Victim & Survivor Support & Advocacy

No matter the circumstances, you are not to blame. Give yourself permission to do what you need to do to take care of yourself. You are entitled to receive the full range of resources and support services the University has to offer including academic, employment, housing accommodations, medical care, emotional support, and advocacy services. The Gender Equity Center provides free and confidential crisis intervention, advocacy, and support for survivors of sexual assault, intimate partner violence, stalking and sexual harassment to the Penn State Community.

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Make an Appointment to speak to the Gender Equity Center

[The Gender Equity Center] made me feel heard and talked me through all the steps and made sure to follow up with me and check up on me.

- Penn State Student

Dating and Domestic Violence Support

If you are concerned about the safety of yourself or someone else, we are here to help. Our offices are open and available to provide support. If you are in immediate danger, please call 911.

Email us to initiate a report to the University

For confidential resources, contact Gender Equity Center or Counseling and Psychological Services.

Understanding Mistreatment, Abuse, and Violence

Mistreatment, abuse, and violence take many forms. You do not need to be in a romantic or sexual relationship to experience unhealthy behaviors and abuse. Parents, siblings, and relatives can make you feel unsafe just like a spouse or romantic partner. If you feel as though you are experiencing mistreatment from the people you are living with, please contact our offices for support. There are many terms used for these various types of abuse and mistreatment such as domestic violence, child abuse, intimate partner violence, and more. Below, you can review the University’s policy statements and definitions of such behavior to determine which best align with your experiences.

It is important to recognize that emotional, verbal, and economic abuse are part of the web of dating and domestic violence and can exist without the presence of physical abuse.

Not sure what the various types of abuse look like? This interactive guide from LoveIsRespect will provide you with information about the various forms of abuse including examples

Domestic Violence includes crimes of violence committed against a victim by:

a current or former spouse
a person with whom the victim shares a child
a person who is or has cohabited with the victim as a spouse
a person similarly situated to a spouse of the victim
any other person against whom the victim is protected under Pennsylvania’s domestic and family violence laws.

: Violence committed by a person who is or has been in a social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature with the victim. The existence of such a relationship will be based on the reporting party’s statement and with consideration of the length and type of relationship and the frequency of interaction between the persons involved in the relationship.

Finding a Safe Space

Finding a safe and confidential space to speak is important. Our offices are understanding, and offer flexible appointments to meet student’s needs. We can also help students brainstorm ways to access our services safely.

Protecting Victim Survivors

No matter when or where you are treated badly, Penn State is here to support you. Even if the abuser is not affiliated with the University, we are still able to help by providing critical resources including counseling, safety planning, academic accommodations, referrals to community resources, and more.

Supporting Victim Survivors

If you suspect a friend is in an unhealthy or abusive relationship, talk to them about it and remind them that you will be there if and when they need help to leave. Encourage them to engage in the following essential steps:

Develop a safety plan
Practice self-care
Reach out to a support network of friends and family

Additionally, The Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence has created a resource guide to help individuals support friends and family members who may be experiencing domestic violence. Remember, the Gender Equity Center can walk you or a friend through developing a personalized safety plan and self care plan.

Helpful Apps

ReachOut Editions
- Anonymous resource guide proving Penn State specific information and a step-by-step guide to helpful resources for survivors at any point in their healing journey.
- Speak with someone immediately or link to additional resources for support, prevention, and advocacy.
- Special instructions: After downloading the app, select "U.S. Colleges and Universities and search for "Pennsylvania State University: University Park" You can then explore information specific to Penn State.
MyPlan
- Created by the One Love Foundation to provide individuals impacted by relationship abuse with resources and safety planning information.
- Password protected, free, and discreet assistance.

Private Messaging Apps

Telegram
- End-to-end encryption means messages are unrecoverable and only you and the recipient can read those messages. Self-destruction functionality enables you to make your messages, photos, videos and files automatically disappear from both devices after a set amount of time or after they have been read or opened by the recipient.
- Messages cannot be forwarded. Deleting messages on your side of the conversation will remove them from the recipients' side as well.
Whatsapp
- Send private individual and group chats and calls.
- End-to-end encryption means no third party can view the messages. This security is automatic without turning on any additional settings.
Threema
- Users receive a randomly generated ID, so messages and contacts are not shared with the app and a phone number, email, or other personal information is not required to used the app.
- Messages are protected against hackers and deleted after delivery.

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