Personal Safety Education

Virtual Consent Workshop – SAAM 2026 "Join us for an engaging and interactive Virtual Consent Workshop facilitated by a sexual health educator from Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, DC, in partnership with the Student Wellness Center. This workshop is part of our Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) 2026 programming and is designed to foster a deeper understanding of consent, boundaries, and healthy communication in relationships. During this 90-minute session, participants will:

• Explore the foundations of affirmative, enthusiastic, and ongoing consent
• Discuss common myths and misconceptions about consent
• Learn practical strategies for effective communication and boundary-setting
• Engage in scenario-based discussions to apply consent principles in real-life situations

This workshop is open to all students and community members looking to build a culture of respect and consent in their personal and social interactions. Whether you’re new to the topic or looking to deepen your understanding, this session will provide valuable insights and skills to support safer, more respectful relationships.

Date: TBD

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This is a film viewing and discussion about relationship violence. In the film are the stories of people impacted by dating violence — survivors who were willing to share their experiences, individuals directly working with victims/survivors, and family members who lost a loved one. In 2005 Bill and Michele Mitchell, whose story is highlighted in the film, experienced an unthinkable loss when their daughter Kristin was killed by her abusive ex-boyfriend. Like so many of the brave voices in the film, Kristin’s relationship seemed normal in the beginning, then everything changed. This film, designed to not only help students understand the spectrum of behaviors that fall under dating violence, but also teach them how to access resources,  be active bystanders in their communities, and demonstrate healthy and positive behaviors in their own relationships.  

• Dates TBD

*There is a drawing for 2 Intelli Universal Camera Ring Lights.

College Safety Guide new window

College is an exciting and transformative time. Every student deserves to feel safe, respected, and supported while on or near campus. Montgomery College is committed to creating an inclusive environment where all students can learn, grow, and thrive.

Relationships should be safe and healthy but sometimes, they aren’t. How do you remain safe if the relationship is unhealthy? How do you leave safely? By safety planning, one can help avoid dangerous situations and know the best way to react when in danger. All year, awareness tables, prevention and awareness messaging and events will focus on the need to assess safety and to devise a safety plan.

One way that the Wellness Center promotes health and safety is through Safety Planning. Learn to protect yourself or those you love by implementing and promoting the use of a Safety Plan!

Help us reach students with this information!

• Safety Planning can Save Lives (PDF, )
• Safety Planning Differences (PDF, )
• 10 Signs of an Unhealthy Relationship (PDF, )
• Safety Plan for College Students (PDF, )
• Healthy Relationship Quiz (PDF, )
• Am I a Good Partner Quiz (PDF, )

Videos links:

• The difference between healthy and unhealthy love new window
• How To Stop the Cycle of Negative Relationships new window

• Police: Call 911
• Rape Crisis Centers in Maryland new window
  • Services: Crisis intervention, counseling, and referral; victim accompaniment to hospitals, police interviews, and court to provide support and information about options; 24-hour Crisis Hotline with counselors trained to listen and offer information; individual, group, and family psychotherapy, assistance navigating the legal and judicial systems.
• Sheppard Pratt Emergency Shelter
  • Must be referred from county crisis line: 240-777-4000
  • Services: Montgomery County emergency shelter for survivors of domestic abuse.
• Confidential Reporting through the Montgomery County Victim Assistance Sexual Assault Program new window (VASAP): 240-777-1355, weekdays; 240-777-4357, 24-hour crisis hotline, 240-777-1347, TTY; 240-777-1329, fax; vasap@montgomerycountymd.gov. VASAP has a liaison for each MC campus. Contact a liaison at 240-777-1355.
  • Veronica Zapata Velez, LCPC Therapist (Rockville)
  • Carolina Carbajal, LCPC Therapist (Silver Spring/Takoma)
  • Gloria Bowen, LCSW-C Therapist (Germantown)
• Family Justice Center new window 240-773-0444
  Services: Safety planning, legal advocacy, immigration consultation under VAWA, counseling, criminal investigation, emergency protective orders, shelter placement
  600 Jefferson Street
  Rockville, MD 20852
  24 Hour Assistance 240-777-4000
• Asian/Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project new window
  Services: Case management, survivor empowerment groups
  Helpline: 202-833-2233 speak with an advocate Monday – Thursday, 9:00am-6:30pm and Friday 9:00am-6:00pm
  Multilingual: Arabic, Bahasa Indonesia, Bengali, Cambodian, Cantonese, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Lao, Mandarin, Mongolian, Pampango, Punjabi, Shanghainese, Sinhala, Tagalog, Ilokano, Thai, Urdu, Vietnamese
• Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault- Sexual Assault Legal Institute new window 301-565-2277
  Services: Criminal justice advocacy, civil services for survivors
• Maryland State Coalition Against Sexual Assault new window: 301-328-7023; info@mcasa.org 
• Jewish Coalition Against Domestic Abuse new window
  Services: Counseling, legal, victim advocacy, helpline
  Helpline: 877-885-2232
• Pro Bono Counseling Project Victims of Violence Program new window
  410-825-1001
• Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Center new window 301-618-3154
  Services: Crisis and short-term trauma counseling, sexual assault forensic examinations, safety planning, victim advocacy
  University of Maryland Prince Georges' Hospital Center
  3001 Hospital Drive 
  Cheverly, MD 20785
• DC Rape Crisis Center new window 202-333-7273
  Services: Individual and group counseling, advocacy, crisis hotline
• Wendt Center for Loss and Healing new window 202-204-5021
  Services: Trauma and grief counseling, crisis intervention for domestic violence (Washington, DC)
• Family Health Center new window
  Services: Individual, group, anger management, Domestic Violence Offenders program
  Bilingual in English and Spanish
• Stalking Prevention, Awareness, and Resource Center (SPARC) new window  202-558-0040
• DAWN new window
  Services: provides crisis intervention services for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind communities.
  • Survivor Services: Resource referral (restorative justice, medical and legal),Case Management, Wraparound services, Peer Advocacy, Counseling, Support Groups, Resiliency Education.
  • Additional services: they provide alternative services to support community-based healing and self-determination through restorative justice, non-traditional healing services, and intensive collaboration with cultural agencies and organizations.

1140 Third Street NE, 2nd Floor
Washington, DC  20002
info@deafdawn.org

DAWN Emergency Hotline (Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.)
hotline@deafdawn.org

The Deaf Hotline new window: 24/7 Hotline
855-812-1001

Learn about the legal definitions of sex crimes, reporting requirements, and statutes of limitations in your state. Because laws vary by location, RAINN’s State Law Database new window (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) provides information to help you better understand the laws and resources available where you live.

• consent laws  new window
• mandatory reporting for children new window and the elderly new window
• HIV/AIDS testing of offenders new window
• laws and private communications new window
• termination of rapists’ parental rights  new window
• lawfully owed DNA new window
• definitions and penalties of sex crimes new window
• criminal statutes of limitations new window

• Dial 7-3333 from any campus phone or 240-567-3333 to reach a campus public safety office.

• Germantown: 240-567-7734
• Rockville: 240-567-4104 
• Takoma Park/Silver Spring: 240-567-1600

• Sarah Martin, 240-567-4279 or sarah.martin@montgomerycollege.edu

Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)

This act, enacted in 1994, established a national approach to addressing violence against women by strengthening protections for survivors, holding offenders accountable, and expanding access to support services. VAWA helps ensure that survivors and their families can access resources to find safety and rebuild their lives by:

• Establishing the National Domestic Violence Hotline new window, 800-799-7233; 1-800-787-3224 (TTY, En Español)
• Improving safety and reducing recidivism by developing coordinated community responses that allow community stakeholders to collaborate to prevent and respond to violence against women;
• Focusing on the needs of underserved communities which includes creating legal relief for immigrant victims so that abusers cannot use their immigration status to prevent the victim from reporting to law enforcement.

VAWA and Campus Safety

The VAWA Reauthorization Act strengthened protections for college students through the Campus Sexual Violence Act (SaVE Act), requiring colleges and universities to address and prevent campus violence. Institutions must:

• Report domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.
• Inform victims of their rights and available protections.
• Maintain policies and procedures that support safety, prevention, and response.

For compliance (Clery and VAWA requirements for training and education), the College must document and report awareness and risk reduction programs.  

Education programs include: 

• Primary prevention and awareness programs for all incoming students and new employees
• Safe and positive options for bystander intervention
• Information on risk reduction to recognize warning signs of abusive behavior
• Ongoing prevention and awareness programs for students and faculty 

Help us track violence prevention and awareness efforts at Montgomery College. If you or your department provided a program, meeting, or training related to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, please complete the VAWA Education Programs form. Montgomery College VAWA Education Programs form new window.  

BITB Training for faculty and staff to become trainers to help educate MC students via a 90-minute presentation their professor arranges by request through the VAWA Coordinator.