October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. According to the American Barr Association, an estimated 4 million women are physically abused and seriously injured by their partners a year, and one in three women will be the victim of abuse in her lifetime.
Ed Board thinks this a shocking statistic you should take note of. Domestic violence crosses the boundaries of age and race, and 90 to 95 percent of victims are female.
However, there are several upcoming events on campus to further educate students about the seriousness and frequency of abuse and how it can be stopped.
This week, Men with Integrity is hosting a weeklong series of events to raise student awareness about sexual assault on campus. The group aims to prevent sexual assault and educate students about the issues.
In addition, Sigma Phi Omega is hosting Stop Abuse in Family Environments Week, which also presents ways to prevent domestic violence. SAFE Week events have already included a self-defense demonstration, and will be followed by Wednesday’s speech, which will educate students about abuse and let them know how they can help someone in need, and Thursday’s “Beauty Day,” during which representatives from the Body Shop will offer confidence-building exercises to victims, along with free samples of products.
Ed Board encourages you to attend one of these events and take a friend.
The nation as a whole is also addressing this problem. The Violence Against Women Act was up for renewal in the House and Senate and was passed. Obviously our leaders care about this problem and are taking action, and you should, too.
The improved act will allot more funds and resources to groups that exist to help and shelter battered spouses and partners.
The new act increases funding to $5 million per year to the National Domestic Violence Hotline and presents a new grant program to victims at the rape crisis centers across America. It also now acknowledges a wide range of victims, from victims of human trafficking to immigrants. In addition, it would enhance the civil and criminal justice response, according to the Violence Against Women Act Web site.
Ed Board is proud to see both its campus and its nation tackling this issue head-on. However, it is not enough to simply limit your concern and interest in domestic violence issues to one week or month out of the year.
The problem is ongoing and deserves our continuous attention.
