As the prevalence of domestic violence takes center stage, it is now more possible than ever to dismantle entrenched stigmas that perpetuate cycles of abuse. To empower this idea and create a time and space to raise awareness of resources available year-round, October is nationally recognized as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This allows many projects and pursuits through the month that raise awareness of ongoing efforts in housing needs, life intervention, and childcare support for survivors of abuse.
Domestic Violence is defined by the U.S. Department of Justice as “a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner.” It is important to note that the line is not drawn only at physical violence; invisibility doesn’t normalize emotionally or verbally harmful behavior like psychological manipulation (gaslighting), coercion, stalking, humiliation, and threatening. It can be complicated to identify invisible domestic violence, which is why stories of other survivors have such a great impact. Personal experiences not only inform people of the dangers of behaviors they may be enduring but also validate their concerns and give them grounds to address them.
Besides survivors, an initiative of domestic violence awareness efforts is to make allies aware of their position in breaking cycles of normalizing and enduring domestic violence to avoid threat and ridicule. Survivors will come forward if their community proves itself supportive, and the normalization of asking for help will counteract the normalization of enduring domestic violence out of fear or insecurity.
The Women’s Center
“The mission of the Women’s Center is to educate, advocate, and provide support services for the achievement of women’s equity at the university and within the community at large.”
UConn Women’s Center
While it can be intimidating to reach out to strangers for help in personal matters, the UConn Women’s Center accommodates all boundaries and situations with both group information sessions and individual contacts to reach out to. The Women’s Center is equipped with both faculty and peers to aid in safety strategies and refer resources on and off campus, including legal and medical assistance. The organization has made the effort to exempt itself from reporting cases that don’t pose an imminent danger to the university without students’ consent, making it a useful resource before or in place of going directly to the university. Aside from situational resources, “In-Power” support sessions and more general services are open to all who feel they’d benefit from its services, regardless of their situation or whether they attend UConn.
The Clothesline Project
The Clothesline Project is a public display of clotheslines hanging shirts that read messages of direct and secondary survivors of domestic violence. Each shirt on the clothesline is made with the liberty to disclose as much or as little information as survivors desire, and/or messages to others. The traveling exhibit was first formed in Hyannis, Massachusetts to help heal and bear witness to the survivors of domestic violence and to educate allies on the extent of domestic violence in present society. As the project increases in popularity, more communities form their own branches of The Clothesline Project, showcasing their own individualized clotheslines.
The Violence Against Women Prevention Program of the Women’s Center organizes UConn’s sector of The Clothesline Project. Before the display, UConn students and faculty are openly invited to (anonymously) design t-shirts to be hung up, allowing survivors to reclaim their experiences and/or share messages with others. The Clothesline Project was displayed on Fairfield Way at the UConn Storrs campus on Wednesday, Oct. 18, and Thursday, Oct. 19 during class hours, prompting thousands of passers-by to observe their peers’ experiences. The project was important to those who made t-shirts and those for whom the t-shirts’ spoke alike, as it was undeniable that those experiences had been acknowledged. Moreover, any survivors who were unfamiliar with the Women’s Center were able to preview a liberation available to them. By creating displays that force difficult conversations, The Clothesline Project has been substantial to UConn alongside innumerable individuals and communities.
Resources
There are various resources available to those who need more information on the bounds of domestic violence or support/intervention strategies, many of which accommodate different situations and levels of anonymity. While this information can be useful as a first step, it is not a substitute for professional advice or services.
The Women’s Center at UConn is open Monday through Friday for drop-ins, and various members of its staff are also accessible via email or appointment. The Women’s Center stresses that you do not have to be a UConn student, or even a student, to stop by and/or obtain their resources.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline is free, confidential, and equipped 24/7 with professionals to answer questions or direct you to additional resources over phone calls, text message conversations, or even a chat feature on the website itself. This allows levels of anonymity for those who feel uncomfortable sharing personal details or confiding in others. To hone in on more specific resources and limit wait time, those in the Connecticut area can use the branch of this service called CTSafeConnect. It is always recommended to prioritize community-specified branches, as this allows resources to be allocated most efficiently.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, call 911 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1(800) 799-SAFE (7233) or visit thehotline.org