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Free and Confidential Support

Students who have experienced interpersonal violence (i.e., sexual violence, sexual exploitation, relationship violence, and stalking) can access the free and confidential support that CARE offers. 

Survivors have the right to make informed decisions, which CARE advocates will help guide them through. For more information about how CARE can help survivors of interpersonal violence, please contact us at 765-495-CARE (2273) or care@purdue.edu.

Confidentiality: What You Need to Know

CARE staff are trained sexual assault advocates who are designated confidential by Indiana law.i We are prohibited by law from providing any information, including whether or not you are a client of CARE, without your express, written consent, with some exceptions (described below). Protected information includes the following: 

  • Your identity as a client of CARE. 
  • Any notes that we take. 
  • Any e-mails between you and CARE. 
  • Substance of conversations between you and CARE. 
  • Any other documents or information that would personally identify you. 

CARE’s confidentiality obligations are limited in certain ways that are important for you to know: 

  • CARE staff are required, under Indiana law, to report to law enforcement any suspected or reported abuse of a child under the age of 18. This includes any sexual assault or relationship violence involving a student under the age of 18.ii 
  • If you provide information that leads CARE staff to believe that you or another member of the University community is in imminent physical danger, CARE staff are required to report that information to law enforcement. 
  • Under federal law (the Clery Act)iii, CARE staff may be required to provide non-identifying information regarding the nature, date, time, and general location of the incident for purposes of compiling aggregate annual crime statistics and assessing the need to alert the University community of potential dangers. Your name will never be shared or used for purposes of this law. 
  • After discussing your options with CARE, you may wish to request additional assistance from the University, including academic accommodations, emergency housing assistance, work accommodations, etc. These requests must be made to the University’s Title IX Coordinator. CARE staff will assist you with completing and submitting your request. You may choose to provide as much or as little information about the incident to the Title IX Coordinator when you make this request, and CARE staff will help you consider what information you decide to share and how that information will be used. 

i Ind. Code § 35-37-6 et seq. 
ii Ind. Code § 31-33-5 et seq. 
iii 20 U.S.C. § 1092(f)