1. When they come to you:
disclosures of interpersonal
violence
This project was supported by Grant No. 2009-WA-AX-
0022 awarded by the Office on Violence Against
Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The
opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations
expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are
those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the
views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence
Against Women.

3. This workshop covers:
• Review of 3 types of interpersonal violence
• Step-by-step guide for what to say
• On and off campus resources for survivors of
violence and stalking
• Statistics on interpersonal violence
• Accompanying handbook for you to keep!
▫ Includes Nevada Revised Statues, all contact
information for on and off campus
resources, statistics, and everything covered here
today

4. Who we are pg. 3
• ASERTAV: Advocacy, Support, & Education
Response Team Against Violence
▫ A task force of campus and community
organizations and local law enforcement
▫ Includes the Jean Nidetch Women’s Center
(JNWC), Office for Student Conduct
(OSC), Counseling & Psychological Services
(CAPS), campus police, & off campus police

5. JNWC Victim Advocates
• Provide confidential and non-judgmental
support for UNLV students, faculty, & staff
• For victims, survivors, & secondary victims of sexual
assault, domestic violence, and/or stalking
• We offer support, education, resources, & referrals
to on and off campus entities
▫ Victim advocates go through extensive training to
assist with reporting, social services, & the court
system following experiences
of violence.
*The staff and advocates of JNWC are not
licensed therapists. Referrals to UNLV
CAPS therapists are available from JNWC.

6. • Research shows most victims of interpersonal
violence do not call police.
• Instead, they tell peers or someone they trust.
▫ Students are most likely to tell a friend first- this is
why we train students, faculty, and staff what to do if
someone discloses
• JNWC is prepared to help victims & survivors find
resources and services (like counseling, medical
care, housing assistance, etc). We also explain all the
legal options available to them: from reporting to
campus and local police to going through the Office
of Student Conduct; and then help them through the
legal and court system.

7. Domestic Violence
Pg 9

8. What is domestic violence?
• Pattern of assaultive and
coercive behaviors in which an
individual establishes and
maintains power and control over
another with whom he/she has an
intimate, romantic, marital or
family relationship
• Abusers often use
threats, intimidation, isolation, vi
olent acts and other behaviors to
establish and maintain power and
control.
Domestic violence is a crime!
NRS 33.018 (see pg 34)

9. Domestic Violence pg 21
• One in every four women will experience
domestic violence in her lifetime.
▫ 85% of domestic violence victims are women.
▫ Women who are 20-24 years of age are at the
greatest risk of nonfatal intimate partner violence.
• Of domestic violence incidents involving LGBTQ
partners reported to social service and
community agencies in 2008, almost a third
were 19 to 29 years old
▫ Bisexual, transgender, lesbian, and gay people
experience violence in intimate relationships at
about the same rates as heterosexuals.

10. Domestic Violence
• Nevada is #1 in the country for domestic
violence fatalities.
• Most cases of domestic violence are never
reported to the police.
▫ Nationally, only 16% of LGBTQ victims of
domestic violence called the police.
• A woman returns to her abuser, on average, 7
times before leaving for good.
• 36,835 Nevadans received services from
domestic violence programs in 2007.

11. When someone discloses domestic violence
1. Share important messages with the
student to avoid blaming:
“You are not alone.”
“You are not to blame.”
“You do not deserve to be treated this way.”
“There is help available to you.”
“Would you like to call the Women’s Center for you so you
can talk to an advocate who can help?
2. Assess their immediate safety:
Do you feel safe going home? Are you afraid to go home?
Do you have a safety plan?
Are there weapons present?
Do you need access to a shelter?
Can you stay with family or friends?
Has the violence increased in frequency and/or severity?
Have there been threats of homicide or suicide?
Do you want police intervention?

12. When someone discloses domestic violence
3. If they feel unsafe or unsure, suggest the following:
Contact a JNWC advocate to help them create a safety plan, apply for a
temporary or emergency protection order through Clark County, and help them find
housing alternatives.
Jean Nidetch Women’s Center: 702-895-4475
Contact the Office of Student Conduct if the abuser is also a student. OSC can
guide the student in making sure they feel safe on campus and decide if they want to
apply for a No Contact Letter, the campus’ equivalent of a protection order.
Office of Student Conduct: 702-895-2308
Contact Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) if they want someone to
talk to about the violence they’ve experienced.
Student Counseling and Psychological Services : 702-895-3627
Contact the Student Health Center if in need of medical attention.
Student Health Center: 702-895-3770

13. Co-occurrence
• Sexual assault or forced sex occurs in
approximately 40-45% of battering relationships a
• 81% of women stalked by a current or former
intimate partner are also physically assaulted by
that partner; 31% are also sexually assaulted by
that partner b

14. Sexual Assault
Pg 14

15. Disclosure of Sexual Assault
What is Sexual Assault? What to Say
• When someone overpowers “You are not alone.”
their victim with the threat of “You are not to blame.”
violence or actual violence and “Help is available to
engages in sexual activity you.”
“The Women’s Center has
against that person’s will advocates to help you heal &
find resources.”
• Considering 80-90% of
victims know their
assailants, an assailant often
uses the victim’s trust to
isolate, force, threaten, intimi NRS 200.366, NRS 200.364 (pg
date, or pressure him/her. 34)

16. Resources to Give
Rape Crisis Center of Southern Nevada
366-1640
UNLV Student Counseling & Psychological
Services (CAPS) 895-3627
UNLV Student Health Center 895-3770
UNLV Office of Student Conduct 895-2308
(if offender is a student)
UNLV Jean Nidetch Women’s Center
895-4475 (victim advocates)
Financial Compensation for Victims of a Violent
Crime www.voc.nv.gov (JNWC advocates
can help a victim navigate this process.)
LVMPD Sexual Assault Unit 828-3421
NLVPD (North Las Vegas) 646-9111
HNPD (Henderson area) 267-4727

17. Sexual Assault Statistics pgs 20-21
• 1 in 6 women, and 1 in 33 • One in five women will be
men, have experienced an sexually assaulted during
attempted or completed rape their college career
• 47% of female survivors receiving • For UNLV, this means 840-1400
assistance from the Rape Crisis women will be sexually assaulted
Center of Southern Nevada were ▫ Not including those less likely
between the ages of 18 and 29 to report: men, transgender
(2008). people, gay men and lesbians
• Similarly, among those who report
to Las Vegas Metro PD, the most
frequently victimized women were
between 19-29 years old (33.5%
of cases reported, 1/08 – 3/10)

18. Stalking
Pg 16

19. Stalking can take
many forms
• Repeated physical proximity
• Nonconsensual communications
including electronic forms of
communication (e-mails, texting,
social networking sites)
• Gifting of unwanted items or
presents
• Verbal or written implied threats
that make someone feel unsafe
• Any unwanted contact between a
stalker and their victim which
directly or indirectly communicates
a threat or places the victim in fear
NRS 200.575 (pg 35)

20. Stalking protection pg 22
What to say: • Off campus resources
▫ Las Vegas Regional Justice
“This is a serious issue.” Center (702) 671-3165
“I believe you.”
“Help is available to you.” ▫ What is a stalking order?
“You are not to blame.” ▫ Order the adverse party to stay
“Women’s Center advocates can help away from the
you.” home, school, business, or place
of employment of the victim and
• On campus resources any other location specifically
named by the court.
▫ Campus Police 895-3668
▫ Order the adverse party to refrain
▫ Office of Student Conduct 895-2308 from
▫ OSC can draw up a “No Contact contacting, intimidating, threaten
Letter” ing or otherwise interfering with
the victim and any other
▫ Jean Nidetch Women’s Center person, including a member of
895-4475 the family or the household of the
victim, specifically named by the
court.

21. Stalking statistics pg 20-21
• 1 in 12 women and 1 in 45 men have been stalked
in their lifetime
• People aged 18-24 years experience the highest
rate of stalking
▫ Around 10% of college women are stalked
▫ Only 30% of female students are stalked only off
campus– the remaining victims are stalked either
only on campus or both on and off campus

22. Interpersonal violence
can happen to anyone
• Lesbian and gay relationships
• Transgender students, students questioning
their gender identity
• Men, often by other men
Be aware & sensitive of language!
Words matter.

23. • Encourage the student to seek
assistance via the Jean Nidetch
Women’s Center advocates or the
Office of Student Conduct
• Encourage self-care:
Counseling &
Psychological Services
or medical assistance
• Encourage official reporting to the
local police, campus police, and/or
the Office of Student Conduct (if the
offender is also a student)

24. • Remember, it’s often scary and
difficult to disclose.
• We don’t expect you to be a counselor
nor is that what is needed.
• What is needed is for students to get
referred to the people and places that
can directly help them.
• Remember, not your place to try to
figure out what happened, what’s true
or not.