The Women’s Resource Center estimates that one-fourth of University students have been victims of physical domestic violence. The month of October serves as an opportunity for the University to stand in unity with its students who are survivors of domestic violence.

Survivors have resources readily available and staff ready to offer their support.

The Women’s Resource Center is spearheading Domestic Violence Awareness Month by hosting events throughout October. These events include movie screenings, lectures, discussions and workshops about creating healthy relationships on campus.

Assistant Director of the Women’s Resource Center Molly McLay is especially excited for the Relatable Relationships series this year. McLay said the idea for this series began from having conversations with students about their hopes for relationships. 

“We’re going to have topics around what media tells us about relationships, the good and the bad,” McLay said. “Dating in the digital age, how apps like Tinder might be contributing to dating abuse. We’re going to have a panel of relatable relationships stories of students talking about their own relationships and how they’ve cultivated healthy relationships.”  

Well before the social media and digital dating age, however, The Women’s Resource Center has tried to be active in supporting survivors. The Women’s Resource Center is the only campus entity that provides confidential advising for Title IX issues, including instances of domestic violence. 

Although the Women’s Resource Center provides assistance to women, everyone is welcome.

“I think that it’s important to note there are larger systems of identity-based social oppressions with domestic violence: women, non-binary and trans people are affected at higher rates than men,” McLay said. “However, men are still affected by these issues either as supporters or victims.”

Since 1992, Alpha Chi Omega sorority has been working toward increasing domestic violence awareness on campus. 

Through philanthropy events during the academic year, Alpha Chi Omega has raised money for Courage Connection, a domestic violence hotline and crisis center in Champaign-Urbana.

Rachel Finegold, vice president of philanthropy for Alpha Chi Omega, says the sorority has a lot of plans to raise awareness for domestic violence in October.

“Our annual philanthropy is next weekend on Oct. 7. It’s a golf tournament at (Legend’s Golf Course),” Finegold said. “Later on in the month, also, Alpha Chi Omega will have an informational booth on the quad where we will hand out purple ribbon pins that people can put on their shirts or backpacks, informational pamphlets with facts and statistics about domestic violence and then possibly some candy.”  

Students in Alpha Chi Omega will also be volunteering at Courage Connection throughout the month of October. 

Assistant Professor of Social Work Rachel Garthe specializes in research about violence within romantic relationships among youth and how to prevent it from happening. She believes that students are often misinformed about the definitions of domestic violence and the many layers that domestic violence can come in.

“I think students need to know all of the encompassing behaviors of what their peers are experiencing,” Garthe said. “When it comes to violence within relationships, students often think of sexual assault but are not informed about stalking, physical and psychological abuse as well.”

But Professor Garthe believes that the University is already on the right path to making sure all its students are conscious of their relationships and have resources to help them.

“It was really wonderful when I first got here, and I heard about the FYCARE program. I love that they have a peer mentor model so that peers are the ones leading intervention,” Garthe said. “I’m really grateful for it. I’ve found that a lot of universities don’t have the same investment in domestic violence awareness and intervention.”

McLay believes that the best route a university can take in raising domestic violence awareness is seen through student driven efforts.

“The programs that we’ve created for this year’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month are exactly that; students came together, students created the programs and when students tell us what they need from our services, from our policies, from our campus, we should listen to them,” McLay said.

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