Concerning Domestic Violence Awareness Month

1WhereasOctober is Domestic Violence awareness month, and

2Whereas women aged 16 – 24 experience the highest per capita rate of intimate partner violence[1], and

3Whereas[2]:

  1. 53 percent of victims of domestic violence were abused by a current or former boyfriend or girlfriend.
  2. 21 percent of college students report having experienced dating violence by a current partner. 32 percent experienced dating violence by a previous partner.
  3. 13 percent of college women report they were forced to have sex by a dating partner.
  4. Among college students who were sexually assaulted, 35 percent of attempted rapes occurred on dates, 22 percent of threatened rapes occurred on dates, and 12 percent of completed rapes occurred on dates
  5. 60 percent of acquaintance rapes on college campuses occur in casual or steady dating relationships.
  6. Over 13 percent of college women report they have been stalked. Of these, 42 percent were stalked by a boyfriend or ex-boyfriend.
  7. Nearly one-third of college students report having physically assaulted a dating partner in the previous 12 months[3]
  8. As many as a quarter of female students experience sexual assault over the course of their college career3
  9. Approximately 90 percent of victims of sexual assault on college campuses know their attacker3

, and

4Whereas college students are considered a high risk demographic for experiencing domestic violence, and

5Whereas the Undergraduate Student Government has the responsibility to promote the safety of the student body, and

6Whereas Members of Student Government participated in bystander intervention training, and the campaign uses a bystander intervention strategy, and

7Whereas the University of Cincinnati Undergraduate Student Government aims to educate the student body on domestic violence and domestic violence prevention, and

8WhereasStudent Government is partnering with the Women’s Center to host a Domestic Violence Awareness Week Oct. 24 – 28 of this year, and

9WhereasProgramming and education in the areas of domestic violence, intimate partner violence and healthy relationships are often put aside for organizational priorities in other areas, such as sexual assault prevention, leaving these as under-discussed topics, and

10Whereas this week will consist of a Red Flag Campaign on McMicken Commons, a pop-up education table on MainStreet and a Healthy Relationships Program, and

11Whereas The Red Flag Campaign is a public awareness initiative designed to prevent dating violence by teaming up with colleges and universities across America[4].

12Whereas a Red Flag Campaign Kit costs $950, and consists of 20 copies each of eight double-sided posters that illustrate elements of dating violence and how individuals can intervene. Backs of posters explain in greater depth the hallmarks of healthy relationships, and organizing guide for how to launch and how to use the campaign to enhance current campus programming and 200 4”x5” Red Flags.

13Whereas we as a body are committed to ending gender based violence on campus, and educating our students, and

Respectfully Submitted and Written by,
Nicole Price
At-Large Senator / Respectfully Endorsed by,
Katie Feeney,
Executive Director of Gender Based Violence Prevention and Education
Respectfully Endorsed by,
Madison Landkrohn
Director of Women’s Affairs / Respectfully Endorsed by,
Mitchell Phelps
Undergraduate Student Body President
Respectfully Endorsed by,
Dana Drage
At-Large Senator / Respectfully Endorsed by,
Kevin Leugers
At-Large Senator

14Therefore be it appropriated that $950 for the Red Flag Campaign Kit, $25.05 for shipping and a 10% overrun of $97.51 for a grand total of $1072.56 from the Safety line item be encumbered from the 2016 – 2017 Student Government Budget.

1

[1]US Department of Justice 2014

[2] National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 2007

[3] Break the Cycle, Inc., 2005

[4]whitehouse.gov