Getting Help for a Friend and Yourself

Whether your friend's experience happened recently or long in the past, you may want to offer them the option to talk to someone. There are many resources for getting support both on and off campus, which you can read about here and share with your friend. You can also learn about the options for receiving accommodations or making a report here.

It is important to remember that you should not force your friend to talk to someone or make a report if they are not ready. You can discuss options with them and offer support, but any step they decide to take should be their own decision. You should not make a report for your friend or tell other people what happened without their permission.

You may want to get support for yourself as well. Hearing about someone's experience of sexual or relationship violence may leave you feeling upset, angry, or scared. These feelings may at times overwhelm you. Having an emotional reaction to hearing about an incidence of sexual or relationship violence is normal and common. It is important to take care of yourself if you're acting in a supportive role for a friend, and to get support for yourself to help you cope with your feelings. In addition to taking time for your own self-care, you could:

You do not have to disclose the name of your friend when talking to anyone at Rice about options for yourself or them.