Stanford
Office of the Vice Provost for Institutional Equity, Access & Community

Actions to Consider If You Have Experienced Relationship Violence

Trust that this is not your fault. We’ll say that again. Trust that this is not your fault. We are here to help you. This is not your fault.

If you have experienced sexual and/or relationship violence, there are a variety of resources available to support you. These resources are available for you throughout your time at Stanford. We invite you to thoughtfully consider the options that are right for you. 

There’s no right or wrong way to access support, reporting, or healing options. The following road map provides an example of how to navigate both confidential and non-confidential options that may be helpful to address your needs both immediately and in the long term.

Call 911 - Seek Emergency Protective Restraining Order

Call 911 (or 9-911 from a campus phone) if you need urgent medical or police assistance, or press the red button on a blue emergency tower on Stanford's campus to connect immediately with an emergency dispatcher.  If you believe that there is an ongoing threat to your safety from a particlualr individual, you may Restraining Order from a California police officer.  This order will require the restrained person to cease contact and to stay away for generally seven days.

Take Care of Your Well-Being

Both the Confidential Support Team (CST) and CAPS are available to you at no cost. Additionally, there are community resources available to you.

Consider Seeking a SART Exam

For medical evidence collection, consider seeking a SART exam.

Review Your Reporting Options

Review your options for reporting to the police and to Stanford.

Review Student Title IX Process and Stanford Policies

Review the Student Title IX Process and related Stanford policies if you choose to report to the Title IX Office.

Contact a Support Person

It is difficult to manage this process without support. Parents or other family members (depending on your relationship), Residence Deans or Graduate Life Deans, and the University Ombuds are good sources of support in many cases.

If an investigation is opened, you have the opportunity to meet with a third-party attorney, who has been identified by Stanford, at no cost to you (for up to nine hours). 

Contact The Title IX Office

Contact the Title IX Office if you have any questions or if you are in need of academic or other accommodations.

Know that the Title IX Office prioritizes giving students agency over the manner in which their case is handled, to the extent reasonable. Often times the Title IX Office is able to manage a case through informal actions, such as counseling a student accused of sexual harassment. 

When there is a significant safety concern or when a staff or faculty member is the accused, the Title IX Office may proceed to an investigation over the wishes of the student, but with advance notice to the student of what is happening and why the University has chosen to move forward.

Consider How Broadly You Want to Share Your Experience

You are welcome to describe your experience to anyone you wish. Sometimes students wish that they had not shared their experience so broadly (although every student is different).

Remember that not every resource is confidential. Except for the Confidential Support Team, CAPS/Vaden, the University Ombuds, and the Office for Religious Life Deans, most staff and faculty who work with students need to inform the Title IX Office if they hear about a potential violation of conduct prohibited by University policy (e.g., sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking, relationship violence, violation of University directive, retaliation).

Remember that the University prohibits retaliation.  If you bring forward a complaint in good faith and someone retaliates against you for doing so, the University will investigate and take action as appropriate.