Help and Supports
There are many options for disclosing an incident and getting support if you have experienced sexual violence, harassment or assault. It may feel daunting to make contact for the first time, however, there are many services available to support you through the process.
If you are in immediate danger, call 999 or 112 if you are in Ireland.
If you, or someone you know has experienced sexual harassment and/or sexual violence, it is very common to feel confused, overwhelmed and uncertain about what to do next.
Sometimes people may be unsure about what happened and questioning whether the experience they had was consensual or not. These are all valid feelings which can be explored with support.
The below is offered as guidance and includes some information on confidential support services that you may want to consider accessing. It is important that you do not feel pressured to act in any specific way.
Consent is the freely given verbal or non-verbal communication of a feeling of willingness to engage in sexual activity. There is no consent if the victim is:
- asleep or unconscious;
- forced or the threat of force is used;
- they cannot consent because of the effect of alcohol/other drugs;
- they cannot communicate consent because of a physical disability;
- they are mistaken about the act or about the identity of the other person;
- the only indication of consent came from a third person;
- or they are being unlawfully detained at the time of the act.
The law is also clear that failure to resist is not consent and that consent, once given, may be withdrawn at any time before or during the act.
If you have been affected by sexual violence, harassment or assault, try and remember:
- It was not your fault.
- You are not alone; you deserve to be supported and believed.
- You have a choice in what you do next and what is right for you.
- You can get support from trusted friends and family and/or professional support.
- You can get support from services within DkIT, as well as from external services.
- You can seek support, whether the incident happened recently or sometime ago, we understand that we all process things at a different pace.
- Student Counselling Service:
- Tel: 042 9370247
- Email: [email protected]
- Student Health Unit:
- Tel: 042 9370245
- Email: [email protected]
- Students Union:
- Tel: 042 9370390
- Email: [email protected]
Sexual Assault Treatment Unit (SATU)
You can go a Sexual Assault Treatment Unit (SATU) for a forensic medical examination. They can also store evidence for you while you make your mind up about reporting.
Please note *The best time for forensic samples to be collected is in the first 72 hours (3 days) after the assault. But samples can still be collected within 7 days of the assault.* You can attend DkIT’s Health Unit for further information on this service above.
There are 5 SATU’s location in Ireland, the nearest one to DKIT is Dublin, see details below (see also table of External Supports, with list of other SATU in country)
- Dublin SATU Rotunda Hospital Campus
- Tel: 01 817 1736 weekdays from 8am to 5pm.
- Tel: 01 817 1700 after 5pm and weekends, ask for SATU.
Rape Crisis Centre Northeast
This organisation provides support for victims of rape and sexual assault, including a helpline service, counselling, accompaniment and advocacy.
- https://rcne.ie/
- Tel: 042 9339491 or Freephone 1800 21 21 22
- Email: [email protected]
Dublin Rape Crisis Centre
Dublin Rape Crisis Centre has a 24/7 Helpline 1800 778888 which you can access.
SATU
After 5pm and weekends Tel: 01 817 1700 ask for SATU.
Gardaí
Emergency Number 999 / 112 Dundalk Station Number 042 9388400
You may wish to make a report An Garda Siochana (Irish Police).
You have the option to:
- Make a disclosure about the incident to a member of the Counselling team, Health Care Unit or with a staff member you feel comfortable doing so
- Making an informal or formal report takes time and consideration; you do not have to do this immediately; you may seek support first and decide later.
- Report anonymously through the Speak Out tool https://dkit.speakout.ie/
- You may want to seek support but not report the incident.
How to Support
If you are supporting someone who has disclosed sexual violence or Harassment it is important to respect the right of the individual disclosing the experience to choose what they want to do next, whether that is seek support, make a report, both or neither. It is essential to allow them to take control in making decisions on what to do next.
Things to consider:
- Listen without judgement.
- Allow them to share their own story, at their pace, sharing only what they are comfortable with.
- Focus on their feelings, rather than your own.
- The decision of what to do next is up to person who is sharing their story.
Supports
Here is a list of Internal and External Supports that are available to you.
Internal DkIT Supports
| Service | Target | Details | Contact Details |
| DkIT Student Counselling Service | For Students | The Student Counselling Service is a professional, confidential counselling service provided to all registered students at DkIT |
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| VHI Employee Assistance Programme | Staff members | All staff have access to a specialist information service including finance, legal, family matters and consumer issues and is available. A confidential telephone counselling service is available. The service also offers access to a network of face-to-face counsellors. |
Monday to Friday from 8 am to 10 pm and 9 am to 5 pm on banks holidays and weekends. |
| DkIT Health Unit | For Students | Appointments to see the Doctor or Nurse can be made by telephoning or e-mailing the Health Unit during opening hours. |
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| Speakout Anonymous Reporting Tool | For Students and Staff | This anonymous-reporting tool is available to any person of the DKIT community to disclose their experience if/when they are comfortable doing so. Incidents such as bullying, cyberbullying, harassment, discrimination, hate crime, coercive behaviour/control, stalking, assault, sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape. | |
| Human Resources | For Staff | Responsible for all aspects of HR management in the Institute and all its enterprises. Including but not limited to co-ordination of policies and programmes relating to employee relations, staff welfare, personal administration and industrial relations in accordance with Institute policy and procedures. |
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| Equality Diversity and Inclusion | For Students and Staff | Support and information committed to the prevention of discrimination on the basis of: Gender, Age, Disability, Family Status, Civil Status Sexual Orientation, Religious belief or lack of religious belief, Race - (includes race, colour, nationality (including citizenship), ethnic or national origins), Membership of the Traveller Community. | |
| Ending Sexual Violence and Harassment Prevention and Response Manager | For Students and Staff | This is a confidential support for all students and staff. The RESPECT service facilitates the Responding to and Ending Sexual Violence and Harassment. Promoting positive sexual Experiences and Changing campus culture Together. |
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External Supports
| Service | Details | Contact Details |
| Gardaí | Police Force in the Republic of Ireland. Protective Service Units are special Garda units set up to deal with crimes such as sexual violence and domestic abuse. When contacting your local Garda Station, you can ask for your local Protective Service Unit. |
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| Sexual Assault Treatment Unit | A Sexual Assault Treatment Unit (SATU) is a safe place to go if you have been raped or sexually assaulted. A SATU can offer you: a health check, medication, a forensic exam. They will offer you a health check whether you decide to have a forensic exam or not. They look after all genders and gender identities, aged 14 years and over. Please note *The best time for forensic samples to be collected is in the first 72 hours (3 days) after the assault. But samples can still be collected within 7 days of the assault.* |
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| Rape Crisis Centre North East | Support for victims of rape and sexual assault.
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| Dublin Rape Crisis Centre | 24-Hour National Helpline offers a free and confidential listening and support service for anyone who has been raped, sexually assaulted, sexually harassed or sexually abused at any time in their lives. |
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| Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital | Emergency and General Medicine |
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| Louth County Hospital | Minor Injury Unit |
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| Drogheda Women & Childrens Refuge | Service provides a number of services to families who are being physically, emotionally, sexually or mentally abused in their own home. |
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| Women's Aid Dundalk |
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| Men's Aid |
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| Hotline.ie | An online reporting facility that enables victims of intimate image abuse (IIA) to report this type of criminal activity to Gardaí, via the hotline website, while simultaneously making a IIA content removal request. | |
| Stalking Ireland | Information, advice and support details on Stalking. |
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