Students spread domestic violence awareness

By Kate Foss

Collegian Reporter

The University of Richmond, along with other Richmond-based agencies, is hosting special events to address the impact of domestic abuse on the Commonwealth of Virginia after Gov. Tim Kaine announced that October is Domestic Violence Awareness.

Senior Jen Donohue has been involved with domestic abuse awareness since her freshman year through her sorority, Alpha Chi Omega. The sorority works in connection with Safe Harbor, a local domestic abuse shelter, and members of the sorority raise money for the shelter and volunteer there throughout the year.

Donohue, vice president of philanthropy for Alpha Chi, said she was moved by the impact of domestic abuse when she first volunteered at Safe Harbor.

"I couldn't believe how many women were there," Donohue said. "It was heartbreaking."

Donohue said Alpha Chi would hold its annual Luminary Project, where participants purchase luminaries, which are lit on a night that combines respectful silence for victims and sharing of personal stories about domestic abuse. The event is integral to raising awareness to a population of students who sometimes see themselves as being immune to things such as domestic abuse, Donahue said.

"We're in such a bubble," she said. "We don't think it could happen to us."

Though Richmond students may assume domestic abuse would not happen to them, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, one in four women will be a victim of domestic abuse during her lifetime.

While these statistics may seem shocking, domestic abuse is common and can happen to anyone, said Angela Verdery, the deputy director of Safe Harbor.

"Domestic violence doesn't discriminate," Verdery said.

Statistics from NCADV support Verdery's point: in 2006, 51,652 people in crisis situations contacted Virginia domestic violence programs. Verdery also said that while most think of domestic abuse as being purely physical, abuse can be emotional as well.

"Most everyone has been a relationship where someone has put them down," she said.

Because domestic violence is so common, you should always trust your instincts when dealing with a potentially abusive relationship, said Becky Lee, interim executive director of the Richmond YWCA. Lee and the YWCA provide domestic abuse services for women in the Richmond area, and this year the YWCA is holding its 13th annual Remember My Name Memorial Event on Oct. 23 at the Monument Heights Baptist Church. The memorial is a way for the families and friends to pay tribute to their loved ones who have died as a result of domestic abuse. As the names of victims are read, families and friends light candles and often speak.

"An awful lot of support is felt in the room," Lee said, "and it is an opportunity for them to give honor and acknowledgement to the people they have lost."

One of the first events held this month was The Clothesline Project, sponsored by Women in Living in Learning. Outside Boatwright Memorial Library, a rack displayed T-shirts created by victims of domestic violence on Oct. 6.

WILL members decided to bring the project to campus again because they wanted to send a powerful message about the prevalence of domestic abuse, said Holly Blake, director of the WILL program and the associate dean for women's education and development. Blake said she thought that the most powerful part of the display was the section of T-shirts created by Richmond students, faculty and staff members.

"People may think it happens somewhere else," Blake said, "and by having a section from the university it really brings it home."

Over the summer, Richmond partnered with the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services to hold a five-night, six-day academy on campus to train law enforcement officers and others in the criminal justice field about working with victims of abuse. The academy was run by criminal justice professor Mandie Patterson, who is also a deputy chief at VA DCJS, and Joan Neff, associate professor of sociology and criminal justice.

During the academy, which was the first of its kind in Virginia, educators taught participants the history of victim's rights and the different types of domestic violence. Patterson, who has been involved in victim's services for more than 25 years, said she urged Richmond students to always be aware of "red flags," warning signs in their relationships that hint at abuse.

For Richmond students suffering from domestic abuse, there are a variety of resources available on campus. Richmond's Counseling and Psychological Services located in Richmond Hall, as well as the Westhampton College Dean's office, the Health Center and the police are all available for students who need help. For students who wish to get involved with domestic abuse awareness, Safe Harbor is distributing purple ribbons, and anyone who wishes to volunteer can contact Jen Donohue at jen.donohue@richmond.edu. Alpha Chi Omega will also be selling luminaries in the Tyler Haynes Commons the week of Oct. 20.

Contact reporter Kate Foss at kate.foss@richmond.edu