Michelle Hennessy – News Writer
Every day in the US, more than three women will be murdered by their husbands or boyfriends, according to Domestic Violence Statistics.
In an effort to lower domestic violence for Southern students, graduate intern at the Women’s Center, Freda Grant, said their aim is to educate people about it.
“I think once people have the information it’s definitely helpful,” said Grant. “But as with anything it’s tricky to try and get enough information out without scaring people, you just want them to be informed.”
The Women’s Center on campus is there for any issues women face, with particular emphasis on domestic violence, sexual assault, and body issues.
Though more campaigns exist than ever before to try and end domestic violence, Grant says it’s definitely still a prevailing issue in America.
“I personally think the issue of domestic violence is getting worse because it’s so ingrained in our culture now,” said Grant. “We’re in this hyper-masculine culture where guys think you have to be aggressive and women want men that are aggressive but that aggression turns into physical violence.”
She said the influence of television shows has a lot to do with the desensitization that has happened with violence.
“I think the media has a lot to do with this too; we watch a lot of shows where there’s so much violence, we’re just so numb to it now with what we’re being exposed to and that makes it easier for people to commit certain acts,” said Grant.
According to the Domestic Violence Statistics Website, every nine seconds a woman will be beaten or assaulted in America, making it the leading cause of injury for women – more than car accidents, muggings and rapes combined.
One way SCSU tries to lower these statistics is by showing documentaries of real-life cases of domestic violence. “Telling Amy’s Story” aired in the Student Center last week, a documentary about Amy McGee who was shot in 2001 by her abusive husband while their children waited outside in the car.
Public health senior, Kim Chaffee, said she was surprised by the statistics the film used about the frequency of domestic violence and the rate of homicides related to it.
“I didn’t realize it was this common,” said Chaffee. “I think people don’t really talk about it, they hide it and we only find out later that someone has gone through this, like in this film. So I don’t think we’re that aware that it’s happening.”
Liberal health major, Martine Liberte, who minors in public health said more needs to be done around campuses and cities to educate people about what goes on behind closed doors.
“You see films like these and you realize it’s not actually as uncommon as you’d think,” said Liberte. “But I don’t think it gets that much coverage, I don’t think it’s in the news a lot. Events like this happen but there’s not a lot of advertising for it.”
Grant agrees that raising awareness and not letting things go unnoticed will be the best way to tackle the problem.
“We have our Red Flag campaign going on now,” said Grant. “The whole idea is that if you see something; say something. Just being an active bystander is important, if you’re walking to class and you see something that looks a little sketchy, call campus police. We all have to take care of each other.”
