Behaviors that indicate a student might be experiencing (or recently experienced) interpersonal violence

• Changes in behavior or communication

• Unusual absences

• Requests for: 

  • Different seat in class

  • Room change in the residence hall

  • Extensions

  • Placement in groups that don’t include a certain student

  • Stepping down from leadership in a student organization

• Visible reaction to certain topics/content

• Appearing visibly upset when entering, leaving or during class 

Ideas for how to start the conversation

1. Delegate: 

If you don’t feel comfortable speaking with the student, you can submit a report to have trained campus partners reach out to the student and provide resources. 

1. 1. 1. You can submit a report to the Student Outreach and Assistance or CARE team

      2. Once a CARE or Student Outreach and Assistance report is submitted, it is reviewed and routed to the appropriate campus office responsible for outreach to the student (e.g., the Office of Compliance and Ethics, the Department of Public Safety, or the Dean of Students). 

      3. Outreach may be conducted via email, phone, or in person, depending on the nature of the concern. 

      4. If the student responds and engages, they will be offered a meeting and provided with relevant resources and guidance regarding university policies. The staff member who initiates contact will typically remain the primary point of support until the concern is resolved or the student chooses to disengage.

2. Speak with the student directly using the "Notice, Ask, Refer" framework:

   1. First, make sure there aren’t other people around to ensure the student’s privacy.

   2. Ask the student if they have a moment to talk. If they say no, respect this boundary. If they indicate they can, then consider proceeding as suggested below. 

   3. Describe the behavior(s) you’ve noticed and indicate it makes you wonder about how they are doing. 

   4. Ask if it would be okay if you shared some information about resources with them.

• For example, “I’ve noticed that I haven’t seen you in class lately, and you used to be the first one here. It makes me wonder if there might be something going on in your life that makes it difficult to get here. How have you been doing?”

• “I’ve noticed you seem tearful when you come to class. It makes me wonder if it might be helpful to talk with someone about what you’re experiencing. Would it be okay if I shared some information about two places on campus that offer confidential, no-cost support for students?

Important note: the student may be uncomfortable sharing anything with you, and that's okay. It’s not your job to collect information, and it's also not uncommon for survivors to prefer not to talk about it, especially if the trauma is recent/ongoing. Just knowing someone cares can be helpful, and they may come talk to you later.

3. Share information with all students:

   1. Share a resource with all students without calling attention to the student you are concerned about. 

      • For example: “I recently attended a training about resources available on campus and I wanted to share this information with all of you.” 

   2. Consider providing a brief description of each resource or showing a slide with more information. You can also post a handout of resources to your Canvas site.

In some cases, a student may tell you directly or in an assignment that they have experienced or are experiencing interpersonal violence. This could include stalking, sexual assault, domestic abuse, or dating violence. Here are some ideas for how you can respond. 

A student disclosed that they experienced stalking, sexual assault, or relationship violence. What can I say?

• First, gently pause to let them know you are a mandated reporter

  • “I’m so sorry to interrupt. I care about you and want to be open with you before you share something that I might be required to report. There are policies on our campus that require me to share certain information with the Office of Compliance and Ethics. One of the things I have to share is if a student tells me about an incident of sexual harassment. I wanted to let you know before you share anything else in case there are certain aspects you do not want shared. We can keep talking or we can go over the confidential resources on campus. These are individuals who would not have to share what you tell them with the Office of Compliance and Ethics. How would you like to move forward?”

  • Additional sample scripts

If they choose to continue telling you, or if they tell you before you are able to notify them  that you are a mandated reporter (e.g., via email, in an online class, etc.), here are ideas for how to continue: 

• Validate their experience

  • “Thank you for sharing that with me, I’m so sorry that happened to you.”

  • “It makes sense to me that you’re having a hard time focusing on school right now”

  • “What you’re describing is a normal reaction to what you experienced, so that’s totally understandable.” 

• Discuss your role and what you can do

  • Explain your role as a mandated reporter (if you have not done so already)

  • Support their success in the class by providing flexibility (if possible)

    • “You’re navigating a lot right now, and I want you to be able to focus on your well-being, so let’s talk about ways we can work together to help you succeed in this class.”

    • “I want you to be able to focus on your well-being right now, so let’s talk about assignment extensions. Does a week feel like enough time as an initial goal? We can always push it back, if needed.”

• Share information about resources

  • “Thank you for sharing that with me. I’m so sorry that happened to you. Here is some information on campus and community resources, just in case it’s helpful.”

    • See “Resource Information” section below

Federal law requires that certain incidents be reported to the Office of Compliance and Ethics. The purpose of this is:

1. To ensure that Boise State University is creating a safe learning environment in which all students are treated with dignity and respect, and

2. To ensure that students and employees are notified of the resources available to them, such as class accommodations, housing changes, free counseling, campus no-contact orders, and more. 

Am I required to report it to the Office of Compliance and Ethics?

If a student or employee discloses that they are experiencing domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, harassment, discrimination, or that they were recently sexually assaulted (on or off campus), then yes. 

All* university employees, including all faculty, staff, and student employees are required to report Discrimination, Harassment, or Sexual Harassment (including sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking) as promptly as possible. 

*Exception: There are confidential employees within University Health Services and the Student Connections and Support Center who are NOT required to report to the Office of Compliance and Ethics.

What is confidential versus non-confidential?

 All campus resources, including the Office of Compliance and Ethics, will work to keep information private, however, only certain resources are confidential. A confidential resource will not share any information with anyone, including law enforcement or the University, except in a few emergency situations (e.g. child abuse, elder abuse).  Confidential resources are also available in the community- additional information can be found below.

Not sure?

If you are noticing concerning behaviors, but aren’t sure what is going on (and there is no disclosure of harassment or discrimination on the basis of sex), then submitting a report to CARE or the Student Outreach and Assistance team instead of a report to the Office of Compliance is most appropriate. We still recommend utilizing the recommendations above to provide validation, support and resources. 

If you’re not sure if/where to report, you can contact the Office of Compliance and Ethics for more information. You can also contact the Student Connections and Support Center for questions about how to respond supportively to a student.

Where do I report if a student discloses victimization?

Office of Compliance and Ethics

• Online reporting form available at https://www.boisestate.edu/compliance/

• Email - complianceandethics@boisestate.edu

• Phone - 208-426-1258

• In-Person - 960 S Broadway Ave 

What information do I need for the report?   

You will be asked for:       

• Your name

• The name of the person who disclosed to you

• Any known details of the incident

• Any known resources that the person has been in contact with (e.g. Dean of Students, Student Connection and Support Center)

For any questions or support filling out the form, reach out to the Office of Compliance and Ethics 

What happens after the report is filed?                                  

The Office of Compliance and Ethics will reach out to the student through their official university email address. The student can choose to: 

1. Not respond to the emails/phone calls/text messages or tell them they are not interested in responding at this time (the student can call/respond at a later time as well, the door is always open) 

2. Respond and request information about resources only (not interested in participating in an investigation) 

3. Respond and request resources and information related to an investigation

How can I explain this?

• “After I submit this report, the Title IX office will contact you by email and/or phone or text message. Responding is your choice. They can help with safety concerns, counseling referrals, no-contact orders, class accommodations, and other support. They can also discuss possible next steps and available resources. If you don’t respond, they’ll stop their outreach efforts after two emails and a call, but their support is always available if you need it.”

Learn more about available resources to refer to here.