On a typical day, more than 20,000 phone calls from around the nation are made to domestic violence hotlines. Next month, the Coahoma Community College Dating and Domestic Violence Prevention Program will do its part in raising awareness to lower such alarming rates.
National Domestic Violence Awareness Month started out as a Day of Unity in 1981. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence underscored relationship abuse by bringing together women in the U.S. that were victims as well as advocates. The month-long recognition held each October raises awareness of the crime by educating students on the forms and effects of interpersonal violence.
Dating and sexual partners, boyfriends/girlfriends, and current or former spouses are all considered intimate partners. Domestic violence is not only physical harm. It is also various other abusive acts, including yelling, humiliation, stalking, manipulation, coercion, threats, isolation, name calling, putdowns, the silent treatment, stealing a paycheck, non-stop texting, or calling someone stupid so often that they believe it. These instances happen in both heterosexual and same-sex relationships. An abuser may even threaten to disclose someone's sexual orientation to family or friends.
Various activities will take place throughout October to continue efforts in raising awareness of interpersonal violence.
This year, the Virtual Clothesline Project, scheduled for October 14-15, 2020, has been clipped into the string of activities and will shed light on the four different types of abuse that have become prevalent. The Dating and Domestic Violence Prevention Program hopes to pique the interest of the campus community with the project, says program coordinator Kenneth Gooden.
"There will be a link located on the institution's website that will provide access to the Clothesline Project. The Clothesline Project site will allow participants to choose from four different color t-shirts. Each color represents a crime of interpersonal violence," said Gooden. The color blue represents stalking; orange, dating violence; teal, sexual assault, and purple, domestic violence.
"Participants will then have the option of writing their own messaging on the t-shirt or choose from one of our prepared messages," Gooden added. "The object of this project is to bring awareness to the plight of interpersonal violence and offer support to the victims of these crimes."
To honor the inception of the cause, Remember My Name, which is scheduled for Monday, October 5, 2020, will be a day of unity where Coahoma will hold a minute-long moment of silence at noon for victims of domestic violence.
On October 29, 2020, the Writing On The Wall event will allow members of the campus community to write messages of encouragement to victims on a large canvas. Participants are asked to practice social distancing.
On Purple Thursday, Tiger Nation is asked to wear purple in honor of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This one-day observance is scheduled for October 29, 2020.
For more information, contact coordinator of the Dating and Domestic Violence Prevention Program Kenneth Gooden at 621-4666 or (662)645-1907.