Florida Atlantic University

Victim Services

The Florida Atlantic University Police Department’s Victim Advocate assists students, staff, and faculty with the traumatizing consequences of being a victim of crime even if the crime occurred off campus. The Victim Advocate is a component of Florida Atlantic University’s Advocacy Center that also includes a Victim Services Coordinator employed by the Division of Student Affairs & Enrollment Management. The Victim Advocate is available Monday through Friday between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm, is on-call for emergencies 365 days a year, and responds as needed on evenings, nights and weekends. All services are free of charge and available 24 hours a day. The Victim Advocacy Center is currently located in the library on the Boca Raton Campus. The Victim Advocate does not maintain the rights to confidentiality; however, the advocate works in conjunction with FAU’s Counseling and Psychological Services, Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Compliance, and Palm Beach County Victim Services to provide comprehensive services to the victim.

domestic violence council

Crime victims frequently experience a myriad of feelings. Victim Services offers resources and referrals to assist victims in managing and understanding the emotional and physical reactions. Victims often need help changing from Victim to Survivor. Sometimes victims are reluctant to report crimes or are not sure that what occurred is a crime. You can discuss your situation with an advocate and decide if a crime truly occurred and if you want to report it to the police. You can speak to the Victim Advocate without revealing your identity. While making an official report is encouraged, it is never required. Victim Advocate services are available even if the crime is not reported.

The Victim Advocate is responsible for maintaining compliance through the Florida Office of the Attorney General and is responsible for updating FAU Police Officers when new legislation is passed that effects victims of crime and provides updates through training when warranted. The Victim Advocate also arranges for FAU Police Officers to attend Crisis Intervention Team training, and for officers and staff to be trained by community partners. The Victim Advocate educates the FAU community in a variety of ways by providing training for FAU’s Resident Assistants (RAs), Resident Coordinators (RCs), and for educating students at Florida Atlantic University and Palm Beach State College.

Victim Services also participates in giving presentations on dating and domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking through a coordinated effort between the Florida Atlantic University Police Department and FAU’s Housing and Residential Education’s Housing/Police Initiative. Victim Services is also present during Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) classes to make sure past, present, or future victims are informed on the services offered both on and off campus.

Florida Atlantic University Police Department’s Victim Advocate is actively involved in community engagement outside of FAU as well. The Victim Advocate is an active member of the Domestic Violence Council of Palm Beach County and the Fatality Review Team of Palm Beach County, and is a member of the Student Crisis Action Committee and the White House Task Force on campus. The Victim Advocate participates and promotes healthy relationships and attends victim safety events on campus events throughout the year.

The Victim Advocate provides services to a myriad of victims including crisis intervention services, referrals to other agencies for follow up services, assistance in filling out the paperwork necessary to file for injunctions, and guidance and support from the beginning of the crime all the way through the judicial process. The Victim Advocate also provides emotional support during police or Dean of Student’s interviews, and acts as a liaison between the victim and any other agency, including but not limited to, the State Attorney’s Office, Victim Services of Palm Beach County, and service providers, to ensure all their needs are met.

Because most people have little contact with the criminal justice system, it can be confusing, intimidating, and frustrating. At Florida Atlantic University Police Department, we want to provide the members of our community, who are criminally victimized, with information and services to lessen the impact of victimization. Victim Services are also available to campus visitors who may be victimized on any FAU campus. The Victim Advocate can:

Provide Crisis Intervention
Give you information about victim’s rights according to Florida Statutes
Help you evaluate your options
Document your victimization for school or employers
Help you create a Safety Plan
Give you information and assistance about reporting crimes both within and outside the University
Accompany you to appointments at police stations, the state attorney's office, court rooms, Dean of Students, judicial hearings and elsewhere
Provide you with referrals to social services such as counseling, legal and medical
Coordinate assistance and services based on your individual needs
Explain how the judicial process works
Provide you with information about the progress of your individual case
Explain and assist you in applying for Victim compensation as designated by Florida Statute
Act as your liaison to the Criminal Justice Community

Florida State Statutes do require some types of crime information be reported to the appropriate authorities, such as mandatory reporting of child abuse, or the abuse of a vulnerable adult. The Victim Advocate can be contacted through the Police Department’s Communications Division at (561) 297-3500 or by email at VictimServices@fau.edu.

Victim Services Resources

• Behavioral Indicators of a Victim

• Confidentiality Procedures

• Crimes that Occur Off-Campus

• Cyberstalking

• Dating Violence Criteria

• Dating Violence Facts

• Domestic Violence Statistics

• How to Help a Victim

• Injunctions Procedures

• Law Enforcement Role with Victim

• Mandatory Reporting Procedures