CARE provides confidential advocacy, support, and related referrals to students, staff, faculty, and alumni impacted by sexual assault, relationship violence, and stalking. 

CARE understands that interpersonal violence frequently intersects with other forms of oppression experienced by communities of color. Interpersonal violence is a form of violence rooted in the dynamics of power and control of one person over another. The systems of privilege in our society such as race, class, and gender are tools used to maintain the power and control over another person and cause them harm. CARE wants to create a world without these forms of violence and recognizes that all forms of oppression are interconnected. CARE aims to work at deconstructing all forms of interpersonal and structural oppression in order to free our society from violence in all its forms. 

CARE recognizes that BIPOC communities may have experienced instances of interpersonal racism with medical providers, police officers, university officials, or other individuals in positions of power as well as institutional racism with educational settings, governmental systems, law enforcement, and the legal system. These experiences may cause BIPOC survivors and their loved ones to distrust the institutions that are supposed to assist survivors in their healing journey. CARE wants to insure all survivors of our confidentiality. Advocates will not release your information or inform any other agency without your explicit consent. 

Each community of color faces challenges and circumstances that are unique to that community, as each BIPOC survivor has their own lived experiences and individual circumstances. CARE recognizes these differences and is committed to serving BIPOC communities by providing accessible, free, culturally competent, and confidential advocacy to all survivors.

What's different about interpersonal violence for those who are BIPOC?

Although we realize that there is not one universal set of identities or experiences, there are some common factors that can create barriers for survivors of color as they seek help. These factors include: 

  • Cultural and/or religious beliefs that restrain the survivor from leaving an abusive relationship or involving others in personal matters 
  • Fear that their experience will negatively reflect on or confirm the stereotypes placed on their community or ethnicity 
  • Intersecting stigmas of homophobia/transphobia, racism, and survivorship 
  • Strong ties to one’s race, culture and/or family, adding to the pressure to not report what happened 
  • Fear of the impact that their family finding out about their assault or abuse and it bringing shame to themselves and their family 
  • The legal status of the survivor and/or the perpetrator 
  • Due to the economic disparities that communities of color experience, survivors can struggle to find affordable, accessible, and affirming support from community providers 
  • Lack of advocates or counselors who look like the survivor or share common experiences

CARE understands that finding a support system of people with similar life experiences and backgrounds as you can play a vital role in one’s healing process. 

Your CARE advocate will work with you to provide the best and most culturally supportive assistance as they can, and will help connect you with further resources as you see fit.

Confidentiality

All faculty and staff, who are not confidential, are required to report all students’ disclosures of sexual violence, relationship violence, and/or stalking to the Title IX office to ensure consistent student services and Title IX policy compliance. A CARE advocate can discuss any student’s concerns one-on-one, without sharing the student’s name, identifying information, or any other details about their visit with CARE to other campus offices – your professors, coaches, RA, or cultural center staff members will not be notified that you have visited CARE, unless you explicitly request CARE’s assistance in working with them.
 

CARE recognizes…

CARE recognizes that each individual may hold many of the different identities that our Communities we CARE for pages address. For more information on another identity, please go back to Communities we CARE for.

We support survivors from all backgrounds, the survivors that we serve are not limited to the identities listed on our Communities we CARE for page. If you do not see your identity listed, and would like to learn how interpersonal violence impacts you, please call our 24/7 confidential phone number at 805-893-4613 or make an appointment online to be connected with a confidential advocate.

Making an Appointment
with a CARE Advocate

Make Appointment

Schedule a non-urgent appointment with a CARE Advocate.

To speak with a confidential advocate immediately, please call our 24/7 CARE advocacy line at 805-893-4613. If you have an emergency or feel that you may be in immediate danger, please call 911. 

If you have experienced a sexual assault within the last five days, call CARE at 805-893-4613 or navigate to the Medical section on our Advocacy Services page to learn about the time-sensitive option to seek a free, confidential forensic medical exam.