Violence Prevention
Grand Valley is committed to promoting violence prevention on campus to ensure a safe, supportive environment where students can thrive academically and socially without fear of harm or intimidation. Explore our resources below to learn more
Violence Prevention Education
Violence prevention education comes in many forms and can cover an array of different topics. We focus on issues of gender-based violence and use an anti-oppression lens to explore the different ways we can collectively work together to form a compassionate community. Our programming aims to create spaces that are affirming and supportive for victim/survivors and advocates for healing, restorative practices, and growth.
To request a customized workshop, fill out a form below explaining what you want out of your workshop and a Health Promotion staff member will arrange a meeting to discuss your programming needs.
Domestic Violence Awareness Month
FREE Centering Yoga
October 18, 2024 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM
Join Zoe for a midday pause to center, focus, and energize to reset for the weekend through active movement, breathing, and meditation. Vinyasa yoga, intensity - mild/moderate - welcome to all! RSVP...
Magnifying Support: Meet & Greet with Health Promotions Specialist
October 24, 2024 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Join the Center for Health and Well-being's Health Promotion Specialist in decorating magnets to raise awareness of domestic violence.
Heavy Bag Kickboxing (DVA Purple Theme)
October 24, 2024 6:00 PM - 6:45 PM
Join Sarah in this cardio kickboxing class dedicated to raising awareness for domestic violence! This class blends high-energy workouts with the vital message of empowerment and resilience. Come...
FREE Centering Yoga
October 25, 2024 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM
Join Zoe for a midday pause to center, focus, and energize to reset for the weekend through active movement, breathing, and meditation. Vinyasa yoga, intensity - mild/moderate - welcome to all! RSVP...
Red Jean Redemption: Art Expression Workshop
October 29, 2024 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
In partnership with Healing in Arts, Red Jean Redemption offers a way to put to rest the pain and isolation that survivors of domestic abuse experience. Survivors inscribe their stories onto a pair...
Healthy Relationships
According to loveisrespect.org, relationships fall on a spectrum from healthy to abusive with unhealthy falling somewhere in between.
Unhealthy relationships have the following characteristics:
- Breaks in communication
- Disrespect
- Dishonesty
- Struggles for control
- Inequality
Take a quiz to see where your relationship may fall on the spectrum, or learn more about the characteristics of each category.
Setting and respecting boundaries is essential to any relationship, romantic or friendly. To create and maintain healthy relationships, understand your own needs, then communicate and negotiate realistic expectations with friends and partners.
- Emotional boundaries - Communicating emotional needs and expectations, respecting each other's privacy and personal emotions
- Physical boundaries - Setting and respecting expectations for personal touch and physical space (consent, level of comfort with Public Displays of Affection [PDA])
- Digital boundaries - Discuss comfort levels with sharing relationship information online, access to passwords, image and video sharing, and location sharing
- Personal time/space - Establishing time for self-care and personal hobbies, communicating and respecting needs for alone time and personal schedules
Note: Boundaries look different for different individuals based on their comfort levels and lived experiences. Your boundaries should be respected by your partner.
Consent is an ongoing mutual agreement between partners about what they want to experience, ensuring that all parties involved understand and respect each other's boundaries. It establishes mutual respect and prevents coercion or harm, creating a foundation for healthy and respectful interactions in all types of relationships.
Remember FRIES to ensure consent meets the following criteria in your daily life:
- Freely Given - Consent must be given voluntarily, without pressure, manipulation, or coercion.
- Reversible - Anyone can change their mind and withdraw consent at any time, regardless of prior agreements.
- Informed - Consent is only valid if all parties have the full information about what they are agreeing to, including potential risks or details.
- Enthusiastic - Consent should reflect excitement or genuine willingness, rather than obligation or reluctance.
- Specific - Consent is given for a particular activity, and agreeing to one thing doesn’t imply consent for anything else.
While conflict is normal in all relationships, your arguments shouldn't turn into personal attacks or efforts to lower the other's self-esteem. Conflict in unhealthy relationships may leave you feeling fear of retaliation or physical harm.
Take the following steps to resolve conflict in a healthy way:
- Establish boundaries - Ensure both parties are treated with respect
- Find the real issue - Arguments often occur when one partner's wants or needs aren't being met
- Agree to disagree - Focus on what matters most
- Compromise when possible - Allow both parties to be satisfied with the outcome
- Consider your partner's views on the issue
Sexual and Relational Violence
Sexual and relational violence encompasses a range of abusive behaviors that involve the use of power, control, or intimidation to harm or exploit individuals in intimate, romantic, or sexual contexts.
The Power and Control Wheel, developed by the Domestic Abuse Intervention Program, details the tactics abusive partners use to establish dominance in abusive relationships. Visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline to learn more.
Types of Sexual Violence
Unwanted sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that is based on sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or pregnancy. This behavior often exploits power imbalances between individuals and can create a hostile, intimidating, or offensive environment.
Any non-consensual sexual act, including unwanted touching, forced sexual intercourse, incest, or statutory rape (sex with a minor, 16 years or younger). It often involves physical force, threats, or manipulation.
A pattern of abusive behavior in an intimate or family relationship where one person exerts control over another through physical, emotional, psychological, sexual, or financial abuse. It can involve threats or violence by a current or former spouse, partner, co-parent, or someone the victim has lived with.
Physical violence or threat of violence committed by a current or former romantic or intimate partner. It can take the form of physical, emotional, psychological, or sexual abuse and may also involve controlling or manipulative behavior. Dating violence often includes patterns of jealousy, threats, or isolation and can happen in both teen and adult relationships.
A pattern of unwanted repeated attention and harassment that causes an individual to fear for their safety and suffer substantial emotional distress. Stalking behaviors may include following someone, sending unwanted messages, showing up uninvited, or using digital means to track or monitor a person's activities. While not always sexual in nature, stalking often has a sexual or romantic motive and can escalate into physical or sexual violence.
Bystander Intervention
Bystander intervention empowers individuals to safely intervene and prevent harmful situations, playing a critical role in reducing violence and fostering a safer, more supportive community.
The four D's of bystander intervention:
- Direct - Step in and address the situation directly by speaking up or intervening to stop harmful behavior.
- Distract - Create a distraction to interrupt the situation, allowing the potential victim to move away or diffusing the tension without confrontation.
- Delegate - Seek help from others, such as friends, authority figures, or campus staff, to intervene in a situation if it feels unsafe to act alone.
- Delay - If immediate intervention isn’t possible, check in with the victim afterward to offer support and help them access resources.
Our Victim Advocate can provide confidential, nonjudgemental support to victims/survivors of gender-based violence.