If a student or colleague approaches you with concerns regarding
In cases of dating / domestic violence or stalking:
Domestic violence takes a variety of forms, including:
- Physical abuse: hitting, slapping, choking, punching, pulling hair, pinching, throwing the victim, being restrained involuntarily, being forced into drug or alcohol addiction.
- Sexual abuse: Any type of forced sexual activity, rape, uncomfortable touching, or being forced to view others' sexual acts either in person or via the media.
- Emotional abuse: Name calling, humiliating or degrading comments, continuous criticism for anything the survivor does or says, excessive jealousy, demanding an accounting of every moment the survivor is out of the abusers' sight or control (listening in on phone calls, monitoring the car odometer, tracking every minute away).
- Threats/intimidation: Threatening to do harm or to kill themselves, the survivor, a family member, a child, or a pet. Threatening to leave, threatening with violent gestures, breaking cherished possessions, injuring or killing pets, threatening with weapons.
- Isolation: Holding the survivor against her/his will, presenting contact with friends, family, or other important people in her/his life; blocking access to the telephone or vehicle.
Stalking takes a variety of forms as well, including:
- Stealing mail or tampering with mail delivery (sending in changes of address to the post office, reading mail, etc.)
- Monitoring the survivor's whereabouts, comings and goings, who she/he socializes with or dates, loitering outside classrooms
- Making anonymous phone calls or harassing phone calls
- Filing false Honor or Judiciary charges
- Breaking and entering a residence and leaving items, moving things around, masturbating on the bed or elsewhere and leaving ejaculate behind as a message
- The possibilities are limitless and crazy-making.
In cases of these crimes:
- Assure your colleague or student that this is a serious matter and that you will do what you can to help.
- If you or the student have safety concerns, call the police at 911 (on-Grounds 9-911). A female officer is usually provided on request. If safe housing is necessary, call the Shelter for Help in Emergency (SHE) at 293-8509.
- Explain that it is helpful to devise a safety plan and important to understand her/his rights. Visit the pages on this website related to domestic violence and stalking for that information, or call SHE or the Sexual Assault Education Office at 982-2774 from your office or another private space for guidance.
- Students who are not cohabiting with their partners may get orders of protection, even if they live on Grounds.
- When the police respond to domestic violence calls, state law requires them to make an arrest if they believe abuse has occurred. The local Commonwealth's Attorney will also prosecute abusers in same-sex relationships, even though state law does not require it.
- University charges for domestic/dating violence are filed with the University Judiciary Comittee, but cases involving any kind of sexual assault are heard by the Sexual Assault Board. Students may explore these options with the SAEC or the Dean of Students (924-7133).
- If the individual is a University employee, refer
her/him for free counseling to:
- Faculty & Employee Assistance Program: 924-9296
- SHE: 293-8509
- UVa Women's Center: 982-2361
- If the individual is a student, free counseling resources
include:
- Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS): 924-5556
- SHE: 293-8509
- UVa Women's Center: 982-2361
- The Coordinator of Sexual Assault Education (982-2774) provides additional support and information regarding legal and university options, as well as assistance to faculty whose students have been abused. Check out the other pages on this website for more information.
- The Office of the Dean of Students (924-7133) also provides support, information, and referral to students, and assists those having academic difficulties as a result of abuse or stalking.