Your health and safety is our top priority. If you are the victim of sexual assault, sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, or any other form of sexual or interpersonal misconduct, OTC will support you and connect you to the care that you need while ensuring that you know your options and your rights during this difficult time.
You do not have to go through this alone!
OTC has a wealth of resources at the disposal of its students and partners with various agencies and programs across the area to provide quality services to its students. If you or someone you know has been victimized, please do not hesitate to reach out for assistance. These resources are designed to assist our community in reporting concerns to the proper offices and authorities, obtaining safety and security for themselves and their loved ones, as well as securing legal representation across a wide spectrum. Please click the hyperlink above to be taken to our resource page. If you have questions about how any of these resources could assist you or someone you care about, please do not hesitate to contact our Title IX Office.
Along with OTC and local resources, we also want to give you avenues to pursue your own additional reading, research and opportunities to take action below. These lists are not all-inclusive, but we hope it will provide a good place for you to start.
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma – Bessel van der Kolk
Description: Trauma is a fact of life. Veterans and their families deal with the painful aftermath of combat; one in five Americans has been molested; one in four grew up with alcoholics; one in three couples have engaged in physical violence. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, one of the world’s foremost experts on trauma, has spent over three decades working with survivors. In The Body Keeps the Score, he uses recent scientific advances to show how trauma literally reshapes both body and brain, compromising sufferers’ capacities for pleasure, engagement, self-control, and trust. He explores innovative treatments—from neurofeedback and meditation to sports, drama, and yoga—that offer new paths to recovery by activating the brain’s natural neuroplasticity. Based on Dr. van der Kolk’s own research and that of other leading specialists, The Body Keeps the Score exposes the tremendous power of our relationships both to hurt and to heal—and offers new hope for reclaiming lives.
Speak – Laurie Halse Anderson
Description: “Speak up for yourself–we want to know what you have to say.” From the first moment of her freshman year at Merryweather High, Melinda knows this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is friendless, outcast, because she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops, so now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her. As time passes, she becomes increasingly isolated and practically stops talking altogether. Only her art class offers any solace, and it is through her work on an art project that she is finally able to face what really happened at that terrible party: she was raped by an upperclassman, a guy who still attends Merryweather and is still a threat to her. Her healing process has just begun when she has another violent encounter with him. But this time Melinda fights back, refuses to be silent, and thereby achieves a measure of vindication. In Laurie Halse Anderson’s powerful novel, an utterly believable heroine with a bitterly ironic voice delivers a blow to the hypocritical world of high school. She speaks for many a disenfranchised teenager while demonstrating the importance of speaking up for oneself.
The Power – Naomi Alderman
Description: All over the world women and girls are discovering they have the power. With a flick of the fingers they can inflict terrible pain, and even death. And with this small twist of nature, everything changes drastically. Ambition and provocative, visceral and page-turning, award-winning author Naomi Alderman’s The Power at once takes us on a journey to an alternate reality and exposes our own world in bold and surprising ways.
Blood Water Paint – Joy McCullough
Description: By the time she was seventeen, Artemisia did more than grind pigment. She was one of Rome’s most talented painters, even if no one knew her name. But Rome in 1610 was a city where men took what they wanted from women, and in the aftermath of rape Artemisia faced another terrible choice: a life of silence or a life of truth, no matter the cost.
Joy McCullough’s bold novel in verse is a portrait of an artist as a young woman, filled with the soaring highs of creative inspiration and the devastating setbacks of a system built to break her. McCullough weaves Artemisia’s heartbreaking story with the stories of the ancient heroines, Susanna and Judith, who become not only the subjects of two of Artemisia’s most famous paintings but sources of strength as she battles to paint a woman’s timeless truth in the face of unspeakable and all-too-familiar violence.
The Unsayable: The Hidden Language of Trauma – Annie G. Rogers
Description: In her twenty years as a clinical psychologist, Annie Rogers has learned to understand the silent language of girls who will not–who cannot–speak about devastating sexual trauma. Abuse too painful to put into words does have a language, though, a language of coded signs and symptoms that conventional therapy fails to understand. In this luminous, deeply moving book, Rogers reveals how she has helped many girls find expression and healing for the sexual trauma that has shattered their childhoods.
The Deepest Well: Healing the Long-term Effects of Childhood Adversity – Nadine Burke Harris
Description: Dr. Nadine Burke Harris was already known as a crusading physician delivering targeted care to vulnerable children. But it was Diego—a boy who had stopped growing after a sexual assault—who galvanized her journey to uncover the connections between toxic stress and lifelong illnesses.
The stunning news of Burke Harris’s research is just how deeply our bodies can be imprinted by ACEs—adverse childhood experiences like abuse, neglect, parental addiction, mental illness, and divorce. Childhood adversity changes our biological systems, and lasts a lifetime. For anyone who has faced a difficult childhood, or who cares about the millions of children who do, the fascinating scientific insight and innovative, acclaimed health interventions in The Deepest Well represent vitally important hope for preventing lifelong illness for those we love and for generations to come.
Girl in the Woods: A Memoir – Aspen Matis
Description: Girl in the Woods is Aspen Matis’s exhilarating true-life adventure of hiking from Mexico to Canada—a coming-of-age story, a survival story, and a triumphant story of overcoming emotional devastation. On her second night of college, Aspen was raped by a fellow student. Overprotected by her parents who discouraged her from speaking of the attack, Aspen was confused and ashamed. Dealing with a problem that has sadly become all too common on college campuses around the country, she stumbled through her first semester—a challenging time made even harder by the coldness of her college’s “conflict mediation” process. Her desperation growing, she made a bold decision: She would seek healing in the freedom of the wild, on the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail leading from Mexico to Canada.
Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma – Peter A. Levine
Description: Waking the Tiger normalizes the symptoms of trauma and the steps needed to heal them. People are often traumatized by seemingly ordinary experiences. The reader is taken on a guided tour of the subtle, yet powerful impulses that govern our responses to overwhelming life events. To do this, it employs a series of exercises that help us focus on bodily sensations. Through heightened awareness of these sensations trauma can be healed.
Milk and Honey – Rupi Kaur
Description: The book is divided into four chapters, and each chapter serves a different purpose. Deals with a different pain. Heals a different heartache. Milk and Honey takes readers through a journey of the most bitter moments in life and finds sweetness in them because there is sweetness everywhere if you are just willing to look.
https://services.otc.edu/security/annual-security-report/#2018
https://www.joinonelove.org/signs-healthy-relationship/
https://mocadsv.coalitionmanager.org/resourcemanager/resourcefile/details/435
https://www.stalkingawareness.org/
https://www.courts.mo.gov/file.jsp?id=69655
https://www.thehotline.org/help/help-for-friends-and-family/
https://www.rainn.org/recovering-sexual-violence
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK207191/
https://www.rainn.org/articles/lgbtq-survivors-sexual-violence
https://www.thehotline.org/is-this-abuse/lgbt-abuse/
We recognize that you have a plethora of information at your fingertips regarding the topics on this page. You will find many definitions to a number of terms, and it is quite possible those definitions will conflict with each other. OTC draws definitions from legal sources such as the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and the Clery Act. Please refer to Section D of OTC Policy 4.06 – Sexual Harassment & Grievance Procedures for the definitions we utilize at OTC.
Prevention is a key element to maintaining a safe campus. At OTC, we do not tolerate interpersonal violence and harassment. But established policies and ongoing anti-harassment training for employees aren’t enough. We address every concern and strive to create an environment in which employees and students feel empowered to demand more from each other. Join the movement for violence prevention on OUR campus by clicking on the button below.
The health and safety of our students is our top priority, and we want to make sure that survivors of interpersonal violence, including dating and domestic violence, are provided with the utmost support. Please know that whatever you are experiencing is valid and you are not alone.
Please take a look at the topics below. You can find additional information on dating or domestic violence by clicking the “Resources” tab to the left – including a book list for recovering from trauma and more in depth articles on interpersonal violence.
Dating or domestic violence is when one partner uses coercive and abusive behaviors to gain power and control over the other partner in the relationship. Domestic violence is usually not a one-time occurrence, but rather a pattern of abusive and controlling behaviors. It can take many forms, including physical violence, coercion, threats, intimidation, isolation, and emotional, sexual or economic abuse. Unfortunately, thousands of individuals of diverse ethnicities, classes, abilities, sexual orientations, and gender expressions are victimized in relationships every year.
The warning signs of dating or domestic violence include jealousy, name-calling, possessiveness, and the abuser making you feel that you are the one causing their behavior. You may feel:
The most important thing you should know is that what you are experiencing or have experienced is not your fault. Often, abusers will use the tactic of convincing you that you deserve the abuse (e.g. “You make me act like this.”).
No one ever deserves to be put down, physically harmed, or have their lives controlled by another person – no matter what.
If you believe that you are in an unhealthy or abusive relationship, consider talking to a trusted friend or victim advocate. You know your situation and the threats to your safety best, but talking with someone you trust can help you consider options and make a safety plan for both staying in the relationship or leaving the relationship. Leaving an abusive relationship can be dangerous, so it’s important to do so with support and a safety plan in place.
A victim advocate will also be able to connect you to important resources such as childcare, food resources, housing and rent assistance, legal assistance, court support, and support in filing a police report or obtaining an order of protection. Here at OTC, Title IX can assist you in pursuing an education while facing these additional obstacles. You should always call 911 if you are in immediate danger.
OTC has certified One Love Escalation Workshop presenters. The One Love Foundation focuses educating young people about healthy and unhealthy relationships, empowering them to identify and avoid abuse, and learn how to love better. Click on the pink button below for more information about this amazing organization.
What Is a Safety Plan?
A safety plan is a personalized, practical plan that includes ways to remain safe while in a relationship, planning to leave, or after you leave. Safety planning involves how to cope with emotions, tell friends and family about the abuse, take legal action and more.
A good safety plan will have all of the vital information you need and be tailored to your unique situation, and will help walk you through different scenarios.
Although some of the things that you outline in your safety plan may seem obvious, it’s important to remember that in moments of crisis your brain doesn’t function the same way as when you are calm. When adrenaline is pumping through your veins it can be hard to think clearly or make logical decisions about your safety. Having a safety plan laid out in advance can help you to protect yourself in those stressful moments.
Download a sample safety plan below. You can also find additional tips on safety planning clicking here.
Listen and be supportive. Even when you don’t understand or agree with their decision, don’t judge. They know what’s best and safest for their situation.
Connect them to resources and information in their area.
Don’t post information about your loved one on social networking sites. Never use sites like Facebook or Foursquare to reveal their current location or where they hang out. It’s possible their partner will use your post to find them. Brush up on your knowledge of digital safety.
Empower the person you’re trying to help to make up their own mind. Leaving an unhealthy or abusive relationship may be difficult and even dangerous. Avoid blaming or belittling comments. Abusive partners usually put down their victims regularly, so your loved one’s self-esteem may already be low.
Don’t give up even though helping is frustrating.
Prevention is a key element to maintaining a safe campus. At OTC, we do not tolerate interpersonal violence and harassment. But established policies and ongoing anti-harassment training for employees aren’t enough. We address every concern and strive to create an environment in which employees and students feel empowered to demand more from each other. Join the movement for violence prevention on OUR campus by clicking on the green button below.
Sexual assault takes many forms, including attacks such rape or attempted rape, as well as any unwanted sexual contact or threats. Usually a sexual assault occurs when someone touches any part of another person’s body in a sexual way, even through clothes, without that person’s consent. Some type of sexual acts which fall under the category of sexual assault include the forced sexual intercourse (rape), sodomy (oral or anal sexual acts), child molestation, incest, fondling and attempted rape. Sexual assault in any form is often a devastating crime. Assailants can be strangers, acquaintances, friends, or family members. Assailants commit sexual assault by way of violence, threats, coercion, manipulation, pressure, or tricks. Sexual assault has many definitions in both our culture and the legal system. At OTC, sexual assault is defined in OTC Policy 4.06 Sexual Harassment and Grievance Procedure in accordance with guidance by the Department of Education. If what you or a loved experience does not meet the definition, this does not mean we’re unable to help. Resources are available on campus and in the community for a variety of situations.
If you are concerned about your safety or cannot get to a safe place to seek help, call 911 immediately. Also, strongly consider calling a trusted friend to come to support you and make sure you’re not alone.
If you are on campus, you can also call OTC Safety & Security from any off-campus or cellular phone at 417-447-6911. If you work on campus and have an office phone, dial 6911.
Victims of sexual assault should consider seeking medical attention for the following reasons:
To obtain medical care:
Local Resources:
If you have experienced sexual misconduct, evidence may be left on your body, clothing or at the crime scene. It is important to collect any forensic evidence as soon as possible as this can be helpful in a criminal or civil investigation. Even if you are not sure that you want to report the incident to the police or OTC, a medical center can collect physical evidence and preserve it anonymously while you take time to decide. If you later choose to file a criminal complaint or a complaint with OTC, this forensic evidence may be pivotal in strengthening your case.
To preserve physical evidence, do not wash your face or hands, bathe, brush your teeth, eat or drink, douche, change your clothes, or move or remove anything from the area that the incident occurred (bed linens, etc.). If you do remove your clothes, store them in a paper (not plastic) bag until you are ready to seek help. Try to write down the details of the event as soon as possible, including the date and time that it occurred, the name and/or physical description of the perpetrator, the location, what happened and the names of any witnesses or people that saw you right before or after the assault took place. Keep this written account in a safe place. It may be helpful to you and to law enforcement should you later choose to prosecute.
Evidence can still be collected up to five days after the incident, so please don’t lose hope if you did not seek immediate assistance. Even without a medical exam, you can still make a report until the statue of limitations has expired.
People respond to an assault in different ways. Just because you didn’t resist physically doesn’t mean it wasn’t sexual assault — in fact, there are many reasons why a victim of sexual assault would not fight or resist her/his attacker. She/he may feel that fighting or resisting will make her/his attacker angry, resulting in more severe injury. Anytime someone is forced to have sex against their will, they have been sexually assaulted, regardless of whether or not they fought back. There are many reasons why a victim might not physically fight their attacker including shock, fear, threats or the size and strength of the attacker.
Most sexual assaults and rapes are committed by someone the victim knows. Among victims aged 18 to 29, two-thirds had a prior relationship with the offender. Most sexual assaults are committed by someone the victim knows: a neighbor, friend, acquaintance, co-worker, classmate, spouse, partner or ex-partner. Studies show that approximately 80% of women reporting sexual assaults knew their assailant.
Memories of traumatic events are laid down differently to everyday memories. Usually we encode what we see, hear, smell, taste and physically sense, as well as how that all slots together and what it means to us – and together, those different types of information together enable us to recall events as a coherent story. But during traumatic events our bodies are flooded with stress hormones. These encourage the brain to focus on the here and now and not on what occurred. It’s also important to consider that the body can respond to traumatic events by suppressing any memory of the experience. Memory loss can occur with “date rape” drugs like GHB. Excessive alcohol consumption can make memories fuzzy, too. Even if you have no memory of the assault, it could still be rape. A physical exam may be able to determine if you were raped. Any evidence collected from your exam may also help law enforcement officials fill in the blanks if you can’t.
If you were asleep or unconscious, you couldn’t give consent. Any sexual contact without consent is assault.
Being under the influence of alcohol or drugs is not an invitation for non-consensual sexual activity. A person under the influence of drugs or alcohol does not cause others to assault him/her; others choose to take advantage of the situation and sexually assault him/her because he/she is in a vulnerable position.
https://www.acesdv.org/about-sexual-domestic-violence/sexual-violence-myths-misconceptions/
https://www.healthline.com/health/was-i-raped#common-scenarios
Prevention is a key element to maintaining a safe campus. At OTC, we do not tolerate interpersonal violence and harassment. But established policies and ongoing anti-harassment training for employees aren’t enough. We address every concern and strive to create an environment in which employees and students feel empowered to demand more from each other. Join the movement for violence prevention on OUR campus by clicking on the button below.
Finding out whether or not consent was present is a critical component to determining if sexual harassment occurred.
Consent is CLEAR, COHERENT, WILLING, and ONGOING. It is a mutual, voluntary, and informed agreement to participate in specific sexual acts with another person that is not achieved through manipulation, force, or coercion of any kind, and requires having cognitive ability to agree to participate. Consent requires an outward demonstration, through mutually understandable words, conduct or action, indicating that an individual has freely chosen to engage in the specific sexual acts. A verbal “no” constitutes lack of consent, even if it sounds insincere or indecisive. It is always important to communicate with your partner, but there are three factors that can make consent much less likely:
Silence or an absence of resistance does not imply consent, and consent to engage in sexual activity with one person, or in one sexual activity, does not imply consent to engage in sexual activity with another person or in another sexual activity. Even in the context of an ongoing relationship, consent must be sought and freely given for each specific sexual act. Consent may be withdrawn at any time. When consent is withdrawn, sexual activity must immediately stop.
Take a look at the video below from New York University to gain a better understanding of consent!
Incapacitation is a state where an individual cannot make an informed and rational decision to consent to engage in sexual contact because the individual lacks conscious knowledge of the nature of the act (e.g., to understand the “who, what, where, when, why or how” of the sexual interaction) and/or is physically or mentally helpless. An individual is also considered incapacitated, and therefore unable to give consent, when asleep, unconscious, or otherwise unaware that sexual contact is occurring.
Incapacitation can only be found when the Respondent knew or should have known that the Complainant was incapacitated when viewed from the position of a sober, reasonable person. One’s own intoxication is not an excuse for failure to recognize another person’s incapacitation.
Incapacitation may result from the use of alcohol and/or other drugs; however, consumption of alcohol of other drugs, inebriation, or intoxication alone are insufficient to establish incapacitation. Incapacitation is beyond mere drunkenness or intoxication. The impact of alcohol or drugs varies from person to person, and evaluating incapacitation requires an assessment of how consumption of alcohol and/or drugs impacts an individual’s:
No single factor is determinative of incapacitation. Some common signs that someone may be incapacitated include slurred speech, confusion, shaky balance, stumbling or falling down, vomiting, and unconsciousness.
People find many ways to get together. Whether the situation is a casual hookup or a long-term relationship, consent should always be shared during sex. Remember that we should all get to make choices involving our own bodies. Ask for consent, and look for signs of consent, early on to build a foundation of trust and open communication. It can be as simple as asking, “Are you okay with this?” to looking for signs that your partner is actively engaged. If there is any hesitation in your partner’s response, you should assume you do not have consent.
Consent is more than a “yes” or “no”. It is about opening up a conversation–through words and body language. Consent is about showing respect to your partner. It’s important to have conversations about consent before finding yourself in the heat of the moment. Have conversations about protection, preferences, boundaries and more, during times when you and your partner are in non-sexual situations. Try having casual conversations about sex before the moment arrives.
Your partner should never feel like they are being coerced into having sex. When you are asking or looking for signs of consent, make it clear through your words, tone and body language that you are okay with your partner’s answer–even if the answer is no. Pay attention to cues from your partner. Anything less than an absolute “yes” should be viewed as a “no”. Feel free to say something like, “You don’t sound too sure. Why don’t we just watch TV instead?” Respecting your partner will lead to a better understanding later, should you choose to have sex in the future.
If you’re not interested. Be honest with yourself and your partner, and share your true feelings. We know it can be tough turn someone down. There are a number of reasons for saying “no”, and there are fears that come along with rejecting another person as well. Communicating your true feelings shows that you respect yourself, and it tells your partner that you respect them, too. You can say no if you are not feeling up to it at the moment or if you do not have feelings for the other person. Here are some examples of what you might say, “Thanks for asking, but I just don’t feel that way about you,” “I’m not feeling up to that tonight. Maybe we can just cuddle instead,” or “Let’s just keep doing what we’re doing now.”
If you’re unsure. Maybe you really aren’t sure how you feel. It’s okay to communicate that with your partner. Being unsure generally means that your answer is “no”, and your partner should respect that. You should both be 100% excited about having sex. If you feel that you need more time to make a decision, you can say, “I like the sound of that, but not right now. I’ll let you know how I’m feeling later.” A partner who can can respect your responses, is not a partner worth having.
If you want to. Let your partner know you consent, and be willing to communicate any boundaries or limits. You can consent to one thing, and still be unwilling to consent to another thing–and that’s okay! One example might be, “I’m into that if you have a condom.” Giving consent at one time, does not mean consent always present. You may tell your partner you wish to stop at any time, and you should also be open to communicate your likes and dislikes.
If you receive consent. If your partner agrees and appears excited, without hesitation, you can move forward. It’s a good practice to continue checking in with your partner, particularly if you have never had sex before. You can ask “How does that feel?” or “Can we try ___?” Always respect your partners answer, and be willing to make adjustments or stop at any time.
If your partner does not give consent. If someone says “no”, accept their answer. Never try to convince or guilt someone to give consent when they’ve already said no. Sex should be enjoyed by all persons involved, and anything less that a “yes”, is a “no”. Always respect your partner’s right to ask you to stop.
Content in this section adapted from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.
At OTC, we know that sexual misconduct is not limited to sexual assault and domestic violence. While you may not have experienced a form of sex-based violence, you may have experienced misconduct that qualifies as sexual harassment, and we will treat your concern with the same level of care that we would for any other student or employee misconduct.
How do you know if you have experienced sexual harassment? Sexual harassment encompasses any unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or verbal or physical contact that is sexual in nature. Here’s an analogy to help explain: while sexual assault and domestic violence can both be seen as a room in a house, think of sexual harassment as the entire house in which those rooms exist. Sexual assault and domestic violence are specific forms of sexual harassment, but we know other forms of sexual harassment can also impact your educational and work experiences at OTC.
Below, you will find information about two other “rooms” in the sexual harassment house as well as additional information and resources. If you believe you have been sexually harassed at OTC, we urge you to tell us about it.
A hostile environment at is created when unwelcome comments or conduct based on a protected class (or classes) unreasonably interferes with performance or creates an intimidating or offensive environment. Hostile environment harassment does not have to be sex-based. This type of conduct can diminish productivity and self-esteem.
In determining whether a hostile environment exists, we will consider the totality of circumstances, including factors such as the actual impact the conduct has had on the complainant; the nature and severity of the conduct at issue; the frequency and duration of the conduct; the relationship between the parties (including accounting for whether one individual has power or authority over the other); the respective ages of the parties; the context in which the conduct occurred; and the number of persons affected. We will evaluate the totality of circumstances from the perspective of a reasonable person in the Complainant’s position. A person’s adverse subjective reaction to conduct is not sufficient, in and of itself, to establish the existence of a hostile environment. Petty slights, annoyances, and isolated incidents (unless extremely serious) will not rise to the level of illegality. To be unlawful, the conduct must create a work environment that would be intimidating, hostile, or offensive to reasonable people.
Offensive conduct may include, but is not limited to, offensive jokes, slurs, epithets or name calling, physical assaults or threats, intimidation, ridicule or mockery, insults or put-downs, offensive objects or pictures, and interference with work performance. Harassment can occur in a variety of circumstances, including, but not limited to, the following:
Employees are encouraged to inform the harasser directly that the conduct is unwelcome and must stop. Employees should also report harassment to management at an early stage to prevent its escalation. We encourage all members of the college community to report any and all instances of sexual harassment, even if they are unsure whether the conduct rises to the level of a policy violation.
Quid pro quo, or “this for that”, sexual harassment occurs when a person having power or authority makes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and/or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature:
When submission to such sexual conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of rating or evaluating an individual’s educational [or employment] progress, development, or performance. This includes when submission to such conduct would be a condition for access to receiving the benefits of any educational [or employment] program.
Benefits offered through quid pro quo sexual harassment include, but are not limited to:
It is important to make it clear that submission to this form of sexual harassment does not make the actions of the victim voluntary. By it’s nature, quid pro quo harassment suggests a threat of some form of harm to the victim; whereby, the victim may not resist the harassment to avoid the harm or perceived harm.
Some specific examples of conduct that may constitute Sexual Harassment if unwelcome include, but are not limited to:
Prevention is a key element to maintaining a safe campus. At OTC, we do not tolerate interpersonal violence and harassment. But established policies and ongoing anti-harassment training for employees aren’t enough. We address every concern and strive to create an environment in which employees and students feel empowered to demand more from each other. Join the movement for violence prevention on OUR campus by clicking on the button below.
While legal definitions of stalking vary from one jurisdiction to another, a good working definition of stalking is “a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear”. A course of conduct means two or more acts, including, but not limited to, acts in which the stalker directly, indirectly, or through third parties, by any action, method, device, or means, follows, monitors, observes, surveils, threatens, or communicates with the victim. A few facts about stalking:
Stalking is serious, often violent, and can escalate over time. Some survivors find it useful to fill out a Stalking Incident Log to track individual incidents for a period of time.
Prevention is a key element to maintaining a safe campus. At OTC, we do not tolerate interpersonal violence and harassment. But established policies and ongoing anti-harassment training for employees aren’t enough. We address every concern and strive to create an environment in which employees and students feel empowered to demand more from each other. Join the movement for violence prevention on OUR campus by clicking on the button below.
There are several ways to report a Title IX or other concern:
Please know that you may submit a concern the an OTC Cares form anonymously if that is your preferences, but if we need to gather evidence, it will be really helpful for us to be able to reach you.