Name Change Coming Soon….

 

University of Mississippi’s 24-Hour Survivor Support Helpline:

Free. Safe. Confidential.

For non-emergency support and advocacy, call 662-816-5377

Mission:

VIP: Survivor Support provides confidential advocacy to assist victim-survivors of gender-based violence and serves as a liaison between the University and local resource groups.  Confidential advocates are certified campus advocates who provide non-judgmental support, options, and empower students to create an individualized plan for healing.  Staff and peer educators also promote awareness through programming and provide education for students, faculty and staff concerning these topics.

If you or someone you know may have experienced a

sexual assault, intimate partner violence, or stalking …

 

VIP: Survivor Support is a confidential, supportive, and inclusive resource center for those impacted by sexual harassment, intimate-partner violence, domestic violence, stalking and other gender-based discrimination.

We welcome all who may have questions or concerns, who need support and resources, and who are seeking guidance and connection. Whether you have experienced abuse, harassment, or violence in the past, whether you have had a recent experience, or whether you are concerned for a friend, we are here to listen. We hope to provide you with options and resources that help you choose your next steps and a path to healing and recovery.

VIP is open to all and does not discriminate based on race, citizenship, national origin or ethnicity, ancestry, religion or creed, political affiliation or belief, age, sex or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and disability.

     VIP Support Services:

• Non-judgmental, welcoming, and inclusive emotional support
• Academic accommodations and support
• Accompany students to Student Health Center and Baptist Memorial Health Center for medical care, evidence collection, and STI testing
• Safe Rooms
• Survivor Fund for those impacted financially
• Change in campus housing and dining locations
• Assistance in finding alternative housing
• Assistance in arranging for alternative university employment and changing work schedules
• A “No-contact” directive through our Conflict Resolution and Student Conduct office
• Providing an escort to ensure that the student can move safely between school programs and activities
• Parking arrangements to ensure safety and access to other services
• Assistance identifying and securing additional resources or assistance including off-campus support and services

Join Rallying Against Sexual Assault

This student group works to raise awareness about sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and stalking while also supporting survivors from all walks of life. Email umrasa@go.gmail.com to join the organization’s mailing list.

Engage on social media! Follow RASA – Rallying Against Sexual Assault on Instagram.

Be an Active Bystander

As a community, the University of Mississippi encourages our members to engage in bystander intervention to prevent power-based personal violence before it happens. As a collective, we can change the culture of our community to one where violence is never accepted.

There are three ways to be an active bystander:

Direct

• Check in with a person who looks like he or she needs assistance.
• Call a friend in a new relationship when you have not heard from him or her in a while.
• If you see someone who has had too much to drink, get her or him safely home using a designated driver or call a cab.

Distract

• Spill a drink or call attention to yourself.
• Tell the person his or her car is getting ticketed or towed.
• Ask one or both of the people to go somewhere else with you safely.

Delegate

• If you fear for your safety or someone else’s, call the University Police Department or the Oxford Police Department.
• Have security at the bar or party check in on someone you do not know when you are concerned.
• In a residence hall, call your Community Assistant to intervene.

Find out more about bystander intervention from the Rebels Against Sexual Assault.

“The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.”

— Albert Einstein