The grants to reduce domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking on campus program (campus program) is authorized by 34 U.S.C. § 20125

This Project Grant award from the Department of Justice Offices Boards and Divisions Office on Violence Against Women will fund $299,708 to Westfield State University through the Grants to Reduce Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking on Campus program (CFDA 16.525) from October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2025.

Under this award, Westfield State University will partner with local criminal justice and victim service organizations to implement a comprehensive violence against women project on campus. Key deliverables include establishing a coordinated community response team, providing prevention programming and bystander intervention training to all students, ongoing law enforcement training, 24-hour confidential victim services and advocacy, and conducting training for campus disciplinary personnel. The goal is to enhance victim safety, hold offenders accountable, and develop effective security and investigation strategies to combat domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking on campus through this collaborative effort.

The program provides a unique opportunity for institutions of higher education to establish multidisciplinary approaches to combat domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking on campuses. These comprehensive efforts are designed to enhance victim services, implement prevention and education programs, and develop and strengthen security and investigation strategies in order to prevent, prosecute, and respond to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The campus program supports activities that develop campus-based coordinated responses that include campus victim services, law enforcement, health care providers, housing officials, administrators, student leaders, faith-based organizations, student organizations, and disciplinary boards, and that enhance victim safety and assistance and hold offenders accountable. To be effective, these responses must be linked to local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors' offices, courts, and nonprofit, nongovernmental victim advocacy and victim services organizations. The funded institution of higher education, in partnership with the project's criminal justice and victim service partners, will implement a comprehensive violence against women project on campus. Through this initial award, the collaborative partnership will: 1) create a coordinated community response team to oversee all planning and implementation activities; 2) provide prevention programming, including bystander intervention to all students on domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking; 3) provide ongoing training to all law enforcement on how to effectively respond to these crimes; 4) provide access to 24-hour confidential victim services and advocacy; and 5) conduct ongoing training to all personnel in the campus disciplinary process.