Help is available if you or someone you know has experienced physical violence on campus or off campus on university business.
Physical violence is when a person or group of people are attacked, or threatened with attack, using physical force.
The World Health Organization (WHO) describes it as “the intentional use of physical force, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community. The intention is to injure, abuse, damage or destroy, and results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment or deprivation”.
Physical violence can be committed by one or multiple individuals from any walk of life. Anyone could be an attacker, regardless of their age, standing in society, class, job, sexual identity, or ethnicity. It doesn't matter whether they’re a complete stranger to you or if you know them as a friend, acquaintance, colleague, partner or family member.
Their reasons for attacking you don’t matter. Whether it is out of cruelty, boredom, hatred, jealousy, taking their anger out on you, female genital mutilation, so-called “revenge” or “honour”, or fuelled by alcohol or drugs, physical violence is always a crime.