SafePlace Programs
Sexual Assault Advocacy
Legally, sexual assault is any unwanted sexual act a person is forced to perform or receive that includes touching of the genitals or breasts. This includes rape, sodomy, touching or oral sex where the victim is unwilling or unable to give verbal consent -- including being under 16 years old, intoxicated, drugged or unconscious. If you have been raped or sexually assaulted and need help call our 24-hour hotline 828-385-1716. See also "If You Have Been Raped" below.
The number of rapes and sexual assaults are staggering:
- Every day two people are raped or sexually assaulted in our area.
- 90% of Mitchell County rape and sexual assault survivors knew the person who assaulted them.
- One in six adult women in the US has been raped sometime in her life.
- Every 5.7 minutes someone is raped in the United States
- 11.7 million women and 2.1 million men have been forced to have sex during their lifetime.
Only 20% of rape survivors actually report the rape or sexual assault. This means if 100 rapes are reported to police, another 400 women, children or men did not report the crime.
Survivors can reach out to the Mitchell County SafePlace Hotline (828-765-4044 or 828-385-1716) to get information and help in deciding if reporting a rape or assault is something they want to do. If you have just been assaulted, an advocate from SafePlace can assist you with hospital accompaniment, legal support, counseling and Victim’s Compensation.
Acquaintance Rape or Date Rape
Acquaintance rape occurs when a date, friend, co-worker, teacher or someone known by the victim uses physical force, threats, intimidation or drugs and alcohol to force sex or a sexual assault.
Young people may be at higher risk of acquaintance rape. As they are learning about relationships and testing or creating boundaries for themselves, they may be hesitant to say “No” or to fight back. They may also feel it is their fault for “getting themselves” in the situation. However, everyone who has experienced acquaintance rape can be supported through the SafePlace Hotline (828-765-4044 or 828-385-1716) or counseling.
Male Rape
Male rape is vastly misunderstood and under reported. Thousands of men are sexually assaulted and raped every year. SafePlace offers services to male survivors, without discrimination.
Child Sexual Abuse
Child Sexual Abuse includes fondling a child's genitals, masturbation, oral-genital contact, digital penetration, and vaginal and anal intercourse. However, it is not only physical contact between an adult and child, child sexual abuse also includes exposure, voyeurism, masturbation and child pornography. An abuser using the imbalance in age, size, knowledge or emotional power to force a child to engage in sexual contact with the child’s peers is also child sexual abuse.
If You Have Been Raped
If you have been sexually assaulted recently or some time ago, you may be experiencing a wide range of feelings, from shock, fear, disbelief, recurring memories, outrage, confusion, sadness, despair, and anger. Please do not lose hope. All of your feelings are valid. You did not deserve this and the offender is the only person who should be blamed. There are many who can be of help to you now. Contact your local rape crisis center, Mitchell County SafePlace 828-765-4044 or 828-385-1716. Below are some of the options that you have. Please read them all so that you keep open as many options as possible, especially if the assault has just happened.
Emergencies
If you have recently been assaulted, your safety must come first. Please call 911 if you are in immediate danger. Also, do not hesitate to seek medical care if you are injured. SafePlace staff can also help you with a safety plan if the offender is someone you live with or work with.
Advice and Emotional Support
Contact friends and family you trust. Although they may not always understand how you feel, they know you the best and care about you. For free, confidential help and support with questions you can also contact your local rape crisis Mitchell County SafePlace 828-765-4044 or 828-385-1716. Every question you have is valid and important. We can also provide assistance at the hospital, at the police station or court, and with counseling if you wish. Whether the assault occurred today or years ago, SafePlace services are for anyone who has experienced a sexual assault.
Investigations
You may choose to call law enforcement to have the offender arrested and charged with a crime. If you do, a medical exam may be taken to preserve evidence of the assault (sometimes called a “rape kit”). Police investigators may be able to take evidence from your clothing and body to prove the offender committed the crime. A nurse examiner will look for injuries related to the assault, proof that sexual activity occurred, and DNA from the offender on the victim’s clothing and/or body. Therefore, please do not eat, urinate, shower, bathe, douche, or brush your hair in order to preserve any evidence that can be used against the offender. Investigators will also need all of the clothing that you were wearing at the time of the assault, so please do not change clothes or wash any of the clothes that you were wearing (and bring a change of clothes with you). The cost of the exam is generally covered by state funds. Note that the offender may also be medically examined for evidence.
A medical exam can be a powerful tool to put the offender behind bars, but it can also be very difficult emotionally to be medically examined after an assault. SafePlace has a trained advocate that can stay with you at the hospital to support you. If you would like, call for a sexual assault advocate or ask law enforcement or hospital staff to call SafePlace for you, so that an advocate can be with you as support – 828-765-4044 or 828-385-1716.
Medical Care
Some medical concerns may not be immediately apparent, such as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), internal injuries and pregnancy. Even if you do not wish to have a doctor or nurse collect evidence for an investigation, please obtain a medical exam to protect yourself as soon as possible from further physical harm. Some medications, such as the “morning after pill” for pregnancy and antibiotics for STDs are most effective when administered as soon as possible. Medical care may also preserve evidence of the assault, should you wish to pursue criminal charges immediately or in the future.