FAQs
If you’ve been raped or sexually assaulted, or if you are not sure, contact our hotline at 210-349-7273 or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE for free, confidential help day or night.
What is Sexual Assault?
Any sexual behavior that happens without a person’s consent.
What Should I Do?
Once you’re out of physical danger, contact someone you know and trust, such as a friend, relative, teacher, school counselor, friend’s parent, doctor, or religious leader.
FAQs About The Rape Crisis Center
Below are the answers to many of the most frequently-asked questions about The Rape Crisis Center.
What is Sexual Assault?
If you’ve been raped or sexually assaulted, or if you are not sure, contact our hotline at 210-349-7273 or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE for free, confidential help day or night. If you’d like to report the assault to the police, call 911.
How old do you have to be to consent to sexual activity?
Each state sets an “age of consent,” the minimum age required to legally consent to sexual activity. People below this age are considered children and cannot legally agree to have sex. In other words, even if the child or teenager says “yes,” the law says “no.” In Texas, the age of consent is 17, but this can vary depending on the age difference between the participants. It’s up to you to make sure your partner is old enough to legally take part. Because this can be both a complicated question and answer, it is important to call us to find out more about the laws in our state.
What if one or both of us was under the influence of drugs or alcohol?
Alcohol and drugs are not an excuse – or an alibi. States define who has the mental and legal capacity to consent. You have to be awake, lucid, and able to communicate in order to consent. Those with diminished capacity — including people who have been drugged or are unconscious — do not have the legal ability to agree to have sex. Ingesting such a quantity of any substance that it affects your decision making process is not advisable for a number of health related reasons. We encourage you to call us and find out more about the laws in our state.
What is consent?
While it is best to communicate your needs and boundaries whenever possible, sometimes it isn’t safe to resist, physically or verbally. It depends on the circumstances. If this is the case, we would ask that you consider the following questions: Did someone use physical force (of any kind) to make you have sexual contact with her/him? Did someone threaten you to make you have sexual contact with her/him? Were you afraid of the consequences of saying ‘No’? Were you scared for your life or safety? If fear was in the room, then there was no consent. It doesn’t matter if your partner thinks you meant yes, or if you’ve already started having sex – you have the right to change your mind about participating in sexual activity at any time. No one has the right to control your body but you.
I was asleep or unconscious when it happened – does that mean it wasn’t assault?
If you were asleep or unconscious, then you could not give consent. You have to be awake, lucid, and able to communicate in order to consent.
We started to have consensual sex, then I changed my mind but she/he wouldn’t stop. Does that mean it wasn’t assault?
It does not matter if you have had sex with that person many times before, if this was the first time, or even if you have started sexual activity and you change your mind. You have the right to change your mind about participating in sexual activity at any time. No one has the right to control your body but you. If you don’t want to have sex, your partner must stop.
I didn’t resist physically – does that mean it wasn’t assault?
People respond to assault in different ways. Just because you didn’t resist physically doesn’t mean it wasn’t assault – in fact, a substantial number of victims do not resist the attacker in any way. Tonic immobility (TI), a well-known involuntary, reflexive response to fear-inducing stimuli, may aid in explaining the paralysis and “freezing” of many rape victims. During times of trauma, the brain goes into fight, flight or freeze mode. You did what you had to do to survive. You are alive, and that is what matters.
I used to date or have some kind of intimate relationship with the person who assaulted me – does that mean it wasn’t assault?
Sexual assault can occur when the offender and the victim have a preexisting relationship (sometimes referred to as ”date rape” or “acquaintance rape”), or even when the offender is a victim’s spouse or partner. It does not matter whether the other person is an ex-lover or a complete stranger, and it doesn’t matter if you’ve had sex in the past. The presence or absence of consent determines sexual assault, not the relationship between the offender and the victim.
I don’t remember the assault – does that mean it isn’t assault? Is there anything that can be done if I don’t remember what happened?
Just because you don’t remember being assaulted doesn’t necessarily mean it didn’t happen and that it wasn’t sexual assault. Memory loss can result from the ingestion of GHB and other drugs, and from excessive alcohol consumption. It also does not necessarily mean the case cannot be investigated or prosecuted. If you wake up and believe you may have been drugged and assaulted, we encourage you to call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room as soon as possible. Some drugs disappear from the body quickly, and time is an important factor.
I identify as male, and I think what happened to me may have been sexual assault.
Men can be victims of sexual violence. Your feelings may be the same as those of a female sexual assault survivor (guilt, powerlessness, concern regarding your safety), and you may also have some concerns unique to your gender identity, including your sexuality, masculinity, reporting to law enforcement, how to tell others, and how to find resources and support. You need to know that strong or weak, outgoing or withdrawn, homosexual, heterosexual, or somewhere in between, male, female, between or outside the gender binary, old or young, you have done nothing that justifies being raped. We encourage you to call our hotline to explore your options as a survivor.
What Should I Do?
Make sure you are in a safe environment. If you believe you are still in danger, call 911. Once you’re out of physical danger, contact someone you know and trust, such as a friend, relative, teacher, school counselor, friend’s parent, doctor or religious leader.
If you’ve been raped or sexually assaulted, or if you are not sure, contact our hotline at 210-349-7273 or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE for free, confidential help day or night. If you’d like to report the assault to the police, call 911.
What is a medical forensic exam? Is that the same as a rape kit?
A medical forensic exam (sometimes referred to as a “rape kit” or “rape exam”) is a careful procedure performed by a specially trained Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE nurse) that has the potential to collect DNA and other evidence in a way that may be used in court if you choose to prosecute.
If you decide to have a forensic exam (and it’s completely up to you), the SANE nurse or other medical professional will be called to perform the exam. Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners are specifically trained to collect evidence, check for injuries, and deal with the possibility of pregnancy and exposure to sexually transmitted diseases. A Rape Crisis Center Advocate will also be present to offer emotional support and discuss resources.
Remember, you have the right to refuse any medical treatment, including the forensic exam, when you go to the hospital.
Also keep in mind that, if the assault occurred weeks or months before, medical attention is still important. We encourage you to see your general practitioner or other medical professional for a wellness check, pregnancy tests, testing for sexually transmitted infections and HIV, or anything else you may need.
Where can I go to get a medical forensic exam (‘rape kit’)?
The RCC dispatches advocates to the following hospitals: Methodist Hospital, Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC), The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio, and University Hospitals. If you call for an advocate, we will dispatch to other hospitals to meet your needs.
In the state of Texas, if a victim would like to make a police report, she/he has up to 120 hours from the time the assault occurred for a medical forensic exam to be completed. If the assault occurred more than 120 hours ago, a forensic exam cannot be completed but the crime may still be reported. We would still encourage you to obtain, at a minimum, a wellness exam, to ensure that you have not sustained any injuries.
What will happen when I get to the hospital?
You will meet with a Triage Nurse in the emergency room. You may find it difficult to explain your needs to the nurse. Although you do not need to give the nurse all the details of the assault, you will have to say you were sexually assaulted in order to receive the proper treatment. This will activate a system of processes to ensure that you are provided with specific services. The hospital will call our hotline and a RCC advocate will be dispatched to meet you at the hospital. You will be taken to a triage room and medically stabilized before the medical forensic exam can take place.
What is an advocate and how are they different from other people involved in my case?
An RCC advocate’s purpose is to provide emotional support to the victim, as well as information about resources, while the victim is in the hospital setting. Advocates also serve as a liaison, helping the victim and anyone who may have come with her/him understand the medical and legal processes that occur while the victim is in the hospital setting. RCC’s Advocates value and maintain the victim’s privacy and confidentiality except if they are informed of potential threat to the life of the victim or others and/or if they have reason to believe that a child, a disabled person or an elderly person is being abused and/or harmed. In such cases, the advocate is obligated by law to report the information to the appropriate authorities.
What if I want evidence gathered, but I don’t want to make a police report, or haven’t decided if I want to report yet?
If you are an adult, you do not necessarily have to report the assault at all. Some people wait to report the assault later, and some people never report.
But if you would like evidence gathered and you’re still not sure if reporting is right for you, the law allows adult sexual assault victims to obtain a medical forensic exam without making a police report if that is what you would prefer. This is also called a “non-report” exam.
If the victim would not like to make a police report, the medical forensic exam will be completed up to 96 hours after the time of the assault. Evidence collected without an accompanying police report will be packaged and sent to the Department of Public Safety (DPS) and stored for a minimum of two years, which provides you with time to consider your decision. DPS will pay the hospital for the exam and seek reimbursement through the Office of Attorney General (OAG)’s Crime Victims Compensation Program.
If the victim would like to make a police report, she/he has up to 120 hours from the time the assault occurred for a medical forensic exam to be completed. If the assault occurred more than 120 hours ago, a forensic exam cannot be completed but the crime may still be reported.
I am an undocumented resident, and I am afraid if I report and/or go to the hospital that I will be deported.
Hospital staff will not ask you questions about your immigration status because it is considered not relevant for medical care. Your immigration status cannot be discussed or reported by hospital staff. Emergency rooms are not required by state law to report sexual assaults if you are an adult. You may wish to report the crime to police for many reasons. If you choose not to report the crime, you will not be eligible for financial reimbursement of medical expenses through the Crime Victims’ Compensation Fund. If you have entered the country against your will, you may be entitled to protection as a victim of human trafficking. You deserve to be treated with respect and dignity regardless of your immigration status. We encourage you to contact our hotline to speak with our Case Manager for additional information.
I identify as transgender/queer/gender-queer. How will I be treated by hospital and/or RCC staff?
Any person can be a victim of sexual violence. Your feelings may be the same as those of any other sexual assault survivor (guilt, powerlessness, concern regarding your safety), and you may also have some concerns unique to your gender identity, including your sexuality, masculinity/femininity, reporting to law enforcement, how to tell others, and how to find resources and support. You have done nothing that justifies being raped and RCC is available to help you navigate the process.
FAQs About The Rape Crisis Center
What can the Rape Crisis Center offer?
- Prevention Education
- Counseling
- 24-hour Crisis Hotline and Live Chat
- Advocacy Services
- Case Management
- Hospital Accompaniment
Who qualifies for services?
Anyone who has been affected by sexual violence regardless of age, gender, or orientation, including family members.
Do I have to pay for services or have insurance?
No, all services are free.
Advocacy Services
- Victims have the legal right to have an advocate.
- Serves as a liaison between victims and systems that may have contact with the crime.
- Ensure victims are treated with respect by other service providers.
- Accompany and support victims during their medical forensic exam, court, and law enforcement.
- Address safety concerns, basic needs, and help make a safety plan.
- Emotional Support
Do I have to participate in services?
- No, our services are voluntary!
- You can always choose to participate at a later date.
Will all my information be confidential?
Yes, we will not disclose any information unless given signed consent.
Do I have to file a police report to receive services?
No, but your Advocate can help you file a police report if you choose to do at a later date.
What is the Crime Victims Compensation?
Victims of violent crime, their families, or others who have taken on crime-related costs on behalf of a victim, apply for compensation.
Support Us
The Rape Crisis Center Is A
501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization