Most of the time, ASU police officers are dressed in black, but they will be wearing purple for all of October as part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
This is just one way ASU is working to bring awareness about the issue to students at all campuses.
“ASU PD offices continue to wear purple pins and purple wristbands to bring awareness to the month,” ASU PD spokeswoman Nicole Franks said. “We also continue to hand out wristbands at ASU PD headquarters for students, faculty and staff who would like some.”
ASU PD, ASU Wellness and the School of Social Transformation have all contributed to Domestic Violence Awareness Month by providing students with multiple resources to learn, and in some cases, seek help about the issue.
One of the events at the tail end of Domestic Violence Awareness Month is The Clothesline Project, where more than 900 plain shirts are transformed by survivors and people impacted by domestic violence to celebrate the strength of those affected, destroy the stereotypes surrounding domestic violence and bring awareness to the issue.
The project’s coordinator Alesha Durfee, associate professor of Women and Gender Studies, said The Clothesline Project is an amazing event, but very few people know about it and its impact.
“Most people don’t know what it is,” Durfee said. “It’s a visual representation of the impact that domestic violence has on not only the survivors, but the friends and family and society as a whole.”
Durfee’s main goal for The Clothesline Project is to shed light on domestic violence and promote open conversations between people about domestic violence, which impacts many college students, where ages 16-24 are prime ages for dating violence among women.
“Creating shirts creates open conversations,” Durfee continued. “To look down on Hayden Lawn and see those shirts as a whole is really powerful.”
Michele Grab, executive director of strategic initiatives in Student Services, said although the issue of domestic violence might seem like something very broad, it does in fact impact a lot more people at ASU than one might think.
“One in every five women and one in every seven men have experienced domestic violence in their lifetime, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which means it is affecting ASU students, faculty and staff,” Grab wrote in an email. “It is important for our campus community to be educated about this issue, the resources available to support those who have experienced domestic violence and for us as a community to speak out against domestic violence.”
Grab said ASU has put in resources dedicated to ensure that all students turn in instances of domestic violence whether they be victims themselves or know someone who is a victim.
“If you know of someone who has experienced domestic or dating violence, encourage them to seek the support and help they need," Grab said. “We want students to know that the University is here to support them. Students can help by making sure everyone knows about the resources, how to report incidents of domestic violence and educating themselves on domestic violence.”
ASU PD has also posted resources on their website to help guide the ASU community on domestic violence.
Related Links:
Clothesline Project aims to spark conversation about domestic violence
ASU football players rally for Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Reach the reporter at sgreene6@asu.edu or follow @thesydneygreene on Twitter.
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