SEXUAL ASSAULT

Sexual Assault occurs anytime a person is forced, coerced, and/or manipulated into any unwanted sexual contact, attempted or completed, without consent.

Consensual sex happens when both partners are freely and willingly agreeing, or consenting, to whatever sexual activity is occurring. Sex without consent is sexual assault/rape.

  • They are under the influence of drugs or alcohol

    There is force or the threat to use force

    They are unable to understand the nature of the act

    They are a minor, less than 17 in most cases

    They are coerced or persuaded to change their mind.

  • Lack of a "no" is not a "yes."

    “Yes” should be a clear “yes.”

    If someone is intoxicated, they cannot legally consent to sex; having sex with someone who is intoxicated is RAPE.

    Forcing sex without consent in marriage or in a dating relationship is also sexual assault.

Domestic violence and sexual assault are never just a women’s issue. It’s a human and social issue affecting men, women, children, victims, their families, friends, our communities, and everyone.

ILLINOIS SEXUAL ASSAULT DATABASE

Click here to find a Rape Crisis Center in your county. Call the ICASA 24-hour hotline at 217.753.4117 to find out more about what counseling, advocacy, and education services are available to you.

Legal Services

  • LOCATION
    307 N Michigan Ave, Suite 1020, Chicago, IL 60601

    COUNTIES SERVED
    Chicagoland

    COST
    Pro-Bono

    LANGUAGES
    English, Spanish, Portuguese, Urdu, Gujarati, and Hindi. Translation serves available in all languages.

    INTAKE
    Call the legal intake line at 773.244.2230 (ext. 205) or email legal@caase.org. Open M-F 9AM-5PM.

    Visit the CAASE website.

  • LOCATION
    120 S LaSalle St, Suite 900, Chicago, IL 60603

    COUNTIES SERVED
    Chicagoland

    COST
    Pro-Bono

    ELIGIBILITY
    Persons with limited assets and income at or below 150% of the federal poverty level are financially eligible for services. We have higher income limits for homeowners at risk of foreclosure, seniors, veterans, people living with HIV, survivors of domestic or sexual violence with legal issues relating to their victimization, and victims of human trafficking.

    INTAKE
    Apply online or call 312.341.1070.

    Visit the Legal Aid Chicago website.

  • LOCATION
    Find various community centers here.

    COUNTIES SERVED
    Chicagoland

    COST
    Pro-Bono

    INTAKE
    Call 312.986.4105.

    Visit the Legal Aid Society website.

  • LOCATION
    DOWNTOWN
    70 E Lake St, Suite 600, Chicago, IL 60601

    DES PLAINES
    701 Lee St, #700, Des Plaines, IL 60016

    COUNTIES SERVED
    Chicagoland

    TYPE
    Pro-Bono

    LANGUAGES
    English, Spanish, Arabic, Hindi, Urdu, Korean, Russian and Polish.

    INTAKE
    Call 312.408.1210. Open M-F 9AM-5PM.

    Visit the Life Span website.

  • LOCATION
    180 N Michigan Ave, Suite 600, Chicago, IL 60601

    COUNTIES SERVED
    Chicagoland

    COST
    Pro-Bono

    LANGUAGES
    English, Spanish

    INTAKE
    Call 312.443.9603 or email at info@ourresilience.org.

    Visit the Resilience website.

  • LOCATION
    8787 State St, Suite 201, East St. Louis, IL 62203

    COUNTIES SERVED
    Central and Southern Illinois

    COST
    Pro-Bono

    LANGUAGES
    Interpreters available over call.

    INTAKE
    Fill out this link or call at 877.342.7891.

    Visit the Land of Lincoln website.

  • LOCATION
    BLOOMINGTON-NORMAL
    211 Landmark Dr, Suite D4, Normal, IL 61761

    CHAMPAIGN-URBANA
    409 Devonshire Dr, Champaign, IL 61820

    SPRINGFIELD
    120 S 11th St, Springfield, IL 62703

    COUNTIES SERVED
    Central and Southern Illinois

    COST
    Pro-Bono

    INTAKE
    Call 309.829.8703 to find out if you qualify for services, register for a clinic or workshop, or schedule an appointment with a member of our legal team. Open M-F 10AM-5PM.

    Visit The Immigration Project website.

Counseling

  • LOCATION
    LAKE COUNTY
    4275 Old Grand Ave, Gurnee, IL 60031
    Includes counseling, prevention education and community outreach, medical and court advocacy.

    NORTHERN COOK COUNTY
    4232 Dempster St, Skokie, IL 60076
    Provides counseling services only at this time.

    COUNTIES SERVED
    Chicagoland

    COST
    Free

    INTAKE
    Call 847.244.1187 and an intake manager will reach out within 24-48 business hours of your call. They will assess your needs and concerns, and answer any questions you may have, and provide you with information abut our services.

    Visit the Zacharias Sexual Abuse Center website.

  • LOCATION
    4740 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640

    COUNTIES SERVED
    Chicagoland

    COST
    Free

    INTAKE
    Please fill out this form with as much information as you’re comfortable with. We’ll reach out as soon as possible. Call C4 at 773.769.0205.

    Visit the C4 website.

  • LOCATION
    P.O. Box 1390, Elgin, IL 60121

    COST
    Free

    INTAKE
    At the Community Crisis Center, we work to help victims of sexual assault to regain control of their lives, explore their options and deal with the effects of trauma. We strive to empower survivors and help them move through their crisis to develop and pursue goals. Please contact the Community Crisis Center at 847.697.2380.

  • LOCATION
    ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE
    5220 East Ave, Countryside, IL 60525

    COUNTIES SERVED
    Communities in the western and southwestern suburbs of Chicago

    COST
    Some services available free of charge; others offered on sliding fee scale (meaning the amount you pay depends on your ability to pay.

    LANGUAGES
    English, Spanish; some programs offered in Arabic or Polish.

    INTAKE
    We know that home is not a safe place for everyone. Having to remain at home with an abuser can create a higher risk of abuse. Our Domestic and Sexual Violence staff continue to serve clients through court advocacy, shelter, counseling, and our FREE 24-hour hotlines:

    Sexual Assault 708.482.9600
    Domestic Violence 708.485.5254

    Visit the Pillars Community Health website.

  • LOCATION
    168 N Ottawa St, Joliet, IL 60432

    COUNTIES SERVED
    Grundy County

    COST
    All services are free and confidential. No income or insurance necessary. Services are available regardless of immigration status.

    ELIGIBILITY
    Serves survivors of sexual violence, adults and children, and their non-offending significant others. Identified perpetrators of sexual violence are served through referral only. Admission is based on self-referral and client consent. When serving a minor less than 12 years of age, parental consent confirms services. Minors 12 through 16 are eligible for up to 8 counseling sessions at 90 minutes each without parent/guardian consent. Adults with guardians are eligible for up to 12 counseling sessions at 1 hour each prior to receiving guardian approval, in accordance with state law. Youth who are 17 have full ability to consent for services without parental involvement. Children of any age and adults with guardians have full ability to consent to medical and medical advocacy services related to sexual violence without parent/guardian consent. SASC accepts referrals from external sources. Staff contacts the referral to identify her/his interest in one or more services.

    INTAKE
    Services are provided without regard for race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, class, physical, mental, or emotional disability. Crisis intervention and information/referral services are available to all clients. Based on an assessment, however, one or more services may be deferred. If the individual is not a survivor of sexual violence, or the significant other of a survivor of sexual violence, staff members make every effort to determine the applicant’s service needs and link the person with appropriate services. Call 815.730.8984.

    Visit the SASC website.

  • LOCATION
    P.O. Box 621, DeKalb, IL 60115

    COST
    All services provided to sexual assault and child sexual abuse survivors are free, confidential, and victim-centered.

    INTAKE
    Contact our hotline at 815.756.5228 to schedule intake.

    Visit the Safe Passage website.

  • LOCATION
    In-Person and Virtual Sessions Available

    COUNTIES SERVED
    Chicagoland, West Suburbs, South Suburbs

    COST
    Free

    ELIGIBILITY
    Survivors of sexual violence ages 3+ and their impacted non-offending significant others (spouses, partners, parents/legal guardians, siblings.

    INTAKE
    Fill out the interest form or call the number based on your location:

    Chicago 312.733.2102
    West Suburbs 630.790.6600
    South Suburbs 708.754.0486

    Visit the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago website.

  • LOCATION
    415 West Golf Rd, Suite 47, Arlington Heights, IL 60005

    4508 Prime Parkway, McHenry, IL 60050

    COUNTIES SERVED
    Cook County, McHenry County

    COST
    Free

    LANGUAGES
    English and Spanish

    ELIGIBILITY
    Counseling services are available to survivors and their non-offending significant others of all ages and genders regardless of when the sexual harm occurred. Counseling services are survivor centered and are intended to provide emotional support and help clients regain a sense of control over their lives and heal from the pain of sexual violence.

    INTAKE
    Fill out the contact form or call the hotline at 888.802.8890.

    Visit the NWCASA website.

  • LOCATION
    180 N Michigan Ave, Suite 600, Chicago, IL 60601

    COUNTIES SERVED
    Chicagoland

    COST
    Free

    LANGUAGES
    English and Spanish

    ELIGIBILITY
    • Services are offered to survivors and their non-offending loved ones.
    • Appropriate clients may be anyone who has experienced any form of sexual violence, including harassment, abuse, or assault at any time in their lives.
    • Open to survivors, family, loved ones, caregivers, and partners of survivors.
    • We are only able o provide services to clients who are current IL residents.

    INTAKE
    There may be a waitlist for our free services. To be added to the trauma therapy waitlist please call us at 312.443.9603 or contact us here. After joining the waitlist you will be contacted by our Trauma Intervention Specialist to schedule an intake appointment. After completing the intake appointment and if you are appropriate for services at Resilience you will be assigned to one of our trauma therapists to begin your 20 sessions of trauma therapy. For group therapy click here for current support groups offered. For a one-time session, please fill out this form.

    Visit the Resilience website.

  • LOCATION
    2124 W 21st Pl, Chicago, IL 60608

    COUNTIES SERVED
    Cook County

    COST
    Free

    LANGUAGES
    English and Spanish

    ELIGIBILITY
    For the healing and prevention of sexual violence, we offer crisis intervention, individual and group counseling, adult and child therapy, legal and medical advocacy, community education, professional and volunteer trainings, and referrals to other resources.

    24-Hour Chicago Rape Crisis Line: 888.293.2080

    INTAKE
    Leave your name and email below (scroll down) along with what you are looking for in the message box. Or call at 773.890.7676.

    Visit the Mujeres Latinas en Acción website.