Stony Brook University students, faculty and community members marched together in the annual “Take a Stand/Walk with Me” march around the Student Activities Center (SAC) to raise awareness of domestic and relationship violence on Wednesday, Oct. 30.
The march was led by the Spirit of Stony Brook Marching Band and the Stony Brook Dance Team and was hosted by the Center for Prevention and Outreach (CPO). CPO provided resources and educational resources about alcohol and drugs as well as sexual and relationship violence. Several informative pamphlets and other resources on these topics were handed out by CPO as well.
The march was organized for National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) declared to be October in 1981.
College women are at the highest risk for intimate partner violence. Nearly one in three college women say they’ve been in an abusive dating relationship.
As they marched, participants held signs depicting messages such as “Love Shouldn’t Hurt,” “Break the Silence, End the Violence” and “You Deserve to Feel Safe and Loved.”
Alongside CPO, there were several organizations in attendance, such as L.I. Against Domestic Violence, The Retreat and Planned Parenthood.
“A lot of students don’t realize that there are resources outside of their college campus. It’s important for us as agencies to be seen and for the students to know that we are here for them,” Rossy Bran, the projector coordinator for Enough Is Enough at The Retreat, said in an interview. “I love interacting and connecting with the students that care about this topic; it’s very rewarding to be at an event like this.”
Before the march began, several speakers gave speeches that stressed the importance of an event like this.
“We are here today to show support for survivors of domestic violence, and to show them that they are not alone, and that help is available,” Jenna Stimmel, a survivor advocate and prevention associate for CPO, said in her speech. “Young people are at the highest risk for experiencing relationship violence. As Stony Brook students, faculty and staff, we have the power to work towards creating a community where everyone knows that violence is never acceptable.”
Stimmel then introduced Vice President of Student Affairs Rick Gatteau, who discussed the importance of increasing awareness of domestic violence on college campuses and gave out some important statistics.
“In these situations, often isolation plays an important part where you’re away in a college setting, and we need to be providing support for these individuals. It’s so important that our college community is aware of the resources,” Gatteau said. “One of the most shocking facts is that 38% of college students said they didn’t know what resources were available to them, which is why today is so important.”
Just under 15% of women and 4% of men in the United States have been injured as a result of intimate partner violence that included rape, physical violence and stalking. Additionally, 43% of dating college women report having experienced violent and abusive dating behaviors, including physical, sexual, verbal or other forms of controlling abuse.
Members of Stony Brook’s Sigma Psi Zeta chapter, whose philanthropy focuses on combating domestic violence against women, also spoke about the value of building community and creating a safe space for survivors of domestic violence.
“Domestic violence can happen to anyone of any gender, age or background, and can lead to permanent effects on the survivor,” Yvonne Liao, a member of Sigma Psi Zeta and a junior majoring in health science, said. “It’s our job as a community to create a space and create awareness for survivors.”
Stimmel emphasized the importance of showing survivors that they are not alone and that resources are available to them.
“This walk shows survivors that there are people who care about them, and that they’re not alone,” Stimmel said in an interview. “Sexual violence and domestic violence is incredibly prevalent in this age group specifically. Being here for college students who are experiencing relationships for the first time — who are potentially going through these things — and showing them that although this might be incredibly difficult to navigate, there are resources available to them.”
As students marched from the SAC, they chanted, “Seawolves break the silence, we can end the violence.”
“At first, I was a bit overwhelmed because it’s such a heavy topic, but after being a part of CPO, you realize how prevalent domestic violence is on campus,” Reese McQueen, one of CPO’s Violence Intervention, Prevention and Relationship Education (VIPRE) peer educators and a senior majoring in biology, said in an interview. “I want to be able to bridge that gap between students and the resources, it feels really rewarding.”
Gatteau concluded his speech with a reminder to the audience.
“Let’s all continue to commit to ending all forms of domestic violence and supporting survivors,” he said.
