October is Domestic Violence/Intimate Partner Abuse Awareness Month

Domestic violence, also known as intimate partner abuse, is best understood as a pattern of abusive behaviors–including physical, sexual, and psychological abuse as well as economic coercion–used by one intimate partner against another to gain, maintain, or regain power and control in the relationship. Abusers use of a range of tactics to frighten, manipulate, hurt, humiliate, blame, and or injure a current or former intimate partner. Domestic violence can happen to anyone, regardless of sex, age, race, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation.

If you are concerned about a relationship you are in or have been, or if you are concerned about a friend’s relationship please contact CU’s Office of Victim Assistance. It is a free and confidential advocacy and trauma-informed counseling center on campus for students, staff and, faculty. Located on the fourth floor of C4C, room S440, email: assist@colorado.edu or call 303-492-8855. Open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., the phone number has after-hours phone counselors available.

For more information please visit:

• The Office of Victim Assistance Intimate Partner Abuse pages under the “get help” tab
• National Coalition Against Domestic Violence http://www.ncadv.org/ 
• Follow our local safe houses for events going on in our community: https://www.facebook.com/FollowSPAN and https://www.facebook.com/safeshelterofstvrain
• LIKE OVA on FB: https://www.facebook.com/CUvictimassistance (look for more events throughout October here)