[Peace] Fwd: Domestic Violence Awareness Month Press Release 2014

Tue Sep 23 18:41:13 EDT 2014

 Please forward widely.

*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*

*Contact:*

Rachel Lauren Storm, Assistant Director

Women's Resources Center (703 S. Wright St. 2ND fl. Champaign, 61820)

rstorm2 at illinois.edu | 217-333-5896

*"The Women's Resources Center sponsors *

*Domestic Violence Awareness Month October 2014"*

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.  To try to increase awareness
about domestic violence and its consequences, the Women's Resources Center,
along with other units of the Office of Inclusion and Intercultural
Relations, Gender and Women's Studies, the Counseling Center, the Office
for Student Conflict Resolution, Office of the Dean of Students, Campus
Recreation, University Housing and the University of Illinois Police
Department will be sponsoring activities and events throughout the month of
October on campus.

Domestic violence includes psychological, emotional, physical, financial,
and sexual abuse, occurring in intimate relationships. Domestic violence
transcends race, class, gender, sexuality, ability status, and culture. In
a 2000 study completed on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's
campus found that 87% of students who have dated while attending the
university reported that they had experienced some level of abuse while
dating.  This study found that those individuals who experienced some abuse
consequently exhibited symptoms of depression, anxiety, post traumatic
stress disorder, academic disruptions, and physical injury.  Yet, while
this abuse may have led to damaging consequences, only 13% of the students
who had been abused sought help, 8% filed a formal complaint through
student discipline, and 2% filed a police report. It is estimated that over
1/4 of students at the University of Illinois have been physically abused
by someone they were involved in a relationship with while a student.

The Women's Resources Center provides resources and services for students
who have experienced abuse within a relationship including weekly support
groups, individual counseling, advocacy services, and referrals to the
campus safe house and other supportive services within the community. We
also provide educational programs designed to reduce violence and promote
healthy relationships in the campus community.

Our keynote event for Domestic Violence Awareness Month will be a *Spoken
Word Performance featuring Artist Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai at Unit One Allen Hall
(1005 Gregory Drive in Urbana) from 7-8:30pm on Monday, October 13th*.
Chicago-born writer, performer and spoken word artist (and UIUC alum) Kelly
Zen-Yie Tsai weaves social, racial and gender themes into entertaining and
poignant poems that have gained her a number of awards, global success and
media attention. We are excited to welcome Kelly as our 2014 Domestic
Violence Awareness month Keynote speaker, and we invite the entire campus
community to attend this momentous occasion and insightful performance.

Additional activities this month include: a lunch and discussion on working
to end gender violence, a screening of the acclaimed documentary *A Family
Affair, *a Clothesline Art Project Workshop exploring the topics of
supporting domestic violence survivors presented by Illini Art Therapy, and
a Writ n' Rhymed poetry open mic night in conjunction with Elka
Kazmierczak's *I Wish She Was Dead* art exhibition opening at the Women's
Resources Center.

To culminate our efforts in creating unity in the face of domestic
violence, there will be a *Candlelight Vigil honoring survivors and
mourning those we've lost outdoors on Anniversary Plaza on the quad on
Thursday, October 23rd, from 7pm-9pm*. Come light a candle for victims and
survivors, say a few words, and listen to our collective stories of
struggle, survival, and solidarity in the face of domestic violence--as well
as our work to end violence of all forms.

*For more information about Domestic Violence Awareness Month events and
initiatives, watch for printed calendars or visit **www.go.illinois.edu/DVAM
<http://www.go.illinois.edu/DVAM>** and check out the Women's Resources
Center on campus.*

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