October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It goes without saying that domestic abuse in any form is a despicable act that has absolutely no excuse. Those who perpetrate these misdeeds deserve whatever punishment awaits them.
But students and community members alike need to be more aware of the dangers inherent with domestic abuse and the different options available to them, to prevent or even escape from a problematic situation.
This month, we hope to see a surge of information and awareness about domestic violence, and through education there should be a reduction.
Many different organizations have been putting programs together to raise public support and awareness.
ASMSU, MSU’s undergraduate student government, put together a rape awareness program for Homecoming weekend during which they handed out about $600 worth of pins and purple ribbons. It’s a good gesture, but a much better awareness program could and should have been put together with that money.
Also during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, MSU Safe Place will be using movies and fund-raisers to increase awareness.
MSU Safe Place has always been a boon to abuse survivors. Providing crisis support, education and opportunities to volunteer, it is still the only domestic violence shelter on a college campus, founded in 1994.
Unfortunately, there is not as much awareness about the services Safe Place offers and the good it does.
Olin Health Center’s In Your Face Reality Troupe also continues to present skits, parts of which concern dating violence.
And there are other groups, such as the MSU Men’s Forum, that are trying to stop domestic violence by teaching others to learn to discuss their problems instead of giving in to angry outbursts.
As all these groups take the opportunity to spread the word about domestic violence this month, people need to take care to pay attention to the information being given to them.
If even a handful of people learn how to identify that there is abuse going on, or where to go if they are in an abusive relationship, then it’s a brilliant start.
Domestic violence is not something to be ignorant about. Everyone should know how to recognize the danger signs, or even better - how to prevent it. This October, take a moment to learn something new and help stop this problem.
