Rick Gipprich Jr. (right), Regional Outreach and Support program director of the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (TAASA), answers questions on the challenges of addressing sexual assault during the panel discussion at the CAVE conference last Wednesday on the Brownsville campus. Also shown on the panel are Doug Stoves (from left), associate dean of students and director of Student Rights and Responsibilities; Alicia Morley, Title IX coordinator and director of the Office of Institutional Equity; and Priscilla Palacios, program coordinator for the Office for Victim Advocacy and Violence Prevention at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley./Michelllle Espinoza/The Rider
BY Megan Gonzalez | THE RIDER
This month, domestic violence awareness has spread throughout the university.
In 2015, more than 150 people were killed in domestic violence incidents, according to the Texas Council on Family Violence. This is an increase from 132 deaths in 2014.
“The ages range from 14 to 94,” said Jenny Clark, an associate professor and member of the Women’s Studies Committee, about the fatalities.
The Office of Victim Advocacy and Violence Prevention (OVAVP) and the Office of Student Support, Counseling and Wellness provide counseling and assistance for students. Student Rights and Responsibilities provides an online reporting system, Vaqueros Report It, which allows students, faculty and staff to report potential violations to various offices in UTRGV.
Victims may use a pen name to protect their identity.
“I did help a student to get help,” said Lecturer Elizabeth Garcia. “Back then, we had the CAPS program, and now they have made it easier for us to get help for the students through the Vaquero concern reporting system, which you can access through the UTRGV website.
If you know someone who has been experiencing domestic violence:
–Listen non-judgmentally;
–assure the person they are not to blame; and
–help the victim reach empowerment.
To report potential violations, visit Student Services on the UTRGV website.
To contact University Police, call 665-7151 in Edinburg and 882-2222 in Brownsville.
