If you have experienced harm, we believe you, and you deserve justice.
In response to requests from survivors, we have created this page to provide resources for those who have experienced harm. This page is not comprehensive, but is based on our experience and perspective as intersectional, survivor-centric organizers. Please reach out to our email with any questions or concerns.
Options for support following harm:
1. Contact Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC) at 1-800-841-8371 (recommended)
BARCC can provide fully confidential, trauma-informed support and help connect you with resources and assess next steps, including referrals to legal support. Their hotline is open 24/7, and further options for contact are on their website.
2. Contact SHARE at (617) 495-9100
SHARE is Harvard’s office for responding to sexual assault. SHARE counselors are trauma-informed and confidential. Their hotline is open 24/7 and further options for contact are on their website. They are affiliated with the University and work under the supervision of the former head of Harvard’s Title IX office.
3. Contact your Title IX Coordinator.
Title IX Coordinators are not confidential, and may share information about your experience with residential staff like your resident dean. Title IX coordinators can help you assess your next steps, but in our experience they do not always provide a full range of options (see “Tips” below).
4. Contact the Victim Rights Law Center by phone (617-399-6720 x19) or their website.
The VRLC can work to connect you with pro bono legal assistance. We highly recommend that every survivor get in contact with legal assistance before pursuing options like Title IX, a protective order, etc.
5. Contact a Harvard chaplain or other confidential source.
A list of confidential supports can be found on the Harvard OGE website. Please be aware that we cannot vouch for the training received by these individuals, and experiences may vary, but they are confidential.
6. Contact us through our anonymous form or our email (ourharvardcandobetter@gmail.com).
We are organizers, not experts. But, because we are not employees nor are we an official student organization, we can provide informal advice and support without being mandated to contact others. We are not officially confidential (under oath in a court of law, we would have to disclose the content of our conversations) but we are eager to support and can offer our perspective and insights from our organizing work.
Some notes on seeking support:
Many people at Harvard are bound by Title IX rules to remain “neutral,” and it is easy to feel gaslighted. If you have experienced harm, please know we believe you and you are deserving of justice.
We recommend you secure legal assistance as soon as possible, especially before any conversations with Title IX. Lawyers can help advocate for your rights, and often, unfortunately, can make Harvard listen when survivors alone cannot.
There are many options for holding perpetrators accountable, including a Title IX complaint, a Title IX informal resolution, an Order of Protection through civil court, a criminal legal case, and more. We recommend consulting with the above resources– BARCC, SHARE, us, or with whomever you feel comfortable– before pursuing an option, as they each have different characteristics.
As you assess options, it can be helpful to distinguish between safety (what do I need to be safe following this harm?), healing (what do I need to physically, mentally, emotionally heal from this harm?), accountability (what must happen for the perpetrator to never do this again?) and consequences (what does the perpetrator owe me/the world for causing this harm?). Of course, all of these are connected. But each option listed above weighs these components differently, and thinking about what you value most can help you choose a path forward.