October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. During this month, local organizations join together to promote greater public awareness about domestic violence. This month provides an excellent opportunity for our campus to demonstrate its support of domestic violence awareness and show support to the numerous victims that are among us. The UMass Boston Department of Public Safety (DPS) will be hosting Domestic Violence week starting October 24, 2011. During that week the DPS will present the “Silent Witness” Exhibit.  “Silent Witnesses” are life-sized silhouette cutouts, each representing a specifically named victim of fatal domestic violence. This is a wonderful opportunity to help educate the public about the seriousness of domestic violence.

Facts:

Domestic violence is any of the following behaviors: physical, sexual, economic and emotional abuse, alone or in combination, by an intimate partner often for the purpose of establishing or maintaining power and control over the other partner. The Department of Public Safety takes reports of domestic violence very seriously and each report will be investigated fully. In any domestic violence situation, the safety of the victim and any involved children is paramount.

Domestic violence occurs in heterosexual, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender relationships. Whether the victim is male or female, violence of any kind in relationships is unacceptable. Domestic violence affects people from every age, racial or ethnic background, religious group, neighborhood, and income level.

If you are in immediate danger and need help or want to speak to a specially trained officer about your situation, call UMass Boston’s Department of Public Safety at 617.287.1212.

Resources:

If you are a victim of abuse and need treatment or referral, call toll free: Safe Link, a Massachusetts statewide multilingual, 24-hour service hotline at 877.785.2020, or click here for more information.

Jane Doe, Inc.

Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance

National Domestic Violence Hotline