WILL Weekly 4: National Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Our Programming Chair, Amanda Ercolino, has researched National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month 

National Domestic Violence Awareness Month is recognized to be during October of every year, where survivors and advocates across the nation mobilize to uplift the stories and raise awareness about the signs of abuse in intimate or personal relationships. The purpose of dedicating a month to Domestic Violence Awareness is to educate the public and support survivors, while also honoring those who have lost their lives to abuse. 

Why the color Purple? 

Purple was chosen as the color to promote awareness for the first Domestic Violence Day of Unity in October in 1981. Historically, the color has been commonly associated with women-focused movements, since it symbolizes peace, courage, survival, and honor. Since Congress designated October to be Domestic Violence Awareness Month in 1989, it has become a symbol for the cause to end abuse against all those who face abuse. 

*Please be mindful that the next information will contain facts about domestic violence, sexual assault, and other sensitive materials.

Facts and Statistics: 

• Most domestic violence incidents are not reported, around 20% of sexual assault, 25% of physical assaults, and 50% of stalking incidents are reported to the police.
  • Why?
    • Domestic violence goes beyond physical abuse. It can be psychological, emotional, and  financial. There are other circumstances that contribute to why women specifically feel unsafe reporting, such as fear of retaliation and distrust in law enforcement 
    • Let’s take an intersectional lens → immigrants and undocumented women particularly have unique hurdles when it comes to reporting their batterers. Fear of deportation for themselves and their families and language barriers limit their ability to locate resources and find help regarding the violence perpetrated against them. 
• Over 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experience rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime. 
• Almost half of all women and men in the US have experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner in their lifetime. 
• More than 4 in 10 Black women experience physical violence (higher rate than white women). 
• There is typically more media representation and news outlet coverage over white victims than Black and Indigenous victims.
  • Ex. The Gabby Petito Murder in 2021 sparked outrage for lack of support for missing black and indigenous victims 
  • Idea of “Missing White Woman Syndrome” → the disproportionate media coverage given to missing white women in comparison to missing women of color
    • People of color are more vulnerable to violence due to discrepancies in equal attention, resources, or public pressure. 
• For LGBTQ+ members, abusers may take advantage of patriarchal societal expectations around gender, sexuality, and power
  • Belief that LQBTQ+ victims cannot experience abuse since they do not partake in heterosexual relationships (a cisgender man and a cisgender woman)
  • Threats of “identity abuse” or outing LGBTQ+ individuals to their families or loved ones by abusers if they do not remain in the relationship, especially if outing them could result in loss of job, housing, or systems of support
  • Claim that no one else will love survivors if they leave, further capitalizing on the isolation of  survivors due to social rejection of their gender and sexual identity. 
• Globally, a woman is killed by a partner or family member every 11 minutes. 

Resources on Campus: 

• Anti-Violence Initiatives (AVI)
  • Works to prevent power-based violence through peer educators and advocacy
  • Provides counseling and a professional team to support students that have been impacted by personal power-based violence 
  • AVI
  • Are you interested in becoming an advocate on campus?
    • Get involved with AVI
  • How to Set up an Appointment 
  • Instagram: @tcnj_avi
• Office of Title IX & Sexual Misconduct
  • “As a member of the TCNJ community, you have the right to be protected from sex & gender- based discrimination under Title IX and other College policies, including sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, stalking, sexual harassment, sexual exploitation, and other forms of Prohibited Conduct. The Office of Title IX & Sexual Misconduct at TCNJ is committed to creating and maintaining an educational and work environment free from all forms of sexual violence, and to provide fair and equitable support and processes in which all students, faculty, and staff can learn, work, thrive and succeed. Whether you have experienced harm, have been accused of perpetrating harm, or are simply looking for information on how to support a friend who may have been impacted by sexual violence in some way, the Office of Title IX & Sexual Misconduct and our partners across campus are here for you.” – Taken from TCNJ’s Title IX Website 
  • Reporting an Incident 
• AmIOk
  • AmIOk is a program that serves the Mercer County Area in which it supports enrolled college students who have experienced a traumatic event
    • The program also supports family members and friends who have a loved one that has experienced trauma 
  • Offers medical assessment and referral, post-medical follow up, individual and group counseling, transportation and accompaniment to the emergency room, and emergency responsive services 
  • 24/7 free, confidential hotline: 609-270-4524
  • Email: amiok@tcnj.edu
  • Instagram: @amiok_tcnj

Recommended Reads and Resources: 

• Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color by Kimberle Crenshaw 
• Domestic Violence Hotline
• New Jersey’s Sexual Assault Victim’s Bill of Rights 
• Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
• No Visible Bruises: What We Don’t Know About Domestic Violence Can Kill Us by Rachel Louise Snyder 

Concluding Thoughts: 

Talking about Domestic Violence is never easy, but it is essential that we embark in conversations around healing and change. By creating safe spaces, we empower survivors and work towards breaking cycles of violence and harmful stigma. We must also remember that domestic violence does not look the same in every situation, and it is imperative that we ensure that shelters, policy, and mindsets reflect intersectional frameworks that support all victims, not just one.

• #awareness
• #relationships