A Seattle Resource Guide for Survivors of Sexual Violence
In September, news broke that a former Cornell University student, identified in court documents as Jane Doe, had filed a lawsuit against seven former members of the Chi Phi fraternity, alleging they raped her in October 2024 at the fraternity house. The suit also named the university, the fraternity, an off-campus bar, and her own sorority. All seven men have denied the allegations, according to the Associated Press. Since then, conversations surrounding incidents of sexual violence on college campuses and in society at large have rekindled an examination of rape culture, along with the conditions that allow rape to occur.
In the United States, nearly half of women and more than 1 in 6 men have experienced some form of contact sexual violence in their lifetimes, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2023–2024 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey.
Sexual violence is defined by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) as any sexual act that is committed or attempted by another person without freely given consent of the victim or against someone who is unable to consent or refuse. It is an umbrella term that includes sexual assault, sexual harassment, rape, child sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, sex trafficking, and noncontact sexual abuse, including technology-facilitated abuse.
According to an online report published on the NSVRC website, 1 in 5 women and 1 in 16 men experience sexual assault while in college. The Association of American Universities' 2019 campus climate survey found that about 26% of undergraduate women and 7% of undergraduate men at participating universities reported experiencing nonconsensual sexual contact involving physical force or inability to consent since enrolling.
A Washington State University analysis of national crime data found that between 2015 and 2022, the six-month risk of sexual violence was 74% higher for college-enrolled women ages 18 to 24 than for women of the same ages who were not enrolled. The analysis also concluded that the rate of sexual violence among women living on campus was triple that of commuter students.
In addition to living on a college campus, certain experiences of marginalization may also increase the probability of sexual violence. A systematic review and meta-analysis found that approximately 40% of women experiencing homelessness had experienced sexual violence at some point in their lives. A 2014 global review found that lifetime prevalence of physical and/or sexual workplace violence among sex workers ranged from 45% to 75% across studies, and a 2023 review identified fear of punishment as one reason sex workers were reluctant to report violence.
If you experience sexual violence, it is important to try to keep in mind that it is never your fault. While it may be difficult to see the path forward to healing, it is also important to remember that there are resources out there that can help you navigate the aftermath of surviving sexual violence.
Healing can take time and can be difficult, but you don't have to do it all alone.
If you are a student:
University of Washington: Reporting options
Seattle University: Make a report
Seattle Pacific University: Sexual misconduct information and resources
Northeastern University Seattle: File a report
City University of Seattle: Title IX reporting information (For confidential support, CityU suggests contacting a university confidential advocate before submitting a report. The Title IX coordinator's office is not a confidential resource.)
North Seattle College: Report a concern
Seattle Central College: Report a concern
South Seattle College:
For immediate response, call Campus Security at 206-235-0911 or Seattle Police using 911.
If you are under 18:
If you are experiencing homelessness:
If you are a sex worker:
If you are undocumented:
LifeWire — support for immigrant survivors of domestic violence
If you are experiencing sexual violence in a relationship:
If you are experiencing sexual violence in a queer relationship:
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