Response Options
Reporting an incident of domestic violence can feel very scary or embarrassing. Abuse is not an accident, however. It does not happen because your partner is stressed, drinking, or using drugs. Abuse is an intentional act that one person uses in a relationship to control the other. Domestic violence is a crime, not part of a culture.
Depending on what happens and the environment and context in which it occurs, different response options may be appropriate. Victims of domestic/intimate partner violence can benefit from support that improves her or his safety and addresses emotions related to the abuse.
If you know of a controlling domestic/intimate partner relationship and are concerned about its effects on the individuals and the workplace, it is important to say something. Concerns may be elevated to a supervisor, manager, human resources/labor relations, student affairs/vice dean for faculty, FASAP, JHSAP, Security, or may be brought to Safe at Hopkins directly. There are resources to help victims of domestic/intimate partner violence.
Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Health System have adopted policies that call for zero tolerance of violent behavior, threats, bullying, and intimidation. Johns Hopkins will not permit employment-based retaliation against anyone who, in good faith, brings a complaint of workplace violence or who speaks as a witness in the investigation of a complaint of workplace violence.
