Category: Domestic Violence

This guide offers a template for writing IRP agreements that outline action items and terms agreed upon by the parties and institutions in cases of DVSAS. Because of the range and adaptability of these processes, informal resolutions will differ across campuses and cases, but typically, written agreements contain several categories of information.

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This guide is designed to offer campus staff a tool to explore a similar Safety Planning process for responsible students, student who have/or concerned about engaging in sexual misconduct. Safety Planning is the process of developing a structured plan to identify specific boundaries, strategies and supports to reduce risk of causing harm. Through this overview, the reader will learn about the resources, research and knowledge needed to implement a plan; and, most of all, assess whether this is a process that makes sense for a particular student, situation, and campus.

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Informal resolution is an umbrella term, covering a range of processes and practices considered alternative to adjudication in cases of dating and domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking (DVSAS) at institutions of higher education. Often including pathways such as mediation, restorative justice, and shuttle negotiation or facilitation, informal resolutions are sometimes referred to as adaptable or alternative resolutions. Despite their name, these processes require no less intentionality than those involving investigation or hearings to respond effectively to sex and gender-based harm.

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When it comes to responding to dating and domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking (DVSAS) on college campuses, what constitutes a “good case” for an informal resolution process (IRP)? The reality is that whether an IRP, as opposed to an investigation and decision-making model, serves the involved parties becomes less about the incident itself and more about aligning with the unique needs of those directly involved and the needs of the broader institutional community.

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Institutions of higher education (IHEs) must have a resolution process to address incidents of gender-based misconduct, including sexual assault, stalking, and dating and domestic violence. Within a resolution process, there are typically three general areas of action once a complaint has been filed: gathering information, exploring the information, and evaluating the information. This guide focuses on one aspect of the evaluative portion of the resolution process addressing issues of student misconduct, specifically related to sanctioning.

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The Victim Rights Law Center’s “Where to Start” series is a resource for administrators seeking to address gender-based violence at institutions of higher education (IHEs) across the country. In VRLC’s experience working with students as well as institutions nationally, a “one size fits all” approach to addressing it often fails to meet the needs of both students and administrators. Every campus is unique, as is each jurisdiction, or territory, thus the information in this series serves as a guide. It is intended to begin a conversation on your campus which will help you identify current gaps and decisions you need to make in order to close those gaps. The goal of the series is to create an informed, appropriate, and consistent response to gender-based violence on your campus that contemplates the size, culture, resources, and specific needs of your institution. As you begin to utilize this series, please keep in mind that the information provided is not legal advice and that you should always consult with a local attorney, your general counsel, or jurisdictional laws if you have questions. Please note that throughout this series we use the term “gender-based violence” to refer to dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

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This resource is meant to be adaptable to your institution as an OVW Campus Grant Program grantee and provided to all parties and advisors in a campus resolution process addressing allegations of dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. Before distribution, you should update the language and links to ensure the accuracy of information as it pertains to your institution. You may also consider requesting that the advisor sign or otherwise indicate receipt of this form depending on who typically serves as advisors at your institution. This checklist can be provided as an electronic document or hard copy, depending on the accessibility needs of your campus community and parties in a case.

English

Spanish

This guide is designed to offer campus staff a tool to explore a similar Safety Planning process for responsible students, student who have/or concerned about engaging in sexual misconduct. Safety Planning is the process of developing a structured plan to identify specific boundaries, strategies and supports to reduce risk of causing harm. Through this overview, the reader will learn about the resources, research and knowledge needed to implement a plan; and, most of all, assess whether this is a process that makes sense for a particular student, situation, and campus.

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A healthy dating relationship involves feeling respected, having space for your own interests and development as an individual, and making your own decisions about your body, personal expression, and devices. To learn more about psychological, physical, sexual, and digital dating violence, see Esperanza United’s teen dating factsheet and our Sexual minority Latin@ youth and gender-based violence factsheet.

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