SAVE Task Force would like to thank everyone who participated in Domestic Violence Awareness Week of Action events. In a symbolic display of our refusal to accept domestic violence in our society, 104 students, staff, and faculty members participated in “Take a Stand Tuesday.” Throughout the week, 97 LLCC community members pledged to use their education, experiences, and voices to be active in the fight against all forms of sexual violence, including domestic and intimate partner violence. Jeans Day raised $175, which the Feminist Activist Coalition will donate to Sojourn Shelter and Services, a local domestic violence shelter and service agency. Through the stories and pledges shared by participants, it is now clearer than ever that we are a community of engaged and thoughtful citizens, activists, survivors, and supporters.

If you have not yet taken the pledge and wish to do so, we encourage you to download the pledge here and return it to Shelby Bedford in Menard 1143 (across from Admission & Registration).

Special thanks to those who signed up to take a stand throughout the day, ensuring someone was representing the movement at all times during the day on Tuesday:
Chris Barry, Deborah Brothers, Shanda Byer, Tammy Chrisler, Becky Croteau, Esteban Cruz, Lesley Frederick, Lindee Hall, Ryan Howland, Valerie Howse, John Paul Jaramillo, Leslie Johnson, Judy Jozaitis, Amandeep Kaur, Brandon Lewis, Susan Mendenhall, Michael Phelon, Eileen Tepatti, Marie Watson and Lynn Whalen, Beth Wiediger, Amanda Wiesenhofer, Marina Wirsing.

Oftentimes, the effects of domestic violence are incorrectly seen as isolated, extending only a short period of time after the abuse and effecting only the direct recipient of the abuse. In combination with hesitancy to intervene in what is seen as “other people’s business,” this can lead many to the false assumption that domestic violence is a confined and personal issue that should be addressed by only victims of the abuse. In reality, the devastating effects of domestic violence can be seen in life-long health care costs, workplace productivity, and many more aspects of our society.

In addition to the long-term emotional and psychological effects that domestic violence has on its survivors, there is a tangible cost to victims, their communities, and society as a whole. Domestic violence costs our nation billions of dollars annually, including costs for medical and mental health care, lost productivity, and homicide lost earnings. Nationally, estimates of the medical cost burden of intimate partner violence, within the first 12 months after victimization, range from $2.3 billion to $7 billion dollars (depending on the research method used). Survivors of physical intimate partner violence have reported an average of 7.2 days of work-related lost productivity and 33.9 days in productivity losses associated with other activities.

Through government funding and volunteer donations, domestic violence shelter costs are born by American society. Providing the benefits of shelters and services to individuals and communities ultimately benefits all Americans because the benefits improve our communities. This broader social benefit is one rationale for increasing our individual efforts to assist in the prevention of domestic violence and/or the assistance provided to survivors. Considering the widespread and long-term effects of domestic violence on our loved ones, our community, and our society, it becomes clear that domestic violence cannot be tolerated or ignored.

(National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, 2016)

In correlation with the National Week of Action theme, faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to sign up to take a stand against domestic and intimate partner violence- literally! Symbolic of our refusal to be passive bystanders of intimate partner violence in our community, we will have at least one person “taking a stand” in A. Lincoln Commons from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Participants can sign up for a time slot that fits your schedule here. Share a message of your commitment to taking a stand against domestic violence using #TakeAStand.

This week is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month Week of Action! SAVE Taskforce and the Feminist Activist Coalition will have programming throughout the week and would love your participation! Throughout the week, we encourage everyone to post about their participation in DVAM Week of Action events with the hashtag #TakeAStand

Week-long Activities:

Feminist Activist Coalition will be sponsoring a used cell phone drive throughout the week and sending the cell phones to a domestic violence resource center. Wireless phones offer a lifeline for those effected by domestic violence, providing a way to dial 911 without needing their personal phone. Collection boxes for old, used phones will be in Student Life and Advising, Counseling, and Career Services.

Write Witness…to Stories of Love, Loss, Healing, Help, Pain, and Promise. LLCC’s Writing Center is celebrating the National Day on Writing in connection with Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Visit the Center anytime during the week and contribute a response to the display, or post your reply on the Writing Center Facebook page.

Monday, Oct. 17 – Pledge Day
As members of the LLCC community, pledge to use your education, experiences, and voices to speak out against intimate partner violence. Sign the pledge and post on social media about why you took the pledge or the steps you will take to live up to your pledge. Remember, use #TakeAStand to be a part of the national conversation on ending domestic violence! Continue reading →

National Domestic Violence Awareness Month Week of Action is next week, Oct. 17-21. SAVE Taskforce and the Feminist Activist Coalition will have programming throughout the week and would love your participation! Throughout the week, we encourage everyone to post about their participation in DVAM Week of Action events with the hashtag #TakeAStand

Week-long Activities:

Feminist Activist Coalition will be sponsoring a used cell phone drive throughout the week and sending the cell phones to a domestic violence resource center. Wireless phones offer a lifeline for those effected by domestic violence, providing a way to dial 911 without needing their personal phone. Collection boxes for old, used phones will be in Student Life and Advising, Counseling, and Career Services.

Write Witness…to Stories of Love, Loss, Healing, Help, Pain, and Promise. LLCC’s Writing Center is celebrating the National Day on Writing in connection with Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Visit the Center anytime during the week and contribute a response to the display, or post your reply on the Writing Center Facebook page.

Monday, Oct. 17 – Pledge Day
As members of the LLCC community, pledge to use your education, experiences, and voices to speak out against intimate partner violence. Sign the pledge and post on social media about why you took the pledge or the steps you will take to live up to your pledge. Remember, use #TakeAStand to be a part of the national conversation on ending domestic violence!

Tuesday, Oct. 18 – Take a Stand
In correlation with the National Week of Action theme, faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to sign up to take a stand against domestic and intimate partner violence- literally! Symbolic of our refusal to be passive bystanders of intimate partner violence in our community, we will have at least one person “taking a stand” in A. Lincoln Commons from 8:00AM-5:00PM. Participants can sign up for a time slot that fits your schedule here. Share a message of your commitment to taking a stand against domestic violence using #TakeAStand.

Wednesday, Oct.19 – Paper Cranes for Healing the Violence
Send a message of support with this activity focused on representing the healing and good fortune we wish to send survivors and their loved ones. Stop by A. Lincoln Commons throughout the day to make paper cranes out of recycled paper. The cranes will be hung around the Commons and be used for future events.

Thursday, Oct. 20 – Purple Thursday
Those committed to ending domestic violence around the country will be wearing purple on this day to bring awareness to the topic. Wear your purple and bring your $5 to the Student Life Office to participate in the Feminist Activist Coalition’s Jeans Day benefiting Sojourn Shelter and Services, a local domestic violence resource center.

While awareness of intimate partner violence is growing, the topic continues to be viewed by many as taboo. Awareness of just how prevalent domestic violence is an important step toward rousing support and action for widespread change and prevention.

National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey data reports that on average, 24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in the US. This means that over the course of LLCC’s 2016-17 academic year, 9,123,840 women and men will experience domestic violence. 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men are the victims of severe physical violence by an intimate partner violence at some point in their lifetime.

Despite its prevalence, the patterns of domestic violence are not fully understood by many bystanders. A 2006 survey reports that approximately 2/3 of Americans say it is hard to determine whether someone has been a victim of domestic abuse. Moreover, more than 90% of Americans fail to define repeated emotional, verbal, sexual abuse and controlling behaviors as patterns of domestic violence and abuse. In this same survey, more than half of Americans (54%) say they may have been in situations where they believed domestic violence had occurred, but they didn’t act because they were uncertain and didn’t know what to do. Without awareness of the pervasiveness of intimate partner violence and its signs, victims and bystanders struggle to fight against the patterns of abuse that millions experience every year.

Throughout the month of October, look for our “See the Signs” campaign. Posters around campus, made by Thom Whalen’s graphic design students, display different signs that bystanders may notice in a loved one who is a victim of domestic violence. Through education and observation, we can be a part of the change.

For more information on domestic violence and resources for help, visit LLCC’s Sexual Violence Resources Webpage.

Domestic Violence Awareness Month began in 1981 with a “Day of Unity.” In 1987, the first Domestic Violence Awareness Month was observed. Since its beginning, domestic violence awareness has focused on three common themes:

• Mourning those who have died because of domestic violence
• Celebrating those who have survived
• Connecting those who work to end violence

The National Resource Center on Domestic Violence states that nearly 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men in the United States have suffered severe physical violence by an intimate partner; however, domestic violence typically involves more than physical violence. Victims often suffer cycles of violence that include psychological, sexual, and financial abuse. Domestic abuse can happen in all kinds of relationships and has extreme effects on victims, children, and our community. Throughout the month of October, SAVE Taskforce is leading an awareness campaign called “See the Signs, Take a Stand.” Staff and faculty are encouraged to look for posters on campus, designed by graphic arts students, that display the signs of intimate partner violence to watch for, incorporate the theme into the classroom, and take a stand against domestic violence. For more information about the prevalence and effects of intimate partner violence and what you can do to help, see the weekly LincIn posts to follow and visit LLCC’s Sexual Violence Resources website.