SAVE Program

Domestic or Dating Violence (Intimate Partner Violence – IPV)

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) includes both dating and domestic violence. Many terms are used to describe the pattern of coercive and abusive tactics utilized by one partner in a relationship to gain power and control over the other partner: domestic violence, dating violence, battering, spouse abuse, and wife beating. IPV can take many forms, including physical, psychological, emotional, sexual, and economic abuse.

Physical Abuse

• Pushing, shoving, slapping, punching, kicking, or strangling
• Assault with a weapon (gun, knife, furniture)
• Holding, tying down, or restraining
• Leaving the partner in a dangerous place
• Refusing to help when the partner is sick or injured
• Withholding medicine or treatment from the partner

Psychological / Emotional Abuse

• Threats of harm to partner or to oneself (suicide)
• Intimidation (smashing things, destroying his/her property)
• Physical and social isolation
• Extreme jealousy and possessiveness
• Degradation and humiliation
• Manipulating partner or making partner feel guilty

Sexual Abuse

• Forcing or attempting to force unwanted sexual acts
• Pursuing sexual activity when the partner is not fully conscious or asleep
• Intentionally causing physical pain during sex by using objects or weapons

Economic Abuse

• Preventing partner from getting or keeping a job
• Denying access to household finances or making partner ask or beg for money

The violent partner's behavior is intentional and designed to bring about a desired state of submission in which the abused partner's will is subordinated to the will of the batterer. In most cases, the violence will increase in severity and frequency as time passes.

Sexual Assault

Sexual assault takes many forms including attacks such as rape or attempted rape, as well as any unwanted sexual contact or threats. Sexual assault is any sexual contact or sexual attention committed by force, threats, bribes, manipulation, pressure, tricks or violence. Usually a sexual assault occurs when someone touches any part of another person's body in a sexual way, even through clothes, without that person's consent.

Some types of sexual acts which fall under the category of sexual assault include forced sexual intercourse (rape), sodomy (oral or anal sexual acts), child molestation, incest, fondling and attempted rape. Sexual assault is a terrifying and often brutal crime.

Assailants most often times are someone the victim knows, acquaintances, even friends or family members, but can also be strangers. The devastating effects are shared by victims and those who love them. Sexual assault or sexual harassment of any type is never the victim's fault.

According to the FBI, a rape occurs every six minutes in the United States. Rape is a crime of violence, anger, and power. It is not motivated by sexual desire. Rapists use sexual violence as a weapon to control, humiliate, and hurt their victims. Anyone can become a victim, because victims are not selected for their attractiveness, appearance, or behavior.

Sexual abuse, sexual misconduct, sodomy, lascivious acts, indecent contact, and indecent exposure are all examples of possible sexual assault charges. Basically, almost any sexual behavior a person has not consented to that causes that person to feel uncomfortable, frightened or intimidated is included in the sexual assault category.

The law generally assumes that a person does not consent to sexual conduct if he or she is forced, threatened or is unconscious, drugged, a minor, developmentally disabled, chronically mentally ill, or believe they are undergoing a medical procedure. 

Some examples of sexual assault include:

• Someone putting their finger, tongue, mouth, penis or an object in or on your vagina, penis or anus without consent
• Someone touching, fondling, kissing or making any unwanted contact with your body
• Someone forcing you to perform oral sex or forcing you to receive oral sex
• Someone forcing you to masturbate, forcing you to masturbate them, or fondling and touching you
• Someone forcing you to look at sexually explicit material or forcing you to pose for sexually explicit pictures
• A doctor, nurse, or other health care professional giving you an unnecessary internal examination or touching your sexual organs in an unprofessional, unwarranted and inappropriate manner
   

Stalking

Stalking is a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear (National Center for Victims of Crime Stalking Resource Center). A stalker can be someone you know well or not at all. Most offenders have either dated or been involved with the people they stalk. Most stalking cases involve men stalking women, but men do stalk men, women do stalk women, and women do stalk men. Stalking is serious, often violent, and can escalate over time.

Some things stalkers do:

• Follow you and show up wherever you are
• Send unwanted gifts, letters, cards, or e-mails
• Damage your home, car, or other property
• Monitor your phone calls or computer use
• Use technology, like hidden cameras or global positioning systems (GPS), to track where you go
• Drive by or hang out at your home, school, or work
• Threaten to hurt you, your family, friends, or pets
• Find out about you by using public records or online search services, hiring investigators, going through your garbage, or contacting friends, family, neighbors, or co-workers
• Posting information or spreading rumors about you on the Internet, in a public place, or by word of mouth
• Other actions that control, track, or frighten you

These are common reactions a stalking victim may experience:

• Feel fear of what the stalker will do
• Feel vulnerable, unsafe, and not know who to trust
• Feel anxious, irritable, impatient, or on edge
• Feel depressed, hopeless, overwhelmed, tearful, or angry
• Feel stressed, including having trouble concentrating, sleeping, or remembering things
• Have eating problems, such as appetite loss, forgetting to eat, or overeating
• Have flashbacks, disturbing thoughts, feelings, or memories
• Feel confused, frustrated, or isolated because other people don't understand why you are afraid

If someone you know is being stalked:

Listen. Show support. Don't blame the victim for the crime. Remember that every situation is different, and allow the person being stalked to make choices about how to handle it. Find someone you can talk to about the situation. Take steps to ensure your own safety.

Things you can do:

Stalking is unpredictable and dangerous. No two stalking situations are alike. There are no guarantees that what works for one person will work for another, yet you can take steps to increase your safety.

• If you are in immediate danger off campus, call 911. If you are in immediate danger on campus, call 5-6165.
• Trust your instincts. Don't downplay the danger. If you feel you are unsafe, you probably are.
• Take threats seriously. Danger generally is higher when the stalker talks about suicide or murder, or when a victim tries to leave or end the relationship.
• Contact a crisis hotline, victim services agency, or a domestic violence or rape crisis program. They can help you devise a safety plan, give you information about local laws, weigh options such as seeking a protection order, and refer you to other services.
• Develop a safety plan, including things like changing your routine, arranging a place to stay, and having a friend or relative go places with you. Also, decide in advance what to do if the stalker shows up at your home, work, school, or somewhere else. Tell people how they can help you.
• Don't communicate with the stalker or respond to attempts to contact you.
• Keep evidence of the stalking. When the stalker follows you or contacts you, write down the time, date, and place. Keep emails, text messages, phone messages, letters, or notes. Photograph anything of yours the stalker damages and any injuries the stalker causes. Ask witnesses to write down what they saw.
• Contact the police. Every state has stalking laws. The stalker may also have broken other laws by doing things like assaulting you or stealing or destroying your property.
• Consider getting a court order that tells the stalker to stay away from you.
• Tell family, friends, roommates, and co-workers about the stalking and seek their support. Tell UPD, someone in the SAVE office, faculty or staff member.

Reporting

Definitions

• Confidential Advisor: A person trained in accordance with law and designated by the campus who the student or employee can choose to have support and advise them in accordance with law during the complaint process. This Confidential Advisor may be present during any meeting conducted under this policy to assist and/or consult with the student or employee. This Confidential Advisor may not act as a spokesperson. 
• Responsible Person: Any employee who has the authority to take action to redress sexual violence or who has been given the duty of reporting incidents of sexual violence or any other misconduct prohibited by this policy by students or employees to the Title IX coordinator or other appropriate school designee. Responsible Persons do not include victims' advocates, mental health counselors, or clergy.

Unless an individual has been identified as a Confidential Advisor, all faculty and staff on the LSU Health Shreveport campus are considered Responsible Persons and are mandatory reporters.  If you have experienced sexual harassment, assault or abuse, are a victim of domestic or dating violence, or are being stalked by another member of the LSU Health Shreveport campus and you disclose the information with a mandatory reporter please be advised that they are required to report the incident to the Title IX officer.  However, the victim will have the opportunity to decide whether or not they wish to participate in any investigation deemed necessary by the Title IX officer.  

Prompt reporting of sex offenses to the University Police (UPD) is encouraged. While some may not think of forced sexual relations as rape, such action constitutes a serious crime and is a felony under Louisiana law. UPD will vigorously investigate all reports of sexual assault occurring within their jurisdiction and will help victims of sexual assault off campus to contact the appropriate law enforcement authorities. 

Information concerning registered sex offenders who may be present on campus can be found through the Louisiana State Police Sex Offender and Child Predator Registry at: http://www.lasocpr.lsp.org/socpr  or by calling (800) 858-0551.
 

Policies

In an effort to promote a positive healthy environment for all students, policies to address sexual assault, domestic and dating violence (IPV) and stalking have been developed. It is our intent that these policies will also protect “bystanders” who witness or intervene to stop violence.

In the event of a sexual assault, victim assistance and services will be provided promptly, sensitively and confidentially. The University recognizes that our campus population is very diverse in culture and linguistics. Therefore, in situations where victims choose to communicate in their native language, interpreter services which meet the needs of the victim who have limited English Proficiency (LEP) will be provided.

For more information please click this link for the LSU Title IX and Sexual Misconduct Policy Permanent Memorandum No. 73 (PM-73).