CONTENTS

About This Course

Table of Contents

1. Getting The Basics
2. Substance Abuse
3. Violence Against Women
4. Violent Men
5. Alcohol and Violence
6. Alcohol, Drugs and Sexual Assault (Date Rape)
7. Preventing Sexual Assault
8. After a Rape or Sexual Assault
9. Assistance - Women
10. Assistance - Men
11. Legal Options

Supplements
Resources
Glossary
Fact Sheets

It Won't Happen to Me:
Substance Abuse-Related Violence Against Women for Anyone Concerned About The Issues

Module Content Federal Law: Domestic Violence, Dating Violence and Sexual Assault Legal Remedies Within States -- Prohibited Behavior -- Where To Get Protection Orders -- Pro Se Filing -- Ex Parte Orders -- Violation of an Order (Protection, Restraining, Ex Parte) -- Filing A Civil Lawsuit -- Pressing Charges Against A Rapist Legal Definitions -- Domestic Violence -- Campus Sexual Assault Bill of Rights Summary References

Prohibited Behavior

Each state has designed laws to cover various acts that would be prohibited under a civil protection order. In most states, after a protection order is issued, an abuser must leave the place of residence (house or apt.) if he lives with the woman who is the victim.

As examples, Rhode Island prohibits any abuse, which they define as "attempting to cause or causing physical harm; placing another in fear of imminent serious physical harm; causing another to engage involuntarily in sexual relations by force, threat of force or duress."³ Pennsylvania adds acts that inflict false imprisonment (being held a prisoner in your home or elsewhere) and the physical or sexual harm of children. The Illinois code adds emotional distress and defines it as:⁴

• creating a disturbance at petitioner's (woman's) place of employment;
• repeatedly telephoning woman's place of employment, home or residence;
• repeatedly stalking woman in public places;
• repeatedly keeping woman under surveillance by remaining present outside her home, school, place of employment, vehicle or other place occupied by woman or by peering in woman's windows;
• repeatedly threatening to improperly remove child(ren) from the geographic area where they live, or making that threat after an attempted improper removal; or
• threatening physical force, confinement or restraint on one or more occasions.

General behavior that would allow a woman to get a civil protection order includes:⁵

• criminal acts (such as battery, robbery, burglary, kidnapping, reckless endangerment, and criminal trespass),
• sexual assault and marital rape,
• interference with personal liberty or freedom (being held captive in your home),
• interference with child custody,
• assaults involving motor vehicles,
• harassing behaviors (on the phone, in writing or in person), stalking,
• emotional abuse, and/or
• damage to property (destroying her car or place where she lives).