Frequently Asked Questions

 

• Getting Help
• Campus Locations
• Reporting an Incident
• Alcohol and Other Drugs
• Giving Support
• Filing a Conduct Referral

Getting Help

Is there someone I can talk to about what happened to me?

• You have several on and off-campus options if you want to talk with someone about sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking, or harassment. The Women’s Center at Virginia Tech has trained advocates and counselors who can provide you with support, advocacy, information, accompaniment, and counseling. You can also choose to talk with someone from the Cook Counseling Center who can offer you support and short-term counseling. If you prefer to talk with someone outside of the university, you can call the Women’s Resource Center of the New River Valley for support, advocacy, shelter, information, accompaniment, and counseling.

How much will it cost me if I go to the hospital or talk to a counselor?

• Many medical and support services are available to you free of charge or at a nominal cost. If you are concerned about medical costs and/or need financial assistance, contact the Women's Center at Virginia Tech or the Women's Resource Center of the NRV. Don't let cost stop you from getting the support you need.

If I seek counseling or support from the Women's Center, Women's Resource Center, or Cook Counseling Center, will the police or anyone else be contacted?

• Services provided by the Women's Resource Center and Cook Counseling Center are confidential; services provided by the Women's Center are private. Private means that in certain situations, information may be shared with other university departments in order to assist survivors, to provide for the safety of survivors, and/or provide for the safety of the campus community. Even if the police, Title IX Coordinator, or other university official is notified, you do not have participate in any university process. The Women's Center at Virginia Tech can work with you and advocate for you through any processes.

How will I get my work done?

• If you are concerned about academic assignments, papers, or exams you may need some assistance in getting some academic relief. Contact the Dean of Students Office (540/231-3787) or the Women's Center at Virginia Tech (540/231-7806).

Campus Locations

Where is the Women's Center at Virginia Tech located?

• The Women's Center is located just off-campus at 206 Washington Street (between Otey & Draper).

Where is the Office of Student Conduct located?

• The Office of Student Conduct is located in New Hall West, Suite 141 (near Cochrane and Harper residence halls).

Where is the Virginia Tech Police Department located?

• The Virginia Tech Police Department is located in the Sterrett Facilities Complex off of Southgate Road (behind Lane Stadium). There is also a satellite office in War Memorial Gym.

Reporting an Incident

What if I want someone to know this happened but I don't want to make an official report?

• While you will never be forced to make an official report or complaint to the university, it is important for you to know that most university employees are required to pass certain types of information on to the Title IX Coordinator and/or police. If the situation involves a threat to individual or community safety, the university may take action even if that is not what you want. The Women's Center at Virginia Tech can work with you and advocate for you through any processes.
• The Women's Resource Center of the New River Valley, Cook Counseling Center, and Schiffert Health Center offer the highest level of confidentiality; exceptions to confidentiality include responses to a court order or to a subpoena, or instances in which there are serious threats to hurt self or others, abuse of a minor child, or abuse of an elderly person.
• At Virginia Tech you have the option of making an anonymous police report to the VT Police Department through this site. Note that the police and the university may be limited in their ability to respond if they do not have enough information about the incident.

I might want to report to my sexual assault to the police, but I’m not sure yet. Can I still have physical evidence collected (a PERK exam)?

• Yes – as long as the assault happened within the last 72 hours, you can have the PERK exam done without making a police report. You will not be responsible for the cost of the exam either. Keep in mind that the purpose of the PERK is to collect forensic evidence after a sexual assault; both Montgomery Regional Hospital (Blacksburg) and Carilion Medical Center of the NRV (Radford) have forensic nurses. Schiffert Health Center cannot collect forensic evidence, but can provide you with routine medical treatment (including STI and pregnancy testing, as well as emergency contraception). A specially trained advocate from the Women’s Center at Virginia Tech or the Women’s Resource Center of the NRV can give you more information about the PERK exam.

Who is going to find out? Will my parents find out?

• Most information about you is protected by federal law, meaning information is only shared outside the university with your permission and is only shared within the university on a need to know basis in order to provide you or others with appropriate services or to provide for the safety of the campus community. Every effort will be made to work with you during the release of information.

If I talk to someone at the Women's Center at Virginia Tech, will it automatically go to Student Conduct or the police?

• Talking with someone at the Women's Center is a completely different process from talking with someone at Student Conduct or the police. It is your choice whether or not to file a CR or make a police report. In cases of sexual assault or harassment, as well as other situations impacting the safety of the community, the Women's Center is required by federal law to pass certain information on to the Title IX Coordinator or the Virginia Tech police. In some situations, the university may take action even if that is not what you want. The Women's Center will work with you and advocate for you through that process if it occurs.

What will happen if I go to the police?

• Reporting an assault to the police is your choice. There is no requirement that you report the assault to the police. You may have mixed feelings about whether or not to report. You may feel torn about not wanting to do anything and wanting to hold this person responsible so that he or she does not hurt you or anyone else again. Going to the police can be intimidating. You have the option of having an advocate from the Women's Center at Virginia Tech or the Women's Resource Center go with you.
• If you choose to report to the police, an officer will want to sit with you and ask detailed questions about what, where, when, and how the incident occurred. Many of these questions may be hard to answer and may feel invasive. The police officer will be trying to get as much information so that he/she can thoroughly investigate the case. If the assault occurred within the past 72 hours you will also have the option of having a Physical Evidence Recovery Kit (PERK) exam done at the hospital. The police will also interview any other witnesses (this often includes the perpetrator). Once the police have investigated the case, they will present the evidence to the Commonwealth’s Attorney who will then decide if there is enough evidence to go to court.
• Federal legislation requires the VTPD to provide crime alerts to the community when they learn of a crime that constitutes an ongoing or continuing serious threat to the university community. If a crime alert is issued, your name and personally indentifying information will not be released; pertient details about the crime may be released. If you have a question about a crime alert, talk to someone at the Women's Center at Virginia Tech or the VTPD.
• You have the right to change your mind at any point in the process. You may also have an advocate with you throughout the process.

Alcohol and Other Drugs

I was drinking when I was assaulted. Am I going to get into trouble with Student Conduct or the police if I report my sexual assault?

• No. Virginia Tech and the Blacksburg police look to the "higher crime," which in this case would be the sexual assault. If you were violating a university alcohol policy or were drinking underage while you were assaulted, we encourage you to report the assault and be honest about your behavior. Giving the police and officials from the Office of Student Conduct all of the information, including information about drinking or drug use, can help them better understand what happened. If you have concerns, you can always talk with someone from the Women's Center at Virginia Tech or the Women's Resource Center of the NRV before talking with the police or Student Conduct.

What are the most common drugs used to facilitate sexual assaults?

• The most common drug used to facilitate sexual assaults is alcohol (at least 90% of sexual assaults involved alcohol). Other common drugs are GHB, Rohypnol, and Ketamine. Over-the-counter and recreational drugs can also be used in sexual assaults. Keep in mind that whether these drugs were taken voluntarily or involuntarily, using drugs, including alcohol, to incapacitate someone in order to have sex with them is illegal and against the student code of conduct. Even if you did not pass out or black out, it could still be possible that you were too intoxicated or incapacitated to give consent. You can always talk with someone from the Women’s Center at Virginia Tech or the Women’s Resource Center of the NRV regardless of whether or not what happened to you meets the legal criteria for rape or sexual assault.

Who do these drugs affect?

• These drugs affect both men and women. Men can drug women; women can drug men; women can drug women; and men can drug men. These types of drugs are also used recreationally and can be taken voluntarily in order to get high.

How do I know if I was drugged?

While it is difficult to tell if you were drugged without specific medical testing, some common signs include:

• Higher than normal level of intoxication for the amount of alcohol or drugs consumed.
• Waking up with no memory of the night before, waking up in strange surroundings with no memory of getting there.
• Noticing signs of sexual activity with no memory of engaging in sexual activity.
• Remembering someone engaging in sexual activity with you, but feeling paralyzed and unable to react in the moment.

If I think I was drugged, what should I do?

• Go to the hospital and ask for a PERK exam and a drug test. Tell the forensic nurse you think you were drugged and ask them to test for GHB and Rohypnol in addition to the drugs they routinely test for. Keep in mind that tests for most drugs must be done within 48-72 hours. If this time period has passed, it is not too late. Write down everything you can remember and consider reporting your suspicions to the police.

Giving support

How can I help a friend who was assaulted?

• Listen to your friend.
• Believe your friend.
• Tell your friend what happened was not her or his fault.
• Keep their information private.
• Offer resources to them (like the Women's Center at Virginia Tech or Women's Resource Center).

How can I help stop things like sexual assault, relationship violence, and stalking from happening on campus?

As individual members of this community, we all have a great deal of power and can work together to create a campus environment that does not tolerate violence and abuse - this is being an active bystander. Individual actions can create some of the strongest and long lasting changes. Here are a few suggestions:

• Get educated and educate others – learn about these forms of violence and how to support survivors. Take everyday moments to educate your friends and family.
• Speak up – don’t let offensive, derogatory, or abusive comments go unchallenged, particularly among your friends and classmates. Speak up about other forms of prejudice and discrimination – oppression feeds off of itself.
• Listen to your own language – saying things like “you throw like a girl” or “that’s so gay” sends a message that those groups (in this case, women and people in the LGBT communities) are inferior.
• Look out for your friends and fellow Hokies – if you see someone who looks like they are in trouble, ask if they are okay. If you see a friend doing something potentially wrong or inappropriate, say something.
• Get involved – there are many ways to get involved in these issues on campus. Join SAVES – the university’s anti-violence peer education group. Volunteer with the Women's Resource Center of the NRV or join another campus or community group.

Filing a Conduct Referral

How do I make a referral?

To make a referral to Student Conduct, simply write or type a statement of the alleged incident, sign and date it and mail or deliver it to Student Conduct. Be sure to include the name of the student you are charging (or as much of the name as you know and any other identifying information) on the referral.

What happens after the referral is submitted?

Student Conduct will read the referral, assign charges and in many cases, set up separate pre-hearing conferences with you and the charged student(s). After that meeting, the date and time for the hearing will be determined. They will make every effort to accommodate all students' academic schedules when setting the hearing time.

Do I have to see the student that I am bringing charges against?

In most cases, yes. It is the right of the charged student to confront the accuser. Your statements, witnesses and questions of the charged student give the hearing officer more information to make a fair and informed decision. However, the charged student may not question you directly during the hearing. If you are concerned about your safety, contact Student Conduct and they will require the charged student to have no contact with you from the time you make the referral until after the outcome of the hearing.

Is there a limit on how long I have to make a referral?

A referral should be made as quickly as possible. However, the case can be heard as long as the charged student is still a student at the time the referral is brought forward.

How can I prepare for the conduct hearing?

• In cases of sexual assault, the university will investigate the referral. In all other cases, you will need to arrange for any witnesses, information, or documentation you want included in the hearing. The Women's Center at Virginia Tech can help you with this.Be prepared to discuss the circumstances of the incident.
• Pay attention to how the facts of the incident constitute a violation of the university policy.
• Attempt to keep emotion out of your statements.
• The hearing is a forum to decide the facts of the incident in question. Past history and prior records will not be considered during the hearing. Only after the student is found responsible will past history be relevant when determining the sanction.
• The hearing officer and the charged student have the right to question your statement. This is not a personal attack but an attempt to gain as much information and clarification as possible. You also have the right to question the charged student and any witnesses.
• Consider preparing a summary statement. This information can be a recap of the events in question and may help the hearing officer reach a decision.
• Consider brainstorming a list of questions and making notes prior to the hearing.
• For more information on the hearing process, please visit www.studentconduct.vt.edu.

 

 

Grant statement: This project was supported by grant # 2005-WA-AX-0020 awarded by the Violence Against Women Office, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Points of View in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

 

 

Last updated 05/09/2012