Understanding Interpersonal Violence

Interpersonal Violence encompasses various forms of abuse and harm between individuals. It includes:

Domestic Violence: Involves abusive behavior in a relationship to gain power and control over a partner. It can be physical, sexual, verbal, psychological, economic or technological by a current or former spouse, someone who shares a child with the affected person, and/or someone the person is cohabiting with.
Dating Violence: Similar to domestic violence and occurs within the context of a romantic or dating relationship.
Sexual Assault: Encompasses rape, fondling and incest and involves non-consensual sexual acts or behavior.

Read the policy to learn more about UT Austin definitions.

What You Can Do

Recognize the Signs: Be aware of behaviors or signs that indicate someone might be experiencing violence.
Support: Offer to allow individuals to share their experiences. Listen without judgment. Encourage them to seek help, but do not pressure friends to take steps if they aren’t ready.
Seek Help: If you or someone you know is experiencing violence and is ready to seek help, assist them with reaching out to campus resources like the Counseling and Mental Health Center, or any of the resources listed on this page.

Educate yourself and others about healthy boundaries and communication. Ask what you want when it comes to sex and know your boundaries. You should never be pressured into doing anything sexually. Remember, sex should feel good for all partners.
Foster a culture of respect and consent in relationships. Consent is an active, voluntary agreement that can be revoked at any time and is necessary for every sexual encounter. If a person is drunk, high, asleep or too afraid to say no, they cannot give consent.
Intervene when you witness concerning behaviors or situations. When you see something that doesn’t seem right, say something. Learn more about BeVOCAL, UT’s bystander intervention program.