If you have been victimized by
faculty sexual harassment/sexual misconduct, it is important to get help in
dealing with the trauma. In this section, we will provide specific
recommendations about available resources, along with suggestions concerning
additional references or sources of information/assistance.
Friends and Family
One of the best sources of immediate help when dealing with faculty
sexual harassment/sexual misconduct can be your close friends and family
members. Simply sharing your experience with someone who is supportive and
understanding can be very beneficial. This will enable you to deal more
effectively with the emotional trauma and make better decisions about what to do
next.
Supportive Faculty Member
Another possible source of help is a supportive faculty member, who can listen
well, empathize, and offer advice about how to proceed.
Student Advocate or Ombudsperson
Many universities have a designated Student Advocate or Ombudsperson whose job
is to help students solve their problems. If your campus has such a person,
seeking their support and assistance can be very beneficial.
University Counseling Center
Most universities have a campus counseling center for students or a designated
counselor. These individuals can be particularly helpful in dealing with the
immediate trauma caused by a victim's experience and making referrals to
other qualified professionals if additional assistance is necessary.
Community Mental Health Center
If for whatever reason you do not feel comfortable seeking assistance from the
university's counseling center, you can contact a local community mental health
center and ask for an appointment. Most counties and cities have such
organizations and they can be easily located in the phone book or by calling a
local hospital first. Typically, these centers make every effort to see you as
quickly as possible and can then make recommendations/referrals about further
treatment.
Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of
Education
This office known as OCR is responsible for enforcing sexual harassment laws in
educational settings. They maintain an informative webpage that can be accessed
by clicking
here.
Reference List
Speaking,
Training, and Consulting Services
If you, your organization, your professor, or your university are interested
in pro-student speaking engagements, training/educational workshops, and/or
consulting services, please
contact Dr. Charles J. Hobson for more information.
Fax: (219) 980-6916
Phone: (219) 980-6903
email: chobson@iuu.edu
Mailing address:
Dr. Charles J. Hobson
School of Business and Economics
Indiana University Northwest
3400 Broadway
Gary, IN 46408