CARE

 

Consent Advocacy and Relationship Education (CARE) Tutors at Eliot

APatel

CARE tutors are here to offer you support, education and resources related to topics of gender, (sexual or nonsexual) relationship health, consent, sexual harassment and sexual assault prevention, awareness, and response. Along with resident CAREs, and BGLTQ Tutor, we are part of the CARE+ Team.

We are a resource for students and friends of students who have, at any point in their lives, experienced interpersonal violence, or any form of sexual or gender-based harassment. It is our responsibility to connect you to resources aimed at supporting you!


What do we do?
We work to foster safe, inclusive, and educationally informed cultural norms at Eliot, on campus and beyond. We do this through prevention education, as well as by providing resources and support for students. We care about YOU, your experiences, and your safety. You can come to us if you want to speak about an issue, if you want help getting connected to other resources, or if you’re unsure of what to do.

Eliot House is here for you!

We understand you might have many questions you would like answered before you feel comfortable talking to us. Please see our Frequently Asked Questions below, and please TALK TO US IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS!

Eliot CARE Tutor: Anushka Patel

Frequently Asked Questions:

  • What can I come to a CARE tutor for?
  • Can I go to another resident tutor to talk about CARE-related issued?
  • What will happen if I talk to CARE tutor?
  • What about confidentiality? Can a tutor keep my disclosure secret? What happens if a tutor shares my disclosure with a College official?
  • What confidential resources can I contact if I don’t feel comfortable talking to a tutor just yet?
  • What happens if I choose to make a report or open an investigation?
  • How do I respond to a friend who discloses sexual assault/harassment? 

What can I come to a CARE tutor for?

No concern is too big or too small. You can come talk to a CARE tutor about anything involving relationship health, gender-based discrimination, or sexual harassment/assault (and still many other things). It can be a personal experience, a concern about a friend, or just a desire to talk about CARE issues. You will never be forced to talk about or share anything you don’t want to. You can come just to ask questions and ask for information about Harvard’s resources.

Can I go to another resident tutor to talk about CARE-related issues?

Yes! You can talk to any tutor you feel comfortable talking to.

What will happen if I talk to a CARE (or other) tutor?

A tutor’s primary goal is to let you share whatever you feel comfortable sharing and then to work with you to decide what should be done, if anything. Only in rare circumstances (i.e., an issue of immediate community safety) would a tutor do something against your wishes. If you decide you would like to take further action, the tutor will provide whatever support he/she can, including contacting appropriate resources with you, accompanying you to meetings, and generally being your advocate as much as possible. 

What about confidentiality? Can a tutor keep my disclosure secret? What happens if a tutor shares my disclosure with a College official?

Tutors (including CARE tutors) are not, officially confidential resources.  This means that when we receive a disclosure about an assault or suspected assault, we must let the College’s Title IX office know. This does not mean you will lose control over the situation.  The information you share with us will be handled with care, sensitivity, respect and privacy. In most cases, little or no action will be taken by the Title IX office unless the student who made the disclosure chooses to file an official report.  It is very rare that an investigation would be opened without the consent of the student (i.e., only in cases that might involve a broader community safety threat). You will never be pressured to file a report.

If you have any questions about this, please come talk to us. We want you to be able to make an informed decision about who you tell and how much you share.

What confidential resources can I contact if I don’t feel comfortable talking to a tutor just yet?

  • RESPONSE Peer counseling
    • Drop-in hours: Lowell Basement E-13 8pm-11pm Sun–Wed
    • Hotline: 617-495-9600 (open nightly at 8pm – 8am) 

What happens if I choose to make a report or open an investigation?

Harvard’s Title IX Office provides a detailed description of this process here: “Procedures for Complaints Against Students”. 

How do I respond to a friend who discloses sexual assault/harassment?

The OSAPR website provides a great description of things you can do and say to give your friend the support he or she needs. Above all, it is important simply for you to listen to your friend believe his/her story.  Do not shoulder it yourself: Encourage your friend to seek out one of the many resources at Harvard available to survivors of sexual assault/harassment.

It is likely that you may want support yourself. Each of the resources above (e.g., OSAPR, peer counseling) available to survivors of assault are also available to you. You can also come to a SASH tutor for support.  We will not ask you to share any information that you do not feel comfortable sharing. 

For context about the gender equality solidarity movement:

The HeForShe movement