Sexual and Relationship Violence
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Medical Needs
Get to a safe place. For immediate medical needs, call Campus Safety at 315-859-4000 or 911.Immediate Help
For help thinking through options confidentially, call the Counseling Center at 315-859-4340 -
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Helping a Friend
See some suggestions for a conversation with someone who has experienced sexual and relationship.
If you or someone you know may have experienced a sexual assault or unwanted sexual contact of any kind, help and support are available. There is no typical reaction to sexual assault, stalking, sexual harassment or relationship violence. Your safety, your health, how you feel and what you want to do are most important right now.
You will find a lot of information below about options and resources, but may also want to talk with someone. If you would like confidential help considering your options, we encourage you to reach out for an Initial Consultation at the Counseling Center. Confidential off-campus options include: Help Restore Hope and RAINN.
Support Services
Confidential:
- Counseling Center, 315-859-4340
The Counseling Center can help you think through options if you are unsure what to do AND/OR provide services to aid in your healing such as individual therapy, group therapy, psychiatric services, and wellness services. If you're in distress, you can call 315-859-4340 (option 2) 24/7 for in-the-moment psychological support. - Help Restore Hope Hotline, 855-966-9723
Confidential advocates can help you think through your choices and connect you to additional resources. This resource is available 24/7 to provide in-the-moment support, access to a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, advocacy, and other resources. - Health Center, 315-859-4111
The Health Center can help you with any acute or ongoing medical needs. - College Chaplain, 315-859-4130
The Chaplaincy can help you with emotional and spiritual support, and is a confidential resource to help you think through your choices and needs. - RAINN National Sexual Assault 24-hour hotline or live chat 1-800-656-4673. You can call for confidential crisis support or chat confidentially.
- YWCA 24-hour hotline 315-797-7740. You can call or text this number, or use their encrypted and confidential chat with an advocate.
Non-Confidential:
- Student Support Care Team, 315-859-4463
If you have been impacted by sexual assault, relationship violence, and other forms of gender-related bias, the SCCT can help with a variety of interventions, referrals, advocacy, and follow-up services.
Reporting Resources
On Campus:
Speak with Director of Title IX & Civil Rights Compliance Catherine Berryman to report the incident, discuss pursuing a formal complaint, and/or explore resources that can be helpful to you (315-859-4245). Conversations are NOT confidential but will be kept private. The Title IX Director may be required to take some form of action in order to prevent further acts from occurring on campus. After hours, call Campus Safety (315-859-4000) and ask for the Title IX Coordinator.
Off Campus:
Call New York State Police Campus Sexual Assault Unit (844-845-7269) for questions about reporting sexual assault to law enforcement.
Emergency Contacts
- Campus Safety, 315-859-4000
- Off-Campus: 911
For Immediate Help
- Get to a safe place.
- Avoid washing, douching, brushing your teeth, or changing your clothes. While this may be difficult, preserving any evidence is important if you decide to report the assault to the police.
- To seek immediate medical attention, call Campus Safety and Hamilton College Emergency Medical Services at 315-859-4000.* If you are off campus and need immediate medical attention, contact 911
- If you would like to connect to an advocate or have questions about setting up an exam with a trained Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, consider calling the Help Restore Hope Hotline at 855-966-9723
- If you would like confidential off-campus support, consider YWCA's 24-hour Domestic and Sexual Violence Services hotline 315-797-7740 OR RAINN's National Sexual Assault 24-hour Hotline 1-800-656-4673 or 24-hour live chat online
- Consider reporting the assault. You may report the assault to the College or to local police. Going to the hospital to seek medical attention does not obligate you to report the crime. For on-campus reporting, contact Title IX Coordinator Catherine Berryman at 315-859-4245. For off-campus reporting, contact NY State Police's Campus Sexual Assault unit at 844-845-7269.
- * If you would like to have a medical exam for the purposes of reporting, it is important that you go to the Hospital Emergency Room as soon as possible, ideally within 96 hours of the incident. Promptly getting an exam is important if you think you might report your sexual assault to the police, but getting a forensic medical exam does not obligate you to file a police report. Exams can be paid for by the NY State office of Victims Services and may not need to go through your insurance.
For Continued Care
- To address any injuries or medical symptoms related to the assault, contact the Health Center, 315-859-4111. They will provide confidential and professional medical care and/or make an appropriate referral to a local physician.
- For confidential emotional support, contact the Counseling Center, 315-859-4340, and/or College Chaplain, 315-859-4130.
- Consider reporting the assault. Students can choose to access these services at any time. Likewise, students can choose to report an incident of sexual violence at any time. To report, contact Hamilton’s Title IX Coordinator (315-859-4245, cberryma@hamilton.edu).
Helping a Friend
Listen: Listen with compassion. Let your friend choose when they want to talk and how much to share.
Support: Avoid judgement. Let your friend know that you believe them and will support them as best as you can. Try to distinguish what you are doing to make yourself feel better from what you are doing to help your friend.
Provide options and information: It is important to let your friend decide what option they are most comfortable with, even if you don’t agree with it. Your friend may not want to file a report or request a process, and it is important to respect their decision. Share information about the confidential and non-confidential resources available.
Take care of yourself: It can be difficult to hear details of a friend’s experience. It is important that while you are supporting your friend or peer during this difficult experience, you are also taking care of your own physical and mental health.
Know your limitations: It is important to recognize your limitations. If it seems your friend needs more help and support than you are able to provide, reach out for help from professional supports on campus.
Sexual violence policy and definitions
Learn how sexual violence is defined under Title IX and addressed on campus.
- Title IX Policy and Guide
- Conduct prohibited under Title IX
- Sexual consent
- Non-disclosure
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