Dating Violence

The Office of Prevention is committed to providing confidential support to any student who may be experiencing any form of domestic or dating violence as well as friends and peers who are offering support to survivors. You deserve to know your options, campus resources, and be listened to.

Home

Support is available.

Any student in need of immediate and confidential assistance should call either the Prevention Specialist/Confidential Advocate (973-596-2664) or the Center for Counseling and Psychological Services (973-596-3420).

For 24 hour assistance. please contact SAVE Essex County for residents of Essex County at 1-877-733-2273 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).

Close AllExpand All

Whether you’re in a relationship or just thinking about dating, remember your rights:

  • You have the right to privacy, both online and off.
  • You have the right to feel safe and respected.
  • You have the right to decide who you want to date or not date.
  • You have the right to choose when/if you have sex and who you have sex with.
  • You have the right to say no at any time (to sex, to drugs/alcohol, to a relationship), even if you’ve said yes before.
  • You have the right to hang out with your friends and family and do the things that you enjoy, without your partner getting jealous or controlling.
  •  You have the right to leave a relationship that isn’t right or healthy for you.
  • You have the right to live free from violence and abuse.

Source: loveisrespect.org

All relationships live on a spectrum. It is important to understand that as culture shifts, new terms such as “toxic” are used to mean very specific and harmful behaviors that can fall under abusive or unhealthy. Abuse relies on a pattern of power and control and unhealthy relationships reflect attempts at control. Unhealthy relationships can become abusive.  

  • Love is Respect PDF.
  • Love is Respect Spectrum Image

Anyone can be impacted by domestic and dating violence. Individuals across different races, genders, sexual orientations, economic backgrounds, educational levels, and other social factors can experience dating violence. It is never your fault.

  • Dating violence occurs when one partner gains power and control over the other. This occurs more than once, typically in a pattern, across a period of time.
  • Over half of all college students (57%) say it’s difficult to identify dating abuse.
  • 38% of college students say they don’t know how to get help for themselves if they experience dating abuse as a victim.
  • 58% of college students say they don’t know what to do to help someone who is a victim of dating abuse
  • For additional data, please visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline website.

*It is important to note that statistics may only represent reported cases and only provide a part of a larger story.

Domestic and dating violence is a pattern of behaviors used to gain or maintain power and control. This can occur through physical, verbal, sexual, financial, emotional, stalking, and digital abuse. It can also occur through identity-based violence such as homophobia, transphobia, racism, sexism, ableism, weaponizing citizenship status, and other forms of harm the specifically target a partner’s identity.

Throughout the years, there have been various versions of the Power and Control Wheel. These Power and Control Wheels serve as a resource guide with information on tactics abusive partners use to keep survivors in a relationship. However, all tactics may not be listed. Your experience matters.