Sexual Violence Support & Resources

In this section

Content warning: this page includes discussion of sexual violence and some options available to sexual violence survivors.

Contents

What to do after a rape or assault
Health
Sexual Assault Response Co-ordination Service (SARCS)
Reporting to the police
Safety on campus and reporting to the University
Sharing intimate images without consent (‘revenge porn’)
Where to get help
SRC Resources

What to do after a rape or assault

Everyone reacts differently to sexual assault or rape and it is not unusual for feelings to change from day to day. It is important to trust and validate individual feelings and do whatever is needed to recover. This may entail telling a friend, going to a place of safety, having a bath or shower, or crying.

It can be difficult to talk about the assault to friends or family, but it is important to have understanding and support. In order to cope with the trauma of the event, some students try to carry on as normal and don’t tell anyone for a long time. However, often distress can surface a considerable time after the event. No matter how much later, you can always seek help from the University’s Counselling and Psychological Service, your GP, voluntary sector agencies and the police. No one need feel they have to cope on their own simply because they did not report the incident soon after it happened.

If you have just been raped or sexually assaulted:

Try to be somewhere that feels safe.
Keep warm and drink plenty of fluids.
If possible, see if a friend or someone you trust can be with you.
Have any injuries treated by your doctor or at a hospital.
If you think you would like to report the assault, contact the police so they can arrange a forensic examination as soon as possible. They will want to get as much evidence as possible, so try not to wash, eat or drink, without compromising your wellbeing.
If you change your clothes, put them in a bag to give to the police.
Tell the police if you think you may have been drugged or your drink spiked. They will arrange for blood and urine tests.
You might not feel like reporting now, but you might in time. So keep the clothes you were wearing at the time of the assault, don’t wash them and put them in a plastic bag.
If you wash, use safe products, not household cleaning products as they can be harmful.

Health

Many people who have been raped or sexually assaulted are understandably concerned about their health. Hospitals and GPs must see you on a confidential basis and not report the assault to the police unless you request/consent to this.

A student may decide to be tested for pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection as appropriate. If you prefer not to use your GP there are many clinics which offer free and confidential advice. The closest clinic to the University is the Archway sexual assault referral centre.
If there is a possibility of pregnancy you may want to take the morning after pill (up to 72 hours after) or have a coil fitted (up to 5 days after). You can get emergency contraception at a pharmacy.

Bruising and other injuries that need immediate attention are best dealt with in the Accident and Emergency Department (A&E) of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital which is located on 1345 Govan Road, Glasgow, G51 4TF.

Sexual Assault Co-Ordination Service (SARCS)

As of 01/04/22 a new Scottish law came into force in which all health boards in Scotland now have a statutory duty to provide forensic medical services for survivors of sexual offences via the Sexual Assault Co-Ordination Service (SARCS).

Anyone who has experienced a sexual assault, or rape within the last 7 days will be able to make a “self-referral” to this service and request a Forensic Medical Examination (FME) without first having to make a report to the police. Previously, it was the case that survivors could only be referred by other means such as their GP, the Police or other health professional.

Access to this service is via the NHS Scotland sexual assault self-referral phone line: 0800 148 88 88. Open 24/7. Calls are free from landlines and mobiles.

The sexual assault self-referral phone service can help you:

arrange a forensic medical examination (FME)
refer you to a sexual assault response co-ordination service (SARCS) to make sure your immediate health and wellbeing needs are met after a rape or sexual assault
get in touch with local services

More information can be found here.

Reporting to the police

Sexual violence is a criminal offence and a student can report the perpetrator to the police with a view to prosecution. It is your choice. This can be done later, but the reason for reporting a sexual assault immediately is so that evidence can be taken. Evidence will be collected by means of a medical examination by a police surgeon, who will be a GP employed part-time by the police.

If the attack was physically violent the police forensic team may also wish to visit the scene of the crime to collect more evidence.

Alternatively and with consent, if you reported this intially to the NHS Sexual Assault Co-Ordination Service (SARCS), the evidence collected via a self-referral forensic medical examination (FME) can be provided to the Police. Importantly, SARCS will keep your evidence safe for 26 months from the day of your examination. This is called the ‘retention period’. During that time, you can decide if you want to tell the police about the assault. Samples are stored securely by your health board and cannot be accessed by anyone, including the police, without your permission. More information about SARCS retention period can be found here.

When going to the police station you can take someone with you, such as a friend, family member or professional worker. Ask for an officer who has had special training (this would usually be a woman). Today the police are trained to use tact and sensitivity. No one, even the police, has the right to ask for disclosure of any personal details about previous relationships and sexual life.

The police may require clothing to be left for forensic examination. The police station can provide other clothing, but it is a good idea to take a change of clothes along to the station.

Alternatively, if you prefer, you can ring 101 and ask for the police to visit you at home to take your report.

If you feel unable to provide the statement immediately after the assault, you may arrange another time for this to be taken. If English is not your first language, the police can arrange for an interpreter to be present. The police officer will explain police procedures and give advice and information on the next stages, including the court process.

Safety on campus and reporting to the University

If the incident occurred on campus, or if you are worried about your safety whilst on campus, then you can contact Campus Security. If the perpetrator was another student, or a member of University staff, you may wish to report the matter to the University. You can do this via the University’s Reporting Form. If you have questions or need help with any of this please feel free to speak in confidence with the SRC Advice Centre (details below).

University of Glasgow information on sexual violence.

Sharing intimate images without consent (‘revenge porn’)

It is a criminal offence for someone to share, or threaten to share, an intimate image of you without your consent (sometimes known as ‘revenge porn’), and it is recognised as a form of sexual abuse by Scottish Women’s Aid. For more information about the support available to you, including useful contacts and helplines, please have a look at the Scottish Government’s Intimate Image Victim Support webpage.

You can also find out more information about how cases are dealt with, in the illustrative case studies in the Scottish Government’s ‘Not Yours To Share’ campaign.

As with other kinds of sexual violence, if you would like to report the matter to the University, the SRC Advice Centre can offer you help with this. See next section for contact details.

Where to get help

Archway (Sexual Assault Referral Centre)

Archway gives sensitive support and physical examination for people who have been raped or seriously sexually assaulted.

Address:

6 Sandyford Place
Glasgow
G3 7NB

Website: http://archway.sandyford.org/

Telephone: 0141 211 8175

Glasgow & Clyde Rape Crisis

Glasgow & Clyde Rape Crisis provides a free and confidential support service to women and girls who have experienced rape, sexual assault, or sexual abuse.
The service offers:

A free telephone helpline which is open seven days a week
An instant message facility
Email support
Face-to-face support with trained support workers
Group support
A drop-in service each Wednesday
Evening and weekend appointments

Address:

4th Floor, Empire House
131 West Nile Street
Glasgow
G1 2RX

Website: https://www.glasgowclyderapecrisis.org.uk/
Helpline: 08088 00 00 14
Email: info@rapecrisiscentre-glasgow.co.uk

South West Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre (Dumfries)

South West Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre provides support to women, men and children.
The service offers:

Advocacy
Emotional Support
Group work in educational/community settings around the prevention of sexual violence.

Address:

South West Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre
1a Irving Street
Dumfries DG1 1EL

Telephone: 01387 253113
Email: info@rape-crisis.org.uk

Scottish Women’s Rights Centre

Free, confidential specialist legal advice and advocacy service for women who have been affected by violence or abuse in Scotland. The centre runs a helpline, solicitor surgeries and has a variety of information resources on its website summarising legal rights and options, plus the ‘Follow-It’ app for recording instances of stalking. The Centre may be also able to provide legal representation in some situations.

All details on the website: www.scottishwomensrightscentre.org.uk

Survivors UK

Help for boys and men who have been raped or sexually abused.

Web chat: see Survivors UK.

Speak Out Scotland

Help for male survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

Telephone: +44 07488 399917 | Website: www.speakoutscotland.org/

SRC Advice Centre

The SRC Advice Centre offers free and confidential advice on a wide range of subjects and is a Third Party Reporting Centre for Hate Crime.

If the perpetrator of the assault is a student of the University, the Advice Centre team can also assist you with reporting them to the University under the Code of Student Conduct. This process normally requires that you submit a written statement to the University providing details of the assault and can result in disciplinary action being taken against the offending student.

The Advice Centre is located on the ground floor of the McIntyre Building (next to the University Main Gate) and is staffed by professional and experienced advisers.

Telephone: +44 (0) 141 330 5360
Email: advice@src.gla.ac.uk

SRC Gender Based Violence (GBV) Counsellor

In partnership, with the University's Counselling & Psychological Services, the SRC Advice Centre will also be hosting weekly bookable appointment sessions with a Gender Based Violence Counsellor. These sessions will run each Tuesday within the Advice Centre.

Further details on how to book an appointment can be found at our page here:

SRC GBV Counselling appointments

Counselling & Psychological Services

Counselling & Psychological Services support students and staff to overcome concerns and difficulties, aid mental health and wellbeing, and to thrive at Glasgow. You can register for an appointment to speak with a counsellor here:

Telephone: +44 (0) 141 330 4528
Email: studentcounselling@glasgow.ac.uk
Website: www.glasgow.ac.uk/counselling

Scottish Women’s Aid

Scottish Women’s Aid is the lead organisation in Scotland working towards the prevention of domestic abuse. Scottish Women’s Aid is the national office of the Women’s Aid network and there are 36 local Women’s Aid branches in Scotland.

Website: womensaid.scot

Scotland’s Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline

helpline: 0800 027 1234 (free, 24hrs)

Website: https://sdafmh.org.uk/

Email: helpline@sdafmh.org.uk

Amina Muslim Women’s Resource Centre

A range of support services specifically tailored to Muslim women.

Website: Amina Muslim Women Resource Centre

Helpline: 0808 801 0301

FearFree

Support for people experiencing domestic abuse in certain areas of Scotland, who identify as men, or LGBTQ+

Website: fearfree.scot

Email: fearfreeinfo@sacro.org.uk

Moira Anderson Foundation

This service provides support for people (both children and adult) who are impacted by childhood sexual abuse. They provide counselling and therapeutic support (integrative therapy, play/creative therapy, art therapy, youth counselling, thought field therapy, timeline therapy, hypno-psychotherapy, complementary therapies). They also offer other support including a weekly “Pop In” service, fortnightly Women’s Groups, and a fortnightly support group for parents. The service is based in Airdrie but also has a hub in Glasgow and offers some services here.
Address: 3 Mavisbank Street,
Airdrie,
North Lanarkshire,
ML6 0JA.

Telephone: 01236 602890, 07833 248178
Website: https://www.moiraanderson.org/
Email: info@moiraanderson.org

SAY Women

SAY Women offers safe semi-supported accommodation and emotional support for young women aged 16 to 25 who are survivors of sexual abuse, rape, or sexual assault and who are homeless, or threatened with homelessness. Address: 3rd Floor, 30 Bell Street,
Glasgow,
G1 1LG.
Phone number: 0141 552 5803

Website: https://www.say-women.co.uk/
Email: enquiries@say-women.co.uk

Wellbeing Scotland

Wellbeing Scotland are an organisation who offer free, open-ended counselling for survivors of childhood abuse. Any student with a history of childhood abuse can self-refer to their service. They also offer other support options including groupwork, advocacy, and befriending.
Telephone: 01324 630 100
Website: https://www.wellbeingscotland.org/
Email: info@wellbeingscotland.org

Victim Support Scotland

Victim Support offers free and confidential support to victims of crime in Scotland. They can provide information, emotional support, and practical assistance to help people affected by crime. They can also offer specific court services (court familiarisation visits, information on special measures, help with victim statements etc.).
Helpline: 0800 160 1985 (Mon to Fri – 8am to 8pm)

Website: https://victimsupport.scot/

SRC Resources

GBV Counsellor

The SRC has a fully-trained Gender Based Violence (GBV) Counsellor who will be offering appointments in the Advice Centre every Tuesday.

If you have been directly or indirectly affected by GBV we would encourage you to come and seek confidential support and you can book an appointment via our website here.

"Let’s Talk about Sexual Violence" is a 2hr peer-led workshop, covering:

sexual consent, reflecting on societal messages about sex and how this might impact our understanding of consent
what consent is, and discussion around how to have clear communication around consent (both verbally & non-verbally
scenarios of potential consent violations and how we might understand these experiences.

These workshops are collaborative and interactive, and are free and open for all university students to attend.

You can sign up for a workshop here.

Our "Let's Talk" moodle module was developed by Rape Crisis Scotland & the SRC to be a first step in understanding GBV faced by students and the meaning of consent.

You can complete the module online here.