There are violent crimes against women on campus including:

• dating violence
• domestic violence
• sexual assault
• stalking

What to do if you are sexually assaulted

Domestic violence phone
number resource list (PDF format)

Current Research:
Dowdall, G.W., Koss, M.P., & Wechsler. (2003, September 2).
Correlates of Rape while Intoxicated in a National Sample of College Women.
Department of Society, Human Development and Health, Harvard School of Public Health.

Domestic Violence

Domestic violence phone
number resource list (PDF format)

Domestic violence constitutes the willful intimidation, assault, battery, sexual assault or other abusive behavior perpetrated by one family member, household member, or intimate partner against another. In most state laws addressing domestic violence, the relationship necessary for a charge of domestic assault or abuse generally includes a spouse, former spouse, persons currently residing together or those that have within the previous year, or persons who share a common child. In addition, as of 1997, a significant number of states have included dating relationships in their statutory definitions of domestic relationships.

• The average yearly loss to female victims of intimate violence in medical expenses is $61,000,000; when broken or stolen property and lost pay is added to the figure it increases to $150,000,000 (Greenfield et al, 1998); when indirect costs are included, such as pain and suffering and loss of quality of life, another $65,000,000 annually would need to added (Miller, et al, 1996).
• Nearly 1 in 4 American women between the ages of 18 and 65 has experienced domestic violence (Body Shop, 1998).
• In 1996, there were nearly 1,000,000 female victims and approximately 150,000 male victims of intimate violence (Greenfield, et al, 1998).
• In 48% of all violent victimizations during 1996, the victim knew the offender (Ringel, 1997).

Source: http://www.ncvc.org

Physical Abuse
The abuser’s physical attacks or aggressive behavior can range from bruising to murder. It often begins with what is excused as trivial contacts that escalate into more frequent and serious attacks. Physical abuse includes behaviors like: pushing, shoving, slapping, damaging property or valued items, leaving partner in a dangerous place, refusing to provide assistance when their partner is sick or injured, attacking with weapons, etc.

Psychological and/or Emotional Abuse
Psychological or mental violence can include anything that impacts the mental health and well being of the partner, such as: name-calling, constant criticism, harassment, blaming the victim for everything, excessive possessiveness and jealousy, isolation from family and friends, intimidation and humiliation.

Sexual Abuse
Physical attacks by the abuser is often accompanied by, or culminate in, sexual violence wherein the victim is forced to have sexual intercourse with the abuser or take part in unwanted sexual activity, including unprotected sex.

Economical Abuse
This includes any behavior that maintains power and control over finances, such as: preventing their partner from getting or keeping a job, making their partner ask for money for every expense, limiting partner’s access to funds and knowledge of family finances, and controlling their funds.

Am I being abused?

It can be difficult to acknowledge that you, or someone you care about, is involved in an abusive relationship. Domestic Violence does not look the same in all relationships; however, there are some warning signs that may indicate you are in an unhealthy relationship. Take a few minutes to answer these questions:

• Does your partner insult you in public or in front of your kids?
• Does your partner treat you like you are stupid or call you names?
• Does your partner try to control what you do?
• Does your partner act really jealous of your friends or family?
• Does your partner blame you for his/her violence?
• Have your partner ever threatened to hurt you or him/herself if the relationship ends?

If the answer is yes for one or more of the questions, it is important for you to get help. Call the 24-Hour Philadelphia Domestic Violence Hotline 1-866-SAFE-014 before the cycle of violence gets worse.

Leaving an abusive relationship

Though Domestic Violence is dangerous, even lethal, and hurts the whole family, leaving an abusive relationship is not always easy.

First of all, the person can be deeply in love with the abuser, hopes the situation is going to change and feels guilty of breaking the relationship, especially if they have children together. In other cases, the person may be scared to leave because of the abuser’s threatening or harassing behavior. Leaving becomes even more difficult if the victim does not have a job or the support of family and friends to star a new independent life.

If you, or someone you know, is in a violent relationship, or is planning to leave one, it is important to make a safety plan. You can download one from this site but it is better if you can talk to someone you trust about it; if you do not have friends or family close to you right now, you always can call the Philadelphia DV Hotline to talk to one of the crisis intervention counselors: 1-866-SAFE-014.

Safety Planning Tips

While you cannot control your batterer’s violence, you can plan ahead to figure out safety plans for you and your children. People in abusive relationships often develop strategies in order to control and cope with daily violence. Safety planning is very important for survivors when or after they leave the relationship and you can also plan for your safety even if you are still living with your partner.

What does safety planning include?

• An assessment of danger
• An assessment of options for improving your safety
• Identification of possible resources

Safety planning cannot:

• Prevent serious injury or homicide
• Be done without the involvement of the victim/survivor
• Be viewed the same for all victims/survivors

What does a safety plan look like?
Whether you live with your batterer or not, there are some important questions to think about as you plan for your safety.

• In what way can others (friends, family, domestic violence hotline) help you?
• What do you feel you need to be safe?
• What particular concerns do you have about your children's safety?
• What have you done in the past to protect yourself and your children? Did any of these strategies help? Will any of them help you now?

Here are some additional things to think about:

Identify how your partner uses violence:

• My alarm system tells me that violence is about to start when...(or example - clenched fists, "the look in his eye", etc.)
• The following things seem to start fights...
• I feel me and my children are most unsafe when...(time of day, day of the week, holidays, pay day, dinner is late, etc.)
• There are no clues. Violence happens when I don't expect it. This means I need to...
• I know things are getting worse when...(he/she uses weapons, threatens to kill me, etc.) And this means I need to...

Safety during a violent incident:

• The place where most violence happens is...
• If we are going to have a fight, I will try to move to a space that is safest, such as: (Try to avoid the bathroom, kitchen, rooms without an outside door, rooms with a weapon or objects that can be used as weapons.)
• I might need to call for help or escape my house. To prepare for this, I need to think about: having a cell phone, knowing where the nearest phone is and how long it takes to get there, programming 911 into speed dial, having emergency numbers ready, etc.
• My neighbors/family know of the violence in my home and I have asked them to get help, call me, worked out a signal, etc.
• I have taught my children how to call for help. They know not to get involved and to to a safe place in the house when violence starts. My children know our address and how to call 911.
• I have told my children that the violence is not our fault even if my abuser accuses us of that.
• If I have to leave my home, I can go to...
• If I don't have anyplace safe to go to, I know I can call the domestic violence hotline (215) 386-7777 and they can help me find safe emergency shelter.
• I will use my judgment and instinct. If the situation is very serious, I can give my partner what he/she needs or wants to calm him/her down. I have to protect myself until I/we are out of danger.

Safety when preparing to leave. I can use some or all of the following strategies:

• I will have money and an extra set of keys with ______________ so I can leave quickly.
• I will keep copies of important documents at ________________________________.
• I will open a savings account by __________________ to increase my independence.
• Other thinks I can do to increase my independence include: ____________________________________
• I will keep change for phone calls or purchase a phone card.
• I will leave extra clothes with ________________________.
• I will rehearse my exit plan and, as appropriate, practice it with my children.
• I can call a domestic violence hotline (numbers listed below) or Women Against Abuse Legal Center (215) 686-7082 to talk about getting a protection from abuse order.
• Important documents I need to set outside the house in a safe place for when I leave are:
  • Personal ID for myself
  • Birth Certificates (mine/kids)
  • Social Security Cards/Numbers
  • Money
  • Checkbook, ATM cards, bank account numbers
  • Credit Card numbers
  • Pictures of myself, my kids and my partner
  • Pay stubs, income tax returns
  • Insurance policies
  • Access card
  • Passport/Green card
  • Address book
  • Keys
  • Children's toys/clothes
  • Driver's License/Registration
  • Marriage License/Divorce papers
  • Medications
  • Any ownership papers

Click here to download this checklist in PDF form from http://www.womenagainstabuse.org

Where to File For a Protection From Abuse Order:

Family Court, Domestic Violence Unit
34 South 11th Street
Room 242
(215) 686-3511
Hours: 8:30 am to 5pm weekdays

Criminal Justice Center (Emergency Filing Site)
1301 Filbert Street
(215) 683-7280
Hours: Weekdays after 5pm, Weekends and holidays

Source: http://www.womenagainstabuse.org