Sexual assault resources

If you experience any type of sexual harassment or assault–including relationship violence–while on the DIS program, what happened to you was not your fault. It is DIS policy that victims or survivors will never be blamed for their choices or actions.

Determining what steps to take after a traumatic experience can be difficult and confusing, especially when you are far from home. While we’ve compiled a list of options and supportive resources below, please know that there is no one “right way” to respond. If you would like to discuss your options, we recommend reaching out to the Care Team who can help you navigate this difficult time.

Support from DIS

Regardless of the circumstances surrounding the incident of sexual violence or the individuals involved, DIS will support you in your recovery.

The DIS Care Team is trained to support you following an incident abroad, including sexual violence. We can help you consider your options and make referrals to experts as necessary. We will never require that you report to police, have a physical exam, or go home early. However, we will support you in doing any of these things, if you wish.

If an accused perpetrator of sexual violence is a member of the DIS community, DIS can impose sanctions for violations of the Code of Student Responsibility or related policies for faculty, staff, or hosts. Regardless of the identity of the accused perpetrator, you will have access to the support of the Care Team. However, our ability to adjudicate a complaint may be limited by the level of control it has over the learning environment and the accused perpetrator. For more information, contact the DIS Director of Health and Safety.

Navigate medical support with the Care Team

Medical attention is available for physical, emotional, and sexual health needs. The DIS Care Team can make referrals to a counselor and additional medical resources. We can also help a student navigate healthcare system and DIS insurance. If you would like a Care Team member to accompany you to a medical appointment, please ask.

Non-confidential resources

DIS staff (including the Care Team) and faculty are all private but not confidential resources.

This means that:

Any disclosure of sexual violence (or any other incident) will be treated as private information
Only those who need to know about the incident and are in a position to provide support will be informed. This will include someone at the student’s home university/college, who will provide information regarding on campus support options.
No staff or faculty at DIS is a confidential resource. This means that nobody at DIS can guarantee to keep a disclosure of sexual violence secret. However, DIS will respect the student right to privacy.

Emergency contact information for onsite students

If you need to contact the local authorities in Stockholm or Copenhagen:

Call 112

If you need to contact the DIS Copenhagen emergency phone:

Call (+45) 3067 1000

If you need to contact DIS Stockholm emergency phone:

Call 072-1412862 (if calling from a Swedish number)
Call +4672-1412862 (if calling from an international number)

DIS staff in both locations monitor a 24-hour emergency line service for all current DIS students. These line is provided for your health and safety after normal business hours. These are not call centers, but they will connect you to a local DIS staff member who will be able to assist you during an emergency.

How we communicate with your with emergency contacts

DIS will not contact your listed emergency contacts (obtained during Student Registration) without your express permission — unless the circumstances fall under our listed exceptions below. Please note that these circumstances rarely apply in cases of sexual assault.

: DIS will work cooperatively with your home university/college throughout your application, Student Registration, pre-departure advising, and time abroad with DIS. Further, DIS will notify your home school and work with them to resolve any incidents including health, safety, or disciplinary matters.

DIS may contact your listed emergency contact(s) (submitted in Student Registration) under any of the following circumstances:

You give express permission (oral or written)
You are unable to speak for yourself (and medical decisions need to be made on your behalf)
You have been missing for more than 24 hours (and there is some indication of nefarious activity)
You are perceived to be a danger to yourself or others
When a significant health, safety or security incident affecting the entire program has occurred abroad. This is normally following an incident such as natural disaster or a terrorist attack in the vicinity of the program, and no personally identifiable information is reported.

Inclusion on the above list does not guarantee DIS communication with your emergency contact as DIS will often defer to your home school’s decisions related to communication with emergency contacts. Your home school may choose to be in communications with parents/emergency contacts in cases where DIS would not.

In addition, if you opted these contacts into the Family Newsletter communication, DIS will be in touch with them through email. No specifics about you are shared.

Assessing safety and reporting to police

If your immediate safety is being threatened, please call the police at 112.

For non-emergency police contact information:

Stockholm: call 114 14 or visit a police station
Copenhagen: call 114 or visit a police station

DIS encourages individuals to report incidents of sexual violence to the local police. Timely reporting to the police is an important factor in successful investigation and prosecution of sexual violence crimes, and may lead to the arrest of an offender or aid in the investigation of other prior incidents. DIS can assist students in reporting sexual violence to the local police but will not require that a student do so.

You can also contact the DIS Care Team to discuss your options. We can accompany you to the police station or help set up a meeting with a Consular Service Officer.

You can also inform the U.S. Department of State that you’ve experienced a crime while abroad. Non-U.S. citizens may find similar supports from their local embassy or consulate.

Learn more about how the U.S. Department of State can help.

: Contact a Consular Service officer in Stockholm at 783 5300 both during business hours and after hours, seven days a week.

: Contact a Consular Service Officer in Copenhagen at +45 3341 7100 during normal business hours or +45 3341 7400 after hours.

Confidential support options

Many people who have experienced sexual assault find support in confidential resources. We’ve gathered lists of confidential support options in Copenhagen and Stockholm, as well as international resources.

: The Center for Victims of Sexual Assault at Rigshospitalet: The Center for Victims of Sexual Assault offers in-person, emergency assistance for people who have been subjected to sexual assault or attempted sexual assaults. Appointments are not needed.

Danner Counseling and Crisis Center: Danner provides a 24/7 hotline offering help and guidance in English for those who have experienced or been exposed to sexual violence.

Foreningen Sex og Samfund: The Danish equivalent of Planned Parenthood, Sex og Samfund provides a wide variety of resources including counseling, contraception, STI testing, and more.

Victim Support Denmark: An independent public service that offers free and confidential support. Trained English speaking volunteers offer assistance in dealing with police, courts, and other authorities. They also offer information on how to find a therapist or a victim advocate.

: Kvinnofridslinjen: Kvinnofridslinjen is an anonymous hotline available 24/7 for anyone who has been subjected to physical, psychological or sexual violence

Stödlinjen för män: A national support line for men who have been subjected to domestic abuse or sexual violence

Stödlinjen för transpersoner: A national support line for transgender people who have been subjected to domestic abuse or sexual violence

: International Resources for Sexual Assault and Harassment: A directory of international resources to assist victims/survivors of sexual assault and harassment compiled by the University of Minnesota. The introduction also includes important tips and considerations.

Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN): Toll-free 24/7 hotline for sexual assault counseling and referrals: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). RAINN also offers a hotline that provides live, secure, anonymous crisis support for victims of sexual violence, their friends and families over RAINN’s website. The online hotline is free of charge and available 24/7.

Pathways to Safety International: Phone, email or live chat with staff in the Crisis Center. Pathways to Safety International provides sexual assault prevention and response regardless of age, race, gender, sexual orientation or location worldwide.

More non-confidential support options

Your home campus

Visit your campus website for information on confidential resources on your campus. Title IX, a U.S. federal law, requires that U.S. campuses identify both confidential and non-confidential support options for students. Among those who might be confidential (check with your own campus as confidential resources vary) are clergy, counselors, women’s center staff, and/or crisis center staff.