The work can help health care workers implement strategies for prevention and response.

Recent research indicates that a significant number of college students are at a heightened risk of experiencing intimate partner violence. It is estimated that up to 50% of college students may experience one or more types of dating, sexual or stalking violence.

Furthermore, screenings for IPV are uncommon and not standardized across university settings, while those used and practiced in general healthcare settings often do not meet the needs of college students, says Bethany Backes, an assistant professor in the Violence Against Women Faculty cluster initiative.

That鈥檚 why she鈥檚 helping lead a new study, 鈥溾�� to improve 麻豆原创鈥檚 ability to identify and support college students who are experiencing violence in their relationships.聽The project received initial funding by the聽Elizabeth Morse Genius Foundation.

鈥淎 lot of college campuses don’t use screenings and if they do, they are not relevant to college students,鈥� Backes says. 鈥淗owever, it is recommended that screening happens for people 14 and older, and college is a great place to screen because you have a population, a young adult population, and that typically is when the onset of certain types or forms of interpersonal violence first occur.鈥�

The project is currently in a pilot stage in which students who have appointments at the Student Health Services can opt to fill out the screener.

鈥淥ur collective goal is that we create something usable that can be implemented beyond Student Health Services settings, such as being used, for example, by college athletic trainers or in college counseling centers,鈥� Backes says.

The data gathered will help researchers and Student Health Services improve efforts to assist students who are experiencing abuse in their relationships and educate them on resources, Backes says.

Students who are willing to participate in the project will remain anonymous and will not have anything linked to their medical files.

The project encourages students, whether or not they decide to participate, to reach out and talk about their relationships if they have any doubts or concerns.

鈥淚 think it’s really important for students to get resources, or to learn about resources because sometimes it’s just knowledge transfer.鈥� Backes says. 鈥淪o, they might not seek out victim services right away, or they might not seek them out the next time, but they start to be aware that there are services like this on campus.鈥�

Keeping 麻豆原创 a safe place to learn, live, work and play is a team effort that requires each of us to look out for ourselves and one another. Visit 鈥� website to learn about signs of distress.

If you are experiencing mental health crisis and need immediate help, always call 911. The National Suicide Hotline is also available 24/7/365 by dialing 988.

For Students

provides crisis-intervention services and comprehensive psychological services for students by appointment, walk-in or 24/7 hotline. CAPS can be reached by calling 407-823-2811. For after-hours services, call 407-823-2811 and press 5 to be connected to a licensed therapist.

麻豆原创 Student Care Services is the umbrella for student-related care resources and a great place to start if you are not sure where to go for help. Visit for resources and support with academics, finances or personal wellbeing. Free services and information are available for academic distress, homelessness, mental health concerns, financial challenges and more. E-mail ucfcares@ucf.edu or call 407-823-5607.

For Faculty and Staff

The , provided by Health Advocate, is a university-funded benefit that offers the support and resources you need to address any personal challenges and/or concerns that may affect your personal well-being and/or work performance. It is confidential and free to all faculty and staff (excluding OPS student employees) as well as their eligible family members, including spouses, dependent children, parents and parents-in-law. Health Advocate can be reached by calling their toll-free number at 877-240-6863 or by visiting their website at .

For Everyone

offers free, confidential advocacy and support to any student or employee who has been impacted by crime, violence or abuse. Specialists will explain options, make connections to appropriate campus and community resources, and provide other assistance. Reach a victim specialist 24/7 by calling 407-823-1200 or texting 407-823-6868 to discuss what you are experiencing.

Light Up the Night will start in the Pegasus Ballroom of the Student Union at 6 p.m. The event, which is open to the public, is held annually to 鈥渂reak the silence and end the violence鈥� of those who have lost their lives due to intimate partner violence. October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

At Light Up the Night, survivors will share their stories to raise awareness, and resources will be shared for those involved in a violent relationship.

鈥淲e hope that participants will understand what dating violence is and how they can identify it, and understand the impact that it can have on individuals and the communities,鈥� said Christine Mouton, the director of 麻豆原创 Victim Services.

Light Up the Night also will remember fellow Knights who were needlessly lost through a memorial called an Empty Place at the Table. The symbolic observance references a seat left empty due to the effects of intimate partner violence.

鈥淭his year, as part of our Empty Place at the Table memorial, we will collectively recognize the deceased Pulse victims at one of the place settings,鈥� Mouton said.

If you or someone you know is suffering from intimate partner abuse or domestic violence, contact 麻豆原创 Victim Services at 407-823-2425 or call your local law enforcement agency.

But this is no airing out of dirty laundry. Each of the shirts is an expression of emotion decorated by those affected by violence, and together, the shirts make up the Clothesline Project.

麻豆原创 Victim Services is hosting the Clothesline Project in honor of April鈥檚 National Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

The program gives survivors and others who have been impacted by violence toward women an opportunity to express their emotions through t-shirt designs. 麻豆原创 also displays the Clothesline Project in October in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Students, faculty, staff and members of the community can contribute to the Clothesline Project by stopping by the Student Union Patio from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., any Market Wednesday throughout the end of April.

To learn more about 麻豆原创 Victim Services, visit . To speak with an advocate, call 407-823-1200.

Light Up the Night is held each October as an observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The event, put on by 麻豆原创 Victim Services, will begin at 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 6, in the Pegasus Ballroom of the Student Union. It is open to the public.

Attendees will hear from a 麻豆原创 student and alumna who are survivors of domestic violence, as well as from a local judge, deputy and advocate who all work with incidents of intimate partner violence.

A presentation called 鈥淎n Empty Place at the Table鈥� will illuminate the deadly effects of abuse and memorialize domestic violence victims with ties to 麻豆原创.

Campus and community organizations that serve victims of domestic abuse also will table at the event to answer questions and provide resources.

Throughout the month of October, students, faculty, staff and members of the community can contribute to the Clothesline Project, a national effort give survivors of domestic abuse an opportunity to express their emotions by decorating a t-shirt.

T-shirts can be painted and decorated to speak out against domestic violence from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesdays during Market Day. The shirts will be hung inside the Student Union throughout October.

To learn more about 麻豆原创 Victim Services, visit .

If you鈥檝e been involved in intimate partner violence and would like to speak with an advocate, you can reach one 24/7 by calling 407-823-1200.

That鈥檚 why 麻豆原创 Victim Services is asking students, faculty, staff and members of the community for donations of their unwanted cell phones, smart phones and tablets.

Many of the devices will be wiped clean and used as emergency 911 phones for victims of a crime who don鈥檛 have a cell phone or who don鈥檛 feel safe using their own phone.

Others will be donated to an environmentally friendly recycling company that pays Victim Services for each item donated. Money raised will support the Victims Assistance Fund, which provides victims with food, clothing and emergency shelter.

Donations will be collected through Feb. 14 at Victim Services鈥� office in Research Park鈥檚 University Tower (suite 450) and on campus at the outreach center in the John T. Washington Breezeway. An additional donation box will be at the Student Union鈥檚 information desk Jan. 27-31 and Feb. 10-14.

Devices of any condition will be accepted, and chargers are not required. Victim Services also accepts the items year-round.

To learn more about Victim Services, visit .

Survivors will share their personal stories and incoming State Attorney Jeff Ashton will give a commemoration speech during the “Light Up the Night” ceremony, which will be from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Pegasus Ballroom of the Student Union.

Organized by 麻豆原创 Victim Services, the event also will highlight resources available on campus and in the community to help those impacted by intimate partner violence.

Victim Services provides free, confidential services to 麻豆原创 students, faculty and staff members. Advocates are available 24 hours a day to assist victims by phone or respond to crime scenes. Advocates can provide crisis counseling and emotional support, along with referrals to other on- and off-campus resources. They also help victims make informed decisions about what is best for them in the judicial process. To reach a victim advocate, call 407-823-1200.