may not have been previously tested. Survivors can visit notify.svrga.org to communicate their preferences regarding notification of reopened investigations and prosecutions.

Fact…

7% of girls in grades 5-8 and 12% of girls in grades 9-12 said they had been sexually abused

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