Human relationships are messy, complicated and full of emotion, especially at the college level. Young adults are meeting new people and exploring their limits and feelings, all while trying to squeeze in friendships and love relationships in between juggling schoolwork, family obligations and other responsibilities.
The potential is great for fights to escalate as college students work through their emotions and determine relationship boundaries. Because of this vast potential for miscommunication and anger, State College criminal defense lawyers report that domestic violence charges can be even more complicated in relationships at this level.
Domestic abuse or violence is a serious charge that can have consequences lasting far beyond the scope of a relationship. If a person is charged with domestic violence of any kind, he or she could face fines, jail time or restraining orders, as well as sanctions from the school or even academic probation. Additionally, a domestic violence record can harm an individual’s future chances for employment, especially in teaching or other service-related careers.
Alcohol Plays a Part
Many college students are on their own in the world for the first time and adjusting to their new-found freedom to do whatever they want, see whoever they want and drink as much as they want. Alcohol plays a huge role in many emotional dramas and can fuel a fight or even cause one.
Alcohol lowers one’s ability to make good judgment calls and monitor thoughts, actions and words. When your cognitive skills and rational thinking abilities are impaired by drugs or alcohol, you can end up saying things you did not mean to say or even lash out in such a way that frightens or even hurts your partner.
If you have too much to drink, you might lose control of your faculties. For example, you might wake up the next morning with no memory of a horrific fight you and your girlfriend or boyfriend had the night before. But even more problematic is the fact that you may be facing charges for domestic violence, assault or even rape that you do not remember.
College Living
Because of the nature of college lifestyles, even a sprawling campus with hundreds of dorms and classrooms can create a difficult challenge in a domestic violence scenario. If you have been accused of domestic violence and you live in the same dorm or building as your accuser or attend the same classes or meetings, or even eat in the same dining hall, you may find yourself cut off from your typical routine as you wait for the matter to be resolved in court.
Protective orders can make it hard for those accused but not convicted of abuse or assault to go about their business or even collect evidence to demonstrate their innocence.
In the same way there are many types of relationships, there are different types of domestic abuse. There are also at least two parties involved in each domestic violence dispute, which means there are at least two sides to each story. At the law offices of Rehmeyer & Allat, Attorneys at Law, our criminal defense attorneys represent college students and others who have been charged with domestic violence. To discuss your case, contact one of our attorneys today.