A woman’s college experience is suppose to be one that she will never want to forget, an experience that enriches her life in only positive ways. Although this is the hopeful expectation for college women, that is not always the case.
One in four women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. This means that in a room of 200 women, 50 of them have or will experience intimate partner violence. The signs aren’t always clear, and you may not always be able to tell when she is in trouble, or when you are.
There are many misconceptions when it comes to intimate partner violence. Many believe dating violence begins with physical violence. However, often times it starts with cues of emotional or psychological abuse. Yes, every couple has their up’s and down’s, but there is a point where it begins to become a more serious problem. Because an abusive relationship generally forms over time, it is difficult to see that she needs help, until it evolves to the physical level.
Over the next few weeks, Her Campus University of Iowa is going to provide you with some red flags that you should be aware of so you can help her – or yourself. The goal of presenting these warning signs is to raise awareness for intimate partner violence in support of the Domestic Violence Intervention Program campaign.
For more information, visit the Facebook page for Hawkeyes Against Dating Violence!