At Marquette, we know that 80% of student victims of a violent crime go to their peers to get help and talk about the incident and do not seek out further services.
A victim could easily come to you rather than other offices like the Counseling Center, Public Safety or Student Health Services.
Here are a few suggestions on how to respond should a friend confide in you about an assault.
- DO listen and allow the friend to say everything s/he wants.
- DON'T ask questions that are judgmental. It doesn't matter where the assault occurred, whether or not they fought back, or if they were drinking - it is NEVER the victim's fault.
In every sexual assault, the perpetrator is 100% responsible for their actions.
You may think she made a poor choice, but no matter what choice they made
they did not deserve or ask to be sexually assaulted.
- DO tell your friend that you want to help. Encourage your friend to consider using resources available on campus and in the surrounding community that offer safety and support.
- DON'T give the victim unsolicited advice or try to tell the friend what s/he must do. It is okay to encourage actions but allow the victim to take control and decide how to proceed. Regaining control is a critical part of healing and the victim must be allowed to direct their own recovery so be supportive of their decisions.
Counseling Center
The Counseling Center is dedicated to promoting the psychological health of students at Marquette University. We offer mental health services to be able to respond to the emotional and career exploration needs of undergraduate, graduate and professional college students, and the prevention resources to reinforce healthy development.