NCJ Number
187862
Date Published
February 1999
Length
66 pages
Annotation
This paper provides information and assistance to professionals in higher education and/or domestic violence programs interested in developing a comprehensive response to dating abuse as it affects students on college campuses.
Abstract
Dating abuse on college campuses is occurring in large numbers and may be the lead into abuse in subsequent relationships and marriages. Students and staff at universities and colleges are rarely made aware about dating abuse and few specialized services are offered for survivors or abusers. In this paper, dating abuse is defined as a pattern of coercive control that one person exercises over another in order to dominate and get his way. This paper was created to support those working in education and with domestic violence programs to help end dating violence on college campuses. The first section provides an overview of dating violence through defining the problem, explaining the social context and dynamics of dating abuse, and explaining the consequences of institutional indifference. The second section focuses on organizing against abuse on campus through the development of a sound foundation, the creation of a campus coordinating committee serving multiple purposes, the development and implementation of services and interventions, and the education and training of the campus community. The final section discusses the coordination of efforts through an overview of the Dating/Domestic Abuse Project operated at the University of Illinois whose goal was to develop a coordinated response to survivors and abusers and to provide institutional advocacy to improve and expand efforts to make the campus safe for all students. Resources available through the project include: law enforcement, medical attention, emergency shelter, protective measures against abuse, emotional and academic support, group support, intervention for abusers, professional education, and peer education. Appendices, attachments