For information on Williams’ policies, procedures, and any questions related to Title IX, visit the Title IX Office page.
About Intimate Violence Prevention and Advocacy
We are dedicated to creating a campus where respect, safety, and empowerment are at the heart of our community. Through education, advocacy, and collaboration, we work to prevent intimate and power-based violence, support survivors, and promote cultural change. You belong here.
What does this look like Williams College?
Prevention Education & Outreach
Prevention Education aims to stop violence before it occurs by shifting behaviors and transforming cultural norms. Focused on creating safe, inclusive environments, our efforts include education, awareness, and skill-building at the individual, community, and institutional levels to promote equity, respect, and accountability at Williams College. This looks like:
- Conduct workshops, training, and campaigns to raise awareness of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), Power-Based Violence (PBV) and Gender-Based Violence (GBV).
- Promote healthy relationships and bystander intervention strategies.
- Provide educational materials and resources for students and the broader community.
Advocacy & Support Services
Advocacy provides non-clinical support, offering emotional and practical assistance to those impacted by violence. It focuses on survivor-centered strategies, helping individuals navigate systems, access resources, and ensure their rights, safety, and autonomy are prioritized. This can look like but is not limited to:
- Offer trauma-informed advocacy for students who have experienced power-based harm.
- Provide crisis intervention and safety planning.
- Connect survivors with campus and community legal, medical, and mental health resources
Community Engagement & Collaboration
Community engagement and collaboration are key in the response efforts within the sexual violence operational framework. This area focuses on receiving, tracking, and addressing incidents of sexual violence, emphasizing immediate harm reduction, survivor support, and addressing cultural impacts. While not an adjudication body, it fosters a coordinated, community-centered approach to create a safer campus environment. This looks like:
- Partner with student organizations, faculty, staff, and community groups to address IPV.
- Facilitate peer education programs and leadership development initiatives.
- Work with campus safety services and community advocacy services to improve response efforts.
- Advocate for survivor-centered policies and institutional accountability.
Confidentiality and Privacy
Confidentiality Statement
At Williams College, confidential employees are staff members who can provide support without sharing identifiable information about sex discrimination, harassment, or retaliation. These individuals are either protected by legal confidentiality (such as counselors or medical professionals) or have been designated by the College as confidential resources for those impacted by sex discrimination.The PEACe Office is a designated confidential resource
There are two types of confidentiality:
- Confidential within the Williams Title IX system – Confidential resources do not have to share any identifying details with the Title IX Office unless the person seeking support chooses to do so. The PEACe Office/OIVPR is a designated confidential resource
- Legal privilege – Some confidential resources, like counselors and certain advocates, have legal protections that prevent them from being required to share information in legal proceedings unless the survivor gives permission or a court determines otherwise. Anyone answering the confidential resource hotline has both types of confidentiality.
The only time confidentiality may be broken is if the resource believes there is an immediate risk of serious harm, such as a threat to one’s self or harm to others.
Clery Reporting
The Clery Act requires that universities report general statistics regarding crimes or incidents that occurred on campus. Specifically, statistics are kept related to crimes that may have occurred in any building or property owned/controlled by Williams College, any property within or adjacent to the same reasonably contiguous geographic area of the institution, and/or used in support of or in relation to our educational purpose. Per the Clery Act, The PEACe Office/OIVPR is required to provide a report of the type of incident you have experienced, the location of the incident and approximate date of occurrence. As a confidential resource, your privacy is of utmost importance to us. Any specific identifying information about a student accessing The PEACe Office/OIVPR will be kept confidential, including any information about you specifically or the detail of the incident you have experienced. The PEACe Office/OIVPR staff will review the Clery Act with you to answer any questions you may have.
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