Information & Resources

Sexual Violence

If you have been the victim of sexual violence (rape/assault, harassment, etc.), or know someone who has, the information below may help you make some decisions. 

Survivors of all forms of gender-based and power-based violence can experience a wide range of feelings and reactions, including confusion, denial, anger, shock, numbness, fear, self-blame, shame, embarrassment, sadness, and helplessness.

It is common for survivors to experience:

• feelings of guilt and responsibility
• concerns about their ability to make good judgments about people
• difficulty trusting themselves and others or feeling safe
• feelings of being violated, conned, cheated, and/or manipulated
• difficulty accepting what happened as rape or abuse

Sexual assault and harassment can be a traumatic experience. Speaking with a confidential resource such as VPVA or other on- or off-campus resources may be helpful to your own understanding of what you are going through. In addition, there may be some time-sensitive options available to you that an advocate can explain.

Survivors of childhood sexual abuse and incestuous sexual abuse often begin to remember their experience or deal with the emotions associated with their childhood experiences when they begin college. This can be a difficult and scary situation to deal with. VPVA Staff can help you get the information and support you need!

If you are someone you know has expereinced sexual assault (what most of us commonly refer to as rape), a variety of options are avialable. The below information may help you to make decisions about reporting to university officials or law enforcement; or having evidence collected. You can always speak to an advocate about your options. 

Advocates are here to assist you in understanding your options and helping you to make informed decisions. 

• Information on Evidence Collection
• Disclosing Your Experience to Others
• Reporting to the University
• Reporting to Law Enforcement

Domestic or Dating Violence

Domestic/dating violence is a pattern of controlling, manipulative, and coercive behaviors that occur within a current or former intimate relationship - including dating, marriage, or a person with whom you share a child. Experiencing intimate partner violence can feel confusing and scary.

Domestic violence or dating abuse is both a criminal and a university offense. Criminal charges can be filed through the Rutgers University Police Department, or through the municipality where the incident occurred, where the abuser lives, or where you live. You may also apply for a temporary restraining order.  This is a civil action compelling the abuser to, among other things; refrain from having contact with you.

If the abuser is also a Rutgers student, you may file a complaint through the Sexual Harassment, Sexual Violence, Relationship Violence, Stalking, and Related Misconduct process.  To file such a complaint, fill out an incident report form. You can contact the Title IX Coordinator, Allison Wisniewski at aemery@camden.rutgers.edu or by phone: (856) 225-6425. You can also call the VPVA office at (856) 225-2326.

Keep in mind that a counselor or advocate from our office can accompany you to the police, the Title IX Office, or to court. It is important for victims of dating/domestic violence to create a safety plan to address risks created by the abuser and help to minimize the risk of an abusive incident. 

We will also assist you in creating a safety plan. A safety plan is a plan you create with an advocate that considers the aspects of your daily living and options for minimizing risk to experience harm. A safety plan is an important tool if you are currently in an abusive situation or if you are planning to leave. For help creating a safety plan, please contact VPVA at 856-225-2326 or via email at lluciano@rutgers.edu.

Stalking

Stalking is a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear. Some common stalking behaviors include: repeated social media posts or false social media posts, repeated approaching or following, repeated phone calls or DMs/texts, and/or physical intimidation or assault. 

Experiencing stalking is scary and often not taken seriously. If you are experiencing stalking, help is available. As with other types of abuse or violence, there are two broad categories of options: legal and counseling. You may pursue either or both of these options. If you wish to speak to a counselor or advocate to find out more information about these options, please call our office at 856-225-2326.

As with domestic/dating violence, stalking victims should consider working with an advocate to create a saftey plan. A safety plan considers the aspects of your daily living and options for minimizing risk to experience harm. For help creating a safety plan, please contact VPVA at 856-225-2326 or via email at lluciano@rutgers.edu.

Title IX

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in education. It reads:

“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” –Legal Citation: Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and its implementing regulation at 34 C.F.R. Part 106 (Title IX)

Sex discrimination includes sexual harassment and sexual assault. While it is often thought of as a law that applies to athletics programs, Title IX is much broader than athletics and applies to many programs at Rutgers. The Title IX policy at Rutgers University is designed to foster a safe and inclusive community for our students, to support our students, and to address harm. To learn more about Title IX at Rutgers-Camden please visit their website.

Counseling Services

VPVA provides FREE and CONFIDENTIAL counseling to any Rutgers-Camden student that has experienced domestic violence, sexual violence, or stalking, regardless of when or where the act of violence occured. Using a survivor centered approach, our counseling services provde you with the opportunity to talk about your thoughts and feelings as well as explore the options you have to move forward in healing. 

What does "confidential" mean?

VPVA staff are confidential staff on campus, which means that we do not share that you have talked with us or any details about what we talk with anyone else unless you give us permision to do so or disclose thoughs of suicide or homicide. We are not obligated to report to Campus Authorities as many other faculty and staff are.

To make an appointment for counseling call 856-225-2326 or email Laura Luciano at lluciano@rutgers.edu