Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Domestic violence has been in the local news a lot lately, thanks to a game that was played in Topeka between the county and the city over who would take on the costs and responsibility of domestic abuse cases.
The city of Topeka “won” that battle, but domestic abuse victims are the ones who really lost in this process. The district attorney will now be deciding which domestic violence cases to prosecute on a case-by-case basis. Though these cases will be assessed carefully, this potentially arbitrary process of prioritizing cases means some will be “worth” prosecuting and some will not. This is a disservice to all domestic abuse victims.
Though the spotlight has been on Topeka lately, it is important this week to acknowledge and remember the prevalence of domestic violence on university campuses. This week marks the third annual Domestic Violence Awareness Week, created by student groups at the University to increase education about and recognition of domestic abuse.
Domestic violence, sometimes also called intimate partner violence, is when one partner in an intimate relationship exercises “a pattern of coercive control” over the other partner, as defined by the Willow Domestic Violence Center website. This can take the form of physical, mental, emotional, verbal, sexual, or other types of abuse.
Often people think of domestic violence as something that happens to married partners and, based on representations in the media, downplay dating violence in young people. In a college setting, however, domestic violence occurs far more than is usually recognized. The Feminist Majority Foundation reported in 2005 that 32 percent of college students are domestic violence victims.
One reason domestic violence is so common in college is simply because of the traditional student age. The highest rate of domestic violence occurs against women from ages 16 to 24, according to a study by the Bureau of Justice Statistics in 1998.
In 2007, Kansas State University issued a press release in which Sandra Stith, a domestic violence expert at the University, identified problems such as stress, inability to control anger, and very intense relationships as common triggers for domestic violence in college.
It is also important to remember, especially in the university setting, that domestic violence does not just happen in long-term, exclusive, male-female relationships, and women are not always the victims. The abuse can occur in any type of intimate relationship, and men are also susceptible to being the victim. One in four women will be abused in an intimate relationship during her lifetime; the same is true for one in nine men, says the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
If you are in a relationship and your partner makes you feel bad about yourself, it is important to evaluate how you are being treated and, if you feel you are being abused, seek the necessary help to remove yourself from the abusive environment.
If you are worried a friend is in an abusive relationship, it is vital that you talk to someone with expertise so you can help your friend in a safe way. It is important not to ignore signs that a friend may be suffering from domestic abuse. As Tony Porter demonstrated during the Jana Mackey lecture Monday night, we all have responsibility to reduce domestic violence, whether we are victims, perpetrators, or bystanders.
The Willow Domestic Violence Center is a resource for assistance, and this week representatives of the Commission on the Status of Women and other student groups organizing DVAW will be providing more information on education and help.
— Cosby is a senior from Overland Park majoring in political science and English.
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Comments
Cosby: Domestic violence most prevalent in college
About a year ago my ex-girlfriend stabbed me in the neck with a pen because she thought I was cheating on her. (I wasn't) I ended up in the ER because the pen pierced a vein and I was bleeding pretty bad. When I told the staff what happened they laughed. I didn't press charges because I didn't want to see her go to jail. She was seeing a psychiatrist for anxiety and I suggested to her friends she should mention the incident during her next visit. Her attack wasn't malicious, rather an act of emotional trauma. Why anyone woman would freak out over losing me makes no sense whats so ever.
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