This article contains language that may be triggering to some readers. CW: SEXUAL ASSAULT, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DATING VIOLENCE
Western Washington University marked October as the beginning of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The university continues the national, yearslong advocacy campaign that Western began participating in 2019, said WWU Survivor Advocacy Services Coordinator Deidre Evans.
41% of women and 26% of men have experienced “contact sexual violence, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetime and reported a related impact,” according to The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
On Oct. 1, the month of awareness began with Evans and the WWU Counseling and Wellness Center tabling in Red Square, where passersby received free t-shirts, consent stickers and information regarding available services and support.
More events dedicated to awareness and education are planned throughout the month. There, participants can expect to learn more about healthy relationship skills with children, cultivating a culture of consent and experience a special faculty training event on Oct. 22 centered around supporting student survivors.
On Oct 8., students convened in the Viking Union to make relationship vision boards, where magazine clippings, as well as paper heart cutouts, emblazoned with the words “respect” and “boundaries,” were pasted on construction paper crafts.
Mercury Hopewell, a fourth-year Western student, was one of those who made a vision board at the event. After experiencing verbal abuse in the past, Hopewell still copes with their diminished ability to put trust in people.
“I’ve kind of had to learn that just because someone was there [for me] at one point, doesn’t mean I have to stand by them for everything they do,” Hopewell said. “I still like to think I can foster healthy relationships, but I am slightly more wary of who I want to let stay in my life.”
Hanna Estes is a Prevention Education and Youth Advocacy Coordinator with Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services of Whatcom County. Estes says that many statistical percentages around sexual assault and domestic violence haven’t gone down despite more awareness coming to this topic; survivors are often faced with a barrier of community distrust and blame when wanting to come forward.
“Approximately 7.5 violent victimizations per 1,000 persons age 12 or older were reported to police in 2021, which was not significantly different from the rate in 2020,” according to the National Crime Victimization Survey. “The rate of violent crimes that went unreported was statistically similar between 2020 and 2021.”
“It’s important to keep people close to you who have been there for you, but just because they were there for you once doesn’t mean they can never do anything to push that line,” Hopewell said.
Over the last three years on Western’s campus, the 2023 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report indicates 97 incidents of interpersonal violence. These incidents encompassed 39 cases of domestic violence, three instances of dating violence, seven reports of stalking behavior and 48 cases of sexual assault, though the report states that “one person made a report of 30 occurrences of rape and domestic violence occurring in a relationship several years prior. Due to reporting requirements, these appear under 2022’s calendar year statistics, including the requirement to count each as both rape and domestic violence.”
The National Crime Victimization Survey states that about 41% of violent victimizations are reported to police.
Estes cites believing survivors as a huge step toward counteracting the stigma that many survivors initially face when sharing their experiences.
“As simple as that sounds, I think there is still so much victim blaming happening in our society and people just not believing survivors, putting forward statistics that, ‘most survivors lie,’ when it's maybe 2% of sexual assault or domestic violence stories are a lie. And it's usually in order to keep themselves safe,” Estes said.
Evans hopes that Domestic Violence Awareness Month continues an ongoing dialogue beyond just the dedicated month.
“We’re not sending one message or hosting one event,” Evans said. “I think it shows that we're acknowledging…we are here to support and that we're showing that we know that this is something that happens to our students and that they deserve to talk about it — when they talk about it.”
BELLINGHAM/WHATCOM COUNTY RESOURCES:
Tl’ils Ta’á’altha Victims of Crime Program
(360) 325-3310
1(866) 331-9474 • Text LOVEIS to 22522
The NW Network of Bi, Trans, Lesbian, and Gay Survivors of Abuse
(206) 568-7777 • P.O. Box 18436, Seattle, Wash. 98118
Survivor Advocacy Services at WWU
(360) 650-3700 • Western Washington University Old Main 585B
Domestic Violence Sexual Assault Services
24-Hour Helpline: (360) 715-1563
24-Hour Helpline: (360) 312-2015 • Walk-ins available 8 a.m.to 4:30 p.m. at 2665 Kwina Road Bellingham, Wash. 98226
Austin Wright (he/him) is a campus news reporter for The Front this quarter. He is a third-year journalism/news ed major. When he’s not reporting, you can find him playing ultimate frisbee, watching soccer or hiking. You can reach him at austinwright.thefront@gmail.com.
