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Who We Are

Rape Crisis Intervention Service of Carroll County (RCIS) is a Private Non-Profit Agency serving Carroll County, Maryland, since 1978. RCIS provides free counseling and support services to victims of sexual violence and their families. We also offer prevention education programs and professional training in order to eliminate sexual violence through education and advocacy.

Our Mission

No one has the right, under any circumstances, to rape or sexually assault another person. Victims and survivors of sexual violence deserve all the support possible to aid in their recovery. We will provide quality treatment to victims and survivors and their families, ever seeking to improve our expertise and services. An equal part of our energy, resources and personnel will be devoted to creating a community awareness and energy that will actively work toward the elimination of sexual violence in all forms.

Ending Sexual Violence through Education and Prevention

RCIS employs a full-time Community Educator dedicated to informing and educating the residents of Carroll County. Rape Crisis offers customized education programs for all ages, community organizations and professional groups.

Prevention Focused Education

Primary prevention is currently the most compelling form of prevention especially when working with men and boys in the community to put an end to sexual violence. The RCIS Community Educator is extensively trained to administer trainings to local schools, businesses and organizations on the subject of primary prevention. Please contact the Community Educator if you are interested in scheduling a presentation.

Other educational opportunities

Student

Classroom presentations in Carroll County Public Schools cover the following prevention topics: child sexual abuse, date/acquaintance rape, dating violence, domestic violence and sexual harassment. Presentations to Carroll County Public Schools are free of charge. Presentations to private schools in Carroll County are also available for a nominal fee.
To arrange for a presentation in your classroom, call our Community Educator at 410-857-0900.

Community Groups

Education programs covering child sexual abuse, date/acquaintance rape, dating violence, healthy relationships, internet safety and sexual harassment are offered customized to the age and lifestyle of the audience. A trainer and presentation and handouts and brochures are provided for a modest cost. Programs can be conducted evenings and weekends as well as during daytime business hours. Contact our Community Educator at 410-857-0900 for more information. Additional charges apply for programs outside Carroll County.

Professionals and Colleges

RCIS also presents programs to law enforcement, criminal justice agencies and mental health professionals. These customizable programs cover topics such as: advocacy, recovery, offenders and counseling, as well as prevention. Programs range from 1 hour to 1 day in length. A video, trainer and handouts are provided. Programs can be conducted evenings and weekends as well as during daytime business hours. We have provided training to the following organizations: McDaniel College, Carroll Community College, Maryland State Police, Carroll Hospital Center, Addictions Program - Carroll County Health Department as well various businesses in the for-profit community. Fees are collected for this service and additional charges may apply for programs outside Carroll County. For more information contact our Community Educator at 410-857-0900.

Ten things men can do to prevent gender violence

Approach gender violence as a MEN'S issue involving men of all ages and socioeconomic, racial and ethnic backgrounds. View men not only as perpetrators or possible offenders, but as empowered bystanders who can confront abusive peers
If a brother, friend, classmate, or teammate is abusing his female partner -- or is disrespectful or abusive to girls and women in general -- don't look the other way. If you feel comfortable doing so, try to talk to him about it. Urge him to seek help. Or if you don't know what to do, consult a friend, a parent, a professor, or a counselor. DON'T REMAIN SILENT.
Have the courage to look inward. Question your own attitudes. Don't be defensive when something you do or say ends up hurting someone else. Try hard to understand how your own attitudes and actions might inadvertently perpetuate sexism and violence, and work toward changing them.
If you suspect that a woman close to you is being abused or has been sexually assaulted, gently ask if you can help.
If you are emotionally, psychologically, physically, or sexually abusive to women, or have been in the past, seek professional help NOW.
Be an ally to women who are working to end all forms of gender violence. Support the work of campus-based women's centers. Attend "Take Back the Night" rallies and other public events. Raise money for community-based rape crisis centers and battered women's shelters. If you belong to a team or fraternity, or another student group, organize a fundraiser.
Recognize and speak out against homophobia and gay-bashing. Discrimination and violence against lesbians and gays are wrong in and of themselves. This abuse also has direct links to sexism (eg. the sexual orientation of men who speak out against sexism is often questioned, a conscious or unconscious strategy intended to silence them. This is a key reason few men do so).
Attend programs, take courses, watch films, and read articles and books about multicultural masculinities, gender inequality, and the root causes of gender violence. Educate yourself and others about how larger social forces affect the conflicts between individual men and women.
Don't fund sexism. Refuse to purchase any magazine, rent any video, subscribe to any Web site, or buy any music that portrays girls or women in a sexually degrading or abusive manner. Protest sexism in the media.
Mentor and teach young boys about how to be men in ways that don't involve degrading or abusing girls and women. Volunteer to work with gender violence prevention programs, including anti-sexist men's programs. Lead by example