Sexual violence or physical abuse, whether committed by students, employees, volunteers, or visitors occurring on college-owned or controlled property, immediately adjacent to such property, at college sponsored or supervised functions, or related to or arising from college attendance or activity, is a violation of policies and regulations, and is subject to all applicable punishment, including criminal and/or civil prosecution and employee or student discipline procedures.

Sexual assault is a crime of violence. It is estimated that more than 80 percent of all sexual assaults involve the use of weapons, or the threat of violence or death. Rapists often look for potential victims who appear weak or vulnerable; however, anyone can be a victim of a sexual assault, regardless of behavior or appearance. Rape can happen to any person, anywhere or any time. In a significant number of cases, the rapist is known to the victim.

Sexual Assault Definitions

Dating Violence

Dating violence is abuse or mistreatment that occurs in either a heterosexual or in same-sex relationship. It may take place at any time during the dating process – when two people first meet and become interested in one another, on their first date, during their courtship, once they have been involved with each other for some time, or after the relationship has ended.

Intimate Partner (Domestic) Violence

Intimate partner violence is physical, sexual, or psychological harm by a current or former partner or spouse. This type of violence can occur among heterosexual or same-sex couples and does not require sexual intimacy.

Rape

Rape is unwanted, coerced and/or forced sexual penetration. The perpetrator may penetrate the victim's vagina, mouth, or anus, with either a body part or another object. The victim may also be forced to penetrate the perpetrator's vagina, mouth, or anus. Any sexual contact against the wishes and without the consent of the violated person, whether by a stranger or by an acquaintance, whether against a woman or a man, is a violation of the law. Consent cannot be given if the person is asleep, intoxicated, unconscious, mentally disordered, under threat of force, or for any other reason unable to communicate willingness to participate in sexual activity. Intercourse under any of these circumstances is rape.

Sexual Harassment

Sexual Harassment is unwanted verbal sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other visual, verbal, or physical conduct of a sexual nature. Sexual harassment can also include stalking, voyeurism ("peeping Toms"), exhibitionism/exposing, and obscene comments and phone calls. Sexual harassment can occur in the workplace, school, and other settings (such as public transportation, shopping malls, community events, social gatherings, places of worship, or health care facilities) and can create an intimidating or hostile environment for the victim. The perception of the victim, not the intent of the harasser, determines whether particular words or actions are harassing.

Sexual Violation

Sexual violation is use of sexual contact behaviors that are unwanted by and/or harmful to another person, but do not involve penetration. This can include touching or rubbing against a non-consenting person in public ("frottage"), forced masturbation, and non-consensual touching of the breasts, buttocks, genitals, and other sexualized body parts by another person.

Stalking

While legal definitions of stalking vary from one jurisdiction to another, a good working definition of stalking is a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear. A stalker is someone who willfully, maliciously and repeatedly follows or harasses another (victim) and who makes a credible threat with the intent to place the victim or victim's immediate family in fear for their safety.

Any person who has been the victim of sexual violence is strongly urged to report the situation as soon as possible to a College official and the local Law Enforcement agency. Any person with information regarding sexual violence on campus should contact a College official and the local Law Enforcement agency as soon as possible.

Other Facts about Sexual Assault

Eight Ways to Avoid Rape

  1. Always walk briskly. Look alert and confident. Avoid carrying objects requiring the use of both arms.
  2. Stay away from isolated areas, day or night.
  3. Never walk alone when it is dark.
  4. If you are being followed, get away fast, change directions, and walk/run to a crowded area.
  5. Keep all doors to your car and residence locked at all times.
  6. Before you drive home, call your family, a friend, or a roommate so they will expect you and are aware if you are excessively late.
  7. Encourage group activities in the early stages of a relationship.
  8. Take a self-defense course.

What You Can Do in a Risky Situation

  • Stay calm and think out what your options are and how safe it would be to resist.
  • Say "No" strongly. Do not smile. Do not act polite or friendly.
  • Say something like "Stop it! This is rape!"
  • If the attacker is unarmed, fight back physically. Attack the most vulnerable parts of the body.
  • Shout "Fire" and escape as soon as possible.
  • If the attacker is armed, try to talk him out of continuing the assault or try passive resistance such as pretending to faint, or vomit.

Intervention Referral Services

Pasco-Hernando State College offers intervention referral services to every person who reports an alleged sexual assault to a College official.

List of Intervention Referral Services

  • A College representative shall contact the victim's advocate office of the local law enforcement agency and shall encourage the apparent victim to speak to a representative of that office and to take advantage of the services provided by that office. In the event that the local law enforcement agency has no victim's advocate office, then the College representative shall contact the victim's assistance agency that is recommended or utilized by the local law enforcement agency.
  • The College shall provide the apparent victim with information about local counseling and crisis assistance agencies and shall encourage the apparent victim to take advantage of the services provided by those agencies. The College shall designate a College employee to serve as the victim advocate for the apparent victim. The victim advocate shall be responsible for maintaining regular contact with the apparent victim and shall assist with the coordination of the services to be provided to the apparent victim.
  • The College shall encourage the apparent victim to obtain all appropriate medical evaluation and treatment as soon as possible.
  • The College shall encourage the apparent victim to report the incident to the local law enforcement agency for criminal investigation and prosecution and shall offer to assist the apparent victim with making contact with the local law enforcement agency.
  • If the apparent victim is a student, the College shall assist the student with making class or campus changes, notifying the student's instructors of any special needs of the student, or assisting with the withdrawal of the student from classes, as may be appropriate under the circumstances.
  • If the apparent victim is an employee, the College shall assist the employee with processing a leave of absence request, as appropriate.
  • In all cases, the College shall treat all of the information received from the apparent victim as strictly confidential and shall make the information available on only a strict need-to-know basis.