Sexual Assault Awareness and Resources

October 2, 2020
 

The University of Oklahoma is committed to fostering and building a safe community where our core values of respect for all people and care for others is evident in every action.

As we begin the month of October, which marks National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we encourage the OU community to review this important information and resources about relationship abuse and sexual violence.
 

Safety Considerations

• Be active in supporting a safe and respectful community. If you see others engaging in disrespectful or inappropriate actions, speak up and get involved, or contact someone else to assist.
• Communities are safest when members look out for each other. Bystanders should try to be aware of their surroundings, and if there are signs of a person in distress, bystanders should make themselves known and offer assistance if it is safe to do so, and/or seek immediate help from police.
• Consent is a clear and coherent yes, not an absence of no. Silence and passivity cannot be interpreted as an indication of consent.
   

Resources

There are places on and off campus that can effectively provide you with the support you deserve, as well as additional resources to help you take the next steps in your healing process.

On Campus:

• OU Advocates is a free, 24/7, confidential crisis line and support service for anyone in the OU community who experiences relationship violence or abuse, sexual assault, harassment, or stalking on campus.
  • Any OU student, staff, or faculty member may utilize OU Advocates’ services. These services are also available to people beyond the victim, such as friends or bystanders.
  • OU Advocates offers crisis intervention and emotional support, safety planning, information about academic, legal, medical, emotional, and student conduct resources to survivors, and education and support to secondary survivors, such as intimate partners, friends, and family.
  • To Get Help:
    • Norman Campus and OU Health Sciences Center: Call or text the 24/7 hotline at (405) 615-0013; stop by the Gender + Equality Center in the Oklahoma Memorial Union, Suite 207; or email at GEC@ou.edu for more information or to request a Zoom meeting.
    • OU-Tulsa: Call the OU-Tulsa Advocates crisis line at (918) 660-3163 (Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.) or (918) 743-5763 (after-hours and weekends).
• Supportive Measures at OU: OU offers a number of supportive measures for individuals impacted by sexual misconduct. Examples include assistance in filing a complaint with the university and appropriate law enforcement agencies, mutual no contact orders, change of class schedules, alternate housing arrangements, and counseling services.
• Campus-Specific Resources 
• OU Institutional Equity Office FAQs

Off Campus:

These organizations can provide additional advocacy services, safety planning, forensic medical exams, and emergency shelter.

• Norman: Women’s Resource Center/Rape Crisis Center  
  • 24-Hour Domestic Violence Crisis Line: (405) 701-5540
  • 24-Hour Sexual Violence Crisis Line: (405) 701-5660
• Oklahoma City: YWCA Oklahoma City
  • 24-Hour Domestic Violence Hotline: (405) 917-9922
  • 24-Hour Sexual Assault Hotline: (405) 943-7273
• Tulsa: DVIS/Call Rape
  • 24-Hour Crisis and Information Line: (918) 7HELP-ME (918-743-5763)
  • Texting Line: (833) 338-5763 (available daily from 8 p.m. - 1 a.m.)
• Statewide: 24-Hour Safeline: (800) 522-SAFE (7233)
• Nationwide: National Domestic Violence Safeline: (800) 799-SAFE (7233)
   

Reporting Options

Making decisions and regaining control after an assault are important parts of the healing process. The choice of how to proceed belongs to you.

You have the right to report a sexual assault to law enforcement to provide a statement and/or file criminal charges.

• Crimes occurring on campus may be reported to OUPD.
  • Norman Campus: Call 911 or (405) 325-1911
  • Health Sciences Center: Call 911 or (405) 271-4911
  • OU-Tulsa: Call 911 or (918) 660-3900
• Crimes occurring off campus within the city limits of Norman, Oklahoma City, or Tulsa may be reported to that city’s police department.
  • Norman Police Department: (405) 321-1600
  • Oklahoma City Police Department: (405) 231-2121
  • Tulsa Police Department: (918) 596-9222
• Crimes occurring outside the city limits of OU’s campuses may be reported to the law enforcement agency with jurisdiction.

You have the right to report a sexual assault to the University’s Title IX/Sexual Misconduct Office to provide a statement and/or request a formal investigation.

• To report a complaint of sexual misconduct, you may complete the online reporting form or contact your campus Title IX Office:
  • Norman Campus: (405) 325-2215
  • Health Sciences Center: (405) 271-2110
  • OU-Tulsa: (918) 660-3107