Almost half (43%) of college women in America have experienced violence and abusive dating behaviors according to www.NCADV.org. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and it is important for all college women reading this article to learn how and why this awareness month came about and what they can do to lessen the high numbers of intimate partner violence on American campuses.
How Domestic Violence Awareness Month Came to Be:
Domestic Violence Awareness Month traces back to October 1981 when the first efforts to connect battered women advocates across America were seen. These advocates were working to end domestic violence against women and their children. *Walk in Her Shoes Event UIowa
The Day of Unity of these advocates soon became a special week when a range of activities including: mourning those who have died because of domestic violence, celebrating those who have survived, and connecting those who work to end it, were conducted from local to national levels. As a result, that same year, the first national toll-free hotline opened. In 1989, the first Domestic Violence Awareness Month Commemorative Legislation was passed by the U.S. Congress and has passed every year since.
Domestic Violence Awareness Month Today:
Domestic Violence is unfortunately still a common experience in our society affecting almost 1.3 million people each year. Further, research shows that college-aged women are at highest risk for intimate partner violence. That is why it is important for you ladies who are reading this to understand how to make a difference this October.
What you can do
:
1. Educate yourself: College students should be educated on how to recognize an abusive relationship and the legal protections available to victims. To educate yourself and spread the word to friends, “like” DVIPIC on Facebook, follow DVIPIC on Twitter, or visit the website of the Domestic Violence Intervention Program dvipiowa.org for more details.
2. Take action: Addressing dating violence on college campuses requires proactive measures by administrators, policy makers, service-providing agencies and the entire campus. Another way to get involved in addition to educating yourself, is to volunteer. There are constant events on campus to help out with, events in the Iowa City community, and options to volunteer at DVIP itself. Some of these options include: victim advocates, shelter assistants, event organizers, fundraisers, researchers, bloggers, and more. Training started October 6, so head to DVIP’s website to get signed up.
3. Donate: Take action against domestic violence around your campus by providing a donation. Many of us have leftover or excess canned goods, toilet paper, paper towels, towels, pillows, or twin sheet sets, so give them to a good cause if they are lying around your house or apartment.
4. Break the silence: Lastly, get involved this October by breaking the silence and making a call to hotline 1-800-373-1043 if you or someone you know has been struggling with violence in their relationship.
*The Walk in Her Shoes Event was sponsored by the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity house at the UIowa and raised awareness for the Rape Victim Advocacy Program