Oct. 18, 2017
ThePRAIRIE
Vol. 101 Iss. 2
WTPD raises recognition for domestic violence awareness Allie Smith Sports Editor
W
hen walking past the University P o l i c e Department or through the JBK, students will notice wooden human silhouettes painted purple with white squares of text on the front scattered throughout the hallways. This is not a scheme for Halloween or an art project. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and these are the stories of high school and college-aged victims. “It’s to bring awareness to domestic violence victims, whether it’s parents and families, whether it’s kids that are victims of domestic violence because of what goes on with their parents, whether it’s college students,” Sergeant Barbara Ferrara from the WTAMU Police Department said. “Whatever the case may be.” These silhouettes are provided by Family Support Services, an Amarillo-based non-profit that fills many needs throughout the Texas
Oct. 19, a day in which wearing purple shows solidarity with victims of domestic abuse. On that same day, WTPD will be in the JBK from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., raising awareness. “These are young, 17, 18, 19 some of them 16-year-old kids that have been victims of dating violence or dating violence homicide, and that’s an attention grabber for college kids,” Ferrara said of the silhouettes. WTPD is not the only group on campus making the effort to Jo Lowry/for The Prairie stop domestic violence The Domestic Violence Awareness Month silhouette outside the on campus. Groups WT Police Department tells the story of a 22-year old victim of such as faculty, staff dating violence. and even residential Panhandle. services…our students don’t “We pair up a lot with always realize that they have living assistants are receiving Family Support Services,” that resource available to the information they need to Ferrara said. “We’ve been them. Even if they haven’t better serve possible victims doing that for probably a made a police report, those and raise awareness. couple years now, largely are still services they can “We had Title IX and Clery Act training,” Stafford Hall because they’re trying to utilize.” bring more of their services These silhouettes are not Director Morgan Young to campus because they do the only actions being taken. said. “…We were trained in provide services for [a wide WTPD and Family Support taking them seriously when range of victims] and they’re Services are sponsoring they told us and allowing a non-profit. Those are free events like Go Purple Day on ourselves to be an open door. We were also taught that we
had to report those kinds of things if we heard about them so we had to inform whoever it was that was telling us this information that we had to report it.” Director of Student Counseling Services Dayna Schertler said that domestic violence hits closer to home than many students realize. “[A common misconception is that] it only happens to a small number of people and that if it is happening to you, you should be ashamed or fearful of asking for help,” Schertler said. “One in four women and one in seven men will experience relationship violence in their lives.” Overall, it is important that victims know they can get help. “Try to remain nonjudgmental and open to them talking to you about it,” Schertler said. “Let them know you are available even if they decide to stay [in the relationship]. It typically takes several attempts at leaving for victims to not return to the abuser due to the intensity of the cycle of violence in the relationship.”
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