Interpersonal violence refers to threats or acts of physical, sexual, psychological, verbal, financial, digital, and legal violence and abuse. These acts can be committed by any person with the purpose of exerting control and/or causing significant harm. Interpersonal violence is almost always driven by power and control.
Interpersonal violence is prevalent in every community and affects all people regardless of age, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, gender, race, religion, or nationality. Rates of victimization are higher for women (especially women of color), members of the LGBTQ+ community, and individuals between the ages of 18-34.
Health Promotion assumes an active role in educating on and raising awareness of all forms of interpersonal violence and how experiencing these crimes adversely impacts the well-being of our students, faculty, and staff. We strive to offer educational and awareness programming that independently identifies stalking, human trafficking, and dating violence as forms of interpersonal violence, but also emphasize that they can intersect with each other and other forms of physical, sexual, and emotional violence. We will continue to theme our discussions around self-care and community care, as stalking, human trafficking, and dating violence happen in every community but the warning signs are often missed, ignored, or minimized, resulting in adverse health outcomes on individual and societal levels.
Any complaint of sexual discrimination, sexual harassment, or sexual violence can be reported to the Title IX Coordinator, Jennifer Smith (979.845.0977 or at civilrights@tamu.edu). Visit Step In Stand Up for more details on how to report.
Health Promotion and the Offices of the Dean of Student Life recognize that many people choose not to disclose their abuse for many reasons. Barriers to reporting can include fear of retaliation, feeling at fault or ashamed, inability to access resources, and fear of not being believed. We believe you, and we support you.
If you or someone you know needs help or counseling, please reach out to any of the contacts listed below.