Victim Advocate

To receive confidential support from a victim advocate, call 812-243-7272.

Indiana State University’s Victim Advocates provide confidential support and advocacy to survivors of sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence or stalking (even if you are not certain). We are here to provide resources and direct services that are non-judgmental, survivor-focused and empowering. These services include but are not limited to: providing confidential direction, reporting options and intervention for students in emergency and non-emergency situations, acting as a support person for victims, working with University staff and faculty to resolve student problems; student referrals; and offering a 24/7 helpline  We are available to help each survivor assess their reporting options and access resources that meet their personal needs. ​ 

If you are the victim of a sexual assault, other sex offense, dating violence, domestic violence or stalking (even if you are not certain), you may call the Indiana State Victim Advocate at 812-243-7272 at any time 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This phone line is the only confidential victim advocate number.

ISU Victim Advocates

  • Are confidential resources
  • Help victims and survivors of
    • Sexual Violence
    • Relationship Violence
    • Stalking
  • Offer support
  • Help victims understand their options
  • Are available to all ISU students, regardless of one's sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, race ethnicity, religious identity, veteran status, age, national origin, and/or disability.
  • Can be present with victims at the hospital, during police and campus investigations, aid a victim with the criminal process, and more.
  • Are trained faculty and staff volunteers, who are supervised by a lead victim advocate.

Initial Steps to Consider

If you or someone you know has experience sexual violence, here are some basic steps you can take:

  • Go to a safe place.
  • Consider speaking with a confidential resource, which means that with few exceptions they are not mandatory reporters of sexual violence. (The exception is if the victim of sexual violence is a child, elder, and/or vulnerable adult.)
  • Consider your reporting options. Your options include reporting the offense to:
  • You may seek medical attention.
  • Consider steps to preserve and record evidence, which could include going to a hospital emergency room and request a SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) or a SAFE (Sexual Assault Forensic Examine).
  • You may seek assistance in changing university academic, living, working, and transportation situations, regardless of whether you choose to report the crime to University Police or local law enforcement.
  • You may seek an order of protection, a court-ordered no contact order, a restraining order or similar lawful orders from a court of competent jurisdiction.

You may seek additional help, counseling advocacy, legal assistance and other assistance.


Comprehensive Advocacy Program

Our comprehensive advocacy program is designed to support victims holistically. The program allows the victim to take charge of their healing by following a three tiered prevention model:

  • Primary Prevention: Educating the campus and community on sexual violence and domestic violence by utilizing various mediums to reach specific and targeted audiences.
  • Secondary Prevention: Offering victim advocates, who serve as the institution’s immediate response in assisting our students that are victims and survivors of sexual violence, gender-based violence and harassment, and domestic and dating violence.
  • Tertiary Prevention: Incorporates both the primary and secondary prevention models in creating a long term response to not only our victims but our education on the topic of sexual violence.

Enveloped within the comprehensive advocacy program are the following components: the Victim Advocacy Training Program; Victim Advocates; programming on issues of gender, sexuality, sexual and interpersonal violence as well as other types of outreach and collaboration.

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Contact

Hulman Memorial Student Union
Room 816
Indiana State University
Phone: 812-237-3829
Fax: 812-237-4693
ISU-DeanOfStudents@indstate.edu

 

Office Hours:
Monday - Friday
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM