DuBOIS, Pa. — Oftentimes, 我们听到的一些最有影响力的陈述是那些来自亲身经历的人. On Wednesday, Oct. 18, students, 教职员工聚集在澳门皇冠官方app杜波依斯分校的肖赫广场参加受害者学活动,他们在活动中听取了家庭虐待和性虐待受害者的第一手证词. The goal of the event was to educate the campus community, provide a voice to victims and survivors, encourage others to report abuse when it happens, and to seek help when they need it.
受害者学是一门研究犯罪对人的心理影响的学科. It also examines the relationship between victims and offenders. 我们的目标是找到有助于更好理解的模式和趋势, education and prevention of crime and abuse, said the participants.
October is domestic violence awareness month, an effort to raise awareness of domestic violence, also known as intimate partner violence, throughout the nation. Organized by Selena Price, 澳门皇冠官方app杜波依斯分校刑事司法讲师和项目协调员, and students in the criminal justice program, 今年是该活动连续第二年在校园举行.
“我举办这个有影响力的活动不仅是为了传播对家庭暴力和性侵犯的认识, 也要鼓励受害者和幸存者报告他们的受害经历,并告诉他们可以在哪里寻求帮助,” Price said.
After a brief introduction to the event, 出席的学生们轮流朗读身份不明的家庭暴力和性虐待受害者和幸存者的证词. 许多证言都表达了痛苦、无助、沮丧和愤怒的感受. As each testimonial was read, others in the crowd silently reflected, many of them moved emotionally by what they were hearing. But hearing these words is something that Price said is important.
“你永远不知道谁在听,谁需要听到别人正在经历同样的事情,” Price said. “Ending the silence can possibly end the violence.”
许多推荐书确实对澳门皇冠官方app杜波依斯分校周围更大地区提供的服务给予了积极的评价. Representatives from the Community Action Inc. Crossroads Project and Passages Inc. 双方是否都在场分享他们为多种类型虐待的受害者和幸存者提供的服务的信息.
“这次活动对学生来说是一次很好的机会,让他们走出来,亲身学习, from these testimonies, what a survivor has been through and how they have prevailed,” Rebecca Misko, crossroads coordinator, Community Action Inc. Crossroads Project, said. “This event also teaches them empathy. In today’s world, that is something that isn’t always there.”
米斯科还指出,移情对于任何一个有一天可能在这类职业领域工作的学生来说都很重要.
出席的许多学生都是刑事司法、人类发展和家庭研究专业的学生, 这两者都可以帮助个人准备在帮助虐待受害者的援助和宣传项目中工作.
“有一天,这些学生将在现场工作,他们很可能会遇到曾经是受害者的人,” Price said. “我希望他们记住他们今天读到或听到的东西,有同理心并倾听.”
“像这样的事件对于为经常黑暗的主题带来光明很重要,” Robin McMillen, Passages Inc. legal advocate said. “We want everyone to know that victims have support, either within their families, friends or within the community.”
The Community Action, Inc. Crossroads Project 通过提供紧急避难所,帮助家庭暴力受害者及其子女保持安全, a 24-hour hotline, community and school educational programs, options counseling, legal advocacy, and group support in Clearfield and Jefferson counties.
Passages Inc. 是为克莱里昂,克利尔菲尔德和杰斐逊县服务的性暴力机构吗. The organization provides a 24-hour hotline, counseling, legal advocacy, medical advocacy, 以及它所服务地区的预防和教育服务.
所有遭受过虐待的澳门皇冠官方app学生都可以获得受害者资源. 关于澳门皇冠官方app杜波依斯分校受害者资源的更多信息可以在这里找到.