UW Police

Domestic and Relationship Violence

Domestic/Relationship Violence

No one should be abused. You deserve to be in a relationship where you and your children feel safe. If you are in an abusive relationship, or think you might be, there are people at the University of Washington and in the community who can help.

Domestic violence and relationship violence are different terms used to describe the same experience. Both refer to a pattern of behavior in which one person attempts to control another through threats or use of physical, sexual, verbal and/or psychological abuse.

Controlling, abusive behavior can occur between people of all races, ages, sexual orientations, religions and genders. It can occur between people of all socioeconomic backgrounds and education levels. It happens between people who are married, dating, divorced, living together and broken up.

On Campus…

Off Campus…

Protective Court Orders

Sometimes people who don’t feel safe because of another person’s behavior choose to petition the court for a protective order. A protective order requires a person to refrain from:

  • coming near you, your home, place of work or other places you frequent such as a place of worship or gym.
  • contacting you via phone, text message, in person or over email.
  • having a third party contact you on his/her behalf.

The following is information on court orders that are available in Washington State. Getting a protection order, or deciding which kind to get, can be a confusing process.

King County Coalition Against Domestic Violence

The UWPD is proud to be a member of the King County Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

The mission of the King County Coalition Against Domestic Violence (KCCADV) is to end domestic violence by facilitating collective action for social change. In county-wide public policy and education efforts, the Coalition provides leadership on behalf of community-based victim service agencies and their allies. The Coalition strives to represent the diverse interests of victims and survivors of domestic violence.

Address Confidentiality Program

The Washington State Address Confidentiality Program (ACP) helps victims of stalking, sexual assault, trafficking and/or domestic violence by providing an alternate mailing address to use in place of a residential address. Participants in the program may legally use the ACP substitute address when working with state and local agencies. ACP staff will then forward mail to the actual residential address. State and local government agencies are required to accept the ACP substitute address. Private companies, though, do not have to accept the ACP address.

The second part of the program offers confidentiality for two normally public records: voter registration and marriage records.

For more information, go to the Washington State Address Confidentiality Program Web site.

Technology Safety

Sometimes technology is used as a weapon in abusive relationships. This type of cyberstalking may include monitoring e-mails, harassment via social media or threatening to post personal pictures or videos without permission.

For more information about technology safety, see the resources below: