Immediate Support for Dating & Domestic Violence or Assault

Reporting on campus

Community Support

Do you need help getting out of or talking through a difficult situation with a partner or family member? The agencies below can help you with a safety plan and connection to support:

• Community Violence Solutions
  Call 24/7 to talk to an advocate. Support for sexual assault, human trafficking, and family/domestic violence. 800-670-7273
• STAND!
  Domestic violence resource. Advocates are available 24/7 on our hotline (888-215-5555) to provide immediate emotional support, safety planning & assessments, screenings for STAND! services, information, and linkages to additional supportive resources.
• Family Violence Law Center
  Support for domestic violence, human trafficking, child abuse, elder abuse, or sexual assault.
  
  2151 Salvio Street Suite 201
  Concord, CA 94519
  (925) 521-6366 (Call 211 and press option 3 for emergency shelter)
  
  Monday - Friday: 9 am - 5 pm

All DVC students get free therapy through Timely Care

Additional Resources

• Resources for flashbacks, trauma, anxiety and more

Information about domestic violence or intimate partner violence

Relationship violence, also known as intimate partner violence, includes both domestic violence and dating violence. Domestic violence and dating violence cut across lines of race, nationality, language, culture, economics, sexual orientation and religion. Nearly one third of American women report being physically, psychologically or sexually abused by a boyfriend, husband or partner at some point in their lives. But, this form of violence affects people from all walks of life. Many people who think about domestic violence think about women who are battered by men, because that is the norm. However, it is not unheard of for women to abuse men or for one partner in a same-sex relationship to physically abuse the other.

Dating violence and domestic violence are crimes. If you believe you are a victim of domestic violence or dating violence, contact the police and/or your local domestic violence program. Resources at the top of this page, and linked below.

What to Do if You Are Abused: What to Do if Your Spouse, Date, or Intimate Partner Abuses You (Or Your Children)

Get to a safe place and call the police immediately. The police are obligated to protect you and arrest your attacker. If a police officer does not arrive within a few minutes, then call again.

When the police arrive, cooperate with filing a police report.

Write down the police officer's name and badge number.

If the police arrest the batterer, then that person may be released in a short period of time. Take immediate steps to protect yourself and your children from further abuse, such as obtaining a protective restraining order from the court. Seek safe housing from a local domestic violence program.

Save all the evidence of what happened to you. Save the clothing you were wearing when you were attacked. Take color pictures of your injuries. If you require medical attention, then get a copy of the medical record. Ask for a copy of the police report.

Above all, be safe. Take the following steps:

• Call friends, relatives, neighbors, or a domestic violence program to help you.
• Breathe deeply and remind yourself that you are of value, and that what has happened is wrong and in no way your fault.
• Write down as much as you can remember about the assault and your assailant.
• Reach out to the agencies on this page for support and share what has happened to you. (STAND!, Community Violence Soultions or Family Violence Law Center.)
• Find an emergency shelter. Call 211 for local shelter space.

Emergency shelters keep the shelter address confidential so that you are safe.

A person from the shelter may be able to arrange to meet you and your children at a neutral place to take you to the shelter.

You will be asked to keep the address of the shelter confidential.

The shelter may be able to help you find a temporary shelter for any pets you may have.

If the shelter is full, then you may need to consider other resources, such as friends or family.

Warning Signs

The following are the warning signs or "red flags" of a potentially abusive partner:

• Jealousy of a partner's time with co-workers, friends and family.
• Controlling behavior (closely monitors a person's comings and goings and/or money, and insists on "helping" a person make personal decisions).
• Isolation (cuts a person off from all supportive resources such as friends, co-workers and close family members).
• Blames others for his or her problems (unemployment, quarrels – everything is "your fault").
• "Playful" uses of force in sex (may throw a person down and hold him or her during sex, may start having sex with a person when he or she is sleeping, or demand sex when a person is ill or tired).
• Verbal abuse (says cruel and hurtful things and degrades or humiliates a person).
• Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde personality: Charming in public but abusive when alone.
• Past history of battering (has abused others but has a list of excuses for his or her behavior).
• Being afraid of your partner.
• Constantly watching what you say to avoid a "blow up."
• Feelings of low self-worth and helplessness about your relationship.
• Hiding bruises or other injuries from family or friends.
• Being prevented from working, studying, going home, and/or using technology (including your mobile phone).
• Being forced or pressured to do anything you don't want to do.

File a Report

DVC has procedures in place to support those who report sexual assault (which includes sexual violence, relationship violence, and stalking).

File a Report of Sexual Assault

You may file a report of sexual assault with police or a Title IX Officer. If you were assaulted while violating a college policy or a criminal statute (such as drinking alcohol on campus), please do not let it stop you from reporting the assault.

File a report

Get Support

If you know someone who is in danger of dating or domestic violence, or needs immediate help, call 911. We offer support services for students who have experienced any form of sexual assault, including dating and domestic violence. We also have recommendations for off-campus support services.

Sexual Violence Support

We offer support services for students and employees who have experienced any form of sexual assault. We also have recommendations for off-campus support services.

Sexual Violence: Help a Friend

If a friend or colleague has experienced sexual assault (including sexual violence, relationship violence, and stalking), there are ways you can help support that person.

Here are some tips for supporting a friend

Penalties For Domestic Violence and Sexual Battery

Though the penalties for domestic violence and sexual battery vary depending on the case, they often include:

• Three years of probation
• 52 weeks of domestic violence counseling
• A fine determined by the court
• Restitution to the victim in some cases
• Public work service
• Jail time in felony cases or cases involving severe injuries
• Criminal penalties for sexual battery, for example, include:
• Six months in jail for a misdemeanor
• Up to four years in prison for felony offenses
• Thousands of dollars in court fines
• Registration as a sex offender
• Restitution to the victim in some cases

Your Personal Rights. You have the right to:

• Be believed
• Decide if you want a medical evidentiary exam
• Determine whether to report the assault to law enforcement and to the college
• Request that any inaccuracies in the crime report be corrected
• Request that your name not be made a matter of public record on the crime report
• Request that a friend or family member and/or a rape crisis counselor be present during the medical evidentiary exam
• Have a friend or family member as well as a rape crisis counselor present during all law enforcement interviews, college proceedings and court proceedings
• Sue the assailant in civil court

If the assailant is held to answer in court, then in certain cases, have the assailant tested for the AIDS/HIV virus.

1. Download the TimelyCare app.
2. Log in using your DVC email and password.
3. Add your personal information in the app.
4. Choose a therapist.  
5. Make an appointment!

Our individual wellness counseling appointments are offered by The Wright Institute trainees. The Wright Institute ​trainees offer brief therapy, which is free. Students may meet with a Wellness Counselor for up to ten (10) sessions.  Wellness Counseling is offered for currently enrolled DVC students Monday - Friday for appointments via Zoom or in person. These appointments are open on a space-available basis and spots are limited. We have very limited counseling spots, so at times there is a waitlist. Please use TimelyCare  for more immediate support.