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Have you experienced a recent sexual assault?




Olivia Dure
Residential Life Officer

Sahar Kazemini
Manager

Natalie Ang
Manager

Support a Survivor

Survivor Support

If you have experienced an incident that you think may be sexual misconduct/assault, it is important to care for yourself and to seek help from others who can care for you.

How to …

 

 

Get Help

Seek emergency funding for immediate medical care

Even if you are still undecided on what action to take, please seek immediate medical care if you feel like you have been injured during the experience of sexual misconduct/assault. If you can, it’s best to avoid showering or bathing before arrival at a clinic/hospital. Bringing a change of clothing with you, if you are able, can be helpful.

Financial support is available for the following:

  • Rape kits
  • STI testing
  • Emergency contraception

Please approach your Survivor Support Advisor for more information. If you do not yet have a Survivor Support Advisor, please reach out to sahar@yale-nus.edu.sg.

Go to a safe place

Getting to a place that you feel safe can be the first step to healing and/or dealing with the situation. A safe place will look different to all survivors; some suggestions might be to go to your home (if you are local), your own room, a friend’s room, or somewhere off-campus.

Speak to someone on campus

No matter what time it might be, there are staff around who can support you through this experience, if you choose to approach them. Every survivor’s journey is different and you are not required to speak to anyone if you don’t want to. If you do want to speak to someone, the following people have been specifically trained in supporting survivors:

Connect with a Survivor Support Advisor (SSA)

Survivor Support Advisors (SSA) serve as an initial point of contact for survivors of sexual assault/misconduct on campus. The SSAs are trained in trauma-informed protocol and support is individualised to the survivor’s needs. It can include emotional support, regular check-ins, guidance on resources and options available, requesting AD notes, emergency funding, accompaniment to the police or hospital, and general logistical adjustments. The SSA serves as a consistent presence to mitigate the harm caused in survivors being asked to retell their story when navigating internal processes to support their healing. SSAs are available to both survivors who have officially reported the sexual misconduct and those who have not yet opted to report the incident. Survivors pursuing the official reporting process will be immediately assigned an SSA to advocate on their behalf.

To connect with a Survivor Support Advisor please reach out to either of our current advisors: Olivia Dure at oliviadure@yale-nus.edu.sg or Sahar Kazemini at sahar@yale-nus.edu.sg or Natalie Ang at natalie.ang@yale-nus.edu.sg

Call AWARE Sexual Assault Care Centre at 6779 0282

Speak to an AWARE SACC staff member who is trained to help and listen to those who have faced sexual assault or feel unsure about a sexual encounter.

Financial support is available for students who wish to use the SACC as a resource.

Please approach your Survivor Support Advisor for more information on how to receive funding for this. If you do not yet have a Survivor Support Advisor, please reach out to sahar@yale-nus.edu.sg.

Report

You can pursue one or more options for reporting an instance of alleged sexual misconduct – filing a disciplinary complaint under the College’s policy on sexual misconduct and/or filing a police report. However, it is equally valid to choose to do nothing at the moment or to confide in a friend or to seek counselling on or off-campus.

  1. Disciplinary Action

    You can choose to file a formal disciplinary complaint against a respondent who is also a Yale-NUS student. Approach Andrew McGeehan in the DOS Office to discuss this option further, or review the Sexual Misconduct Policy.

    Understand College’s policies and procedures

    Yale-NUS Policies and Procedures on Sexual Misconduct

    Sexual misconduct involves particularly sensitive issues which require careful investigation and handling.
    The disciplinary procedures at Yale-NUS set out here are specifically designed to ensure that reports of sexual misconduct are investigated in a fair and objective manner whilst protecting the privacy and interests of the students involved.

    Know more about confidentiality

    Confidentiality

    With regards to issues of sexual misconduct, maintaining confidentiality is taken very seriously. Though the College’s primary concern is ensuring the safety of students and employees and providing access to resources, we will strive to ensure that high standards of confidentiality are retained.

    When reviewing allegations of sexual assault or misconduct, the College will take all reasonable steps to investigate and respond to a reporting party in a manner that is consistent with high standards of confidentiality. Confidentiality is not always possible or appropriate; the College has a responsibility to balance the requests for confidentiality with our institutional responsibility of ensuring a safe educational environment and workplace. However, we will always be communicative with the reporting and responding parties in the event that any information needs to be shared.

    OR

  2. Police Report

    You can also file a police report against the respondent. A report of alleged sexual misconduct to law enforcement officials entails investigation and possible prosecution under the laws of Singapore. Seek on-campus assistance and support for filing a police report from any Residential Life Officers or Assistant Deans, and/or off-campus assistance from the AWARE SACC.

    *A reporting party who has submitted a police report may still initiate disciplinary action, so long as these efforts would not interfere with any on-going law enforcement proceedings.

 

Learn More

Every person’s journey to healing looks different. These are the various resources available to you, and you may choose to access them whenever you are ready.

Learn more about the terms used to describe sexual misconduct.

Resources Available Contact
Subscribe to the Survivor Support Monthly Newsletter Contact Natalie Ang at natalie.ang@yale-nus.edu.sg

  • Get resources on tools for healing and reflection exercises
  • Get the most updated information on activities you can choose to participate in

View archive (for students only)
Join the Survivor’s Healing Collectives Circle Survivor’s Healing Collective Circle is a monthly meeting where participants can engage in various activities that focus on tools for redemption and healing

Examples of activities include:

  • Solidarity Meals
    These meals can take place on- or off-campus and are meant to be a relaxed space for attendees to get to know each other and have a break from the day-to-day rhythms of college in a safe space on or away from campus.
  • Making an Emotional Safety Plan
    Learn how to identify potential threats and create an emotional safety plan for your needs and concerns. Reclaim your sense of safety and security.
  • Yoga for Survivors
    This yoga session will explore the use of movement for grounding the body. It also presents a space for survivors to learn how to live in and respond to sensations of the body, and practise self-compassion, meditation and healing.

Contact Sahar at sahar@yale-nus.edu.sg to join these programmes or to request for any other programmes or ideas to be included in the healing circle.
View reading resources available

These books can be found in the Intercultural Engagement Office inside of STORR.

Books
  • Life, Reinvented: A Guide to Healing from Sexual Trauma for Survivors and Loved Ones by Erin Carpenter
  • You Can Help: A Guide for Family and Friends of Survivors of Sexual Abuse and Assault
  • The Sexual Healing Journey: A Guide for Survivors of Sexual Abuse by Wendy Maltz
Workbooks
  • Beautiful Redemption: Reclaiming Life After Rape (Workbook) by Staci Luker
  • You Have A Right To Be Angry: A workbook to help survivors get in touch with their anger and heal by Elizabeth Joy Sellman
  • We Believe You Coloring Book by Ryerson University
  • The Sexual Trauma Workbook for Teen Girls by Raychelle Cassada Lohmann and Sheela Raja