“Symposium on Domestic Violence and Intersectionality,” a Justice Education Event
Contact:
Gwen O’Brien
Director of Media Relations
Saint Mary’s College
(574) 284-4579
November 7, 2014 (Notre Dame, IN) — On average, 20 people per minute are victims of physical violence by an intimate partner in the U.S. Over the course of a year, that equals more than 10 million victims. That’s according to the 2010 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey. The Justice Education program at Saint Mary's College is interested in openly discussing why this occurs and why a partner may not leave an abusive relationship.
The Justice Education program at this women’s college recently hosted a discussion on campus in September called “Why Women Can’t Just Leave” about why women sometimes stay in abusive relationships. Due to the overwhelming attendance, the Justice Education director decided to invite the community back to attend the “Symposium on Domestic Violence and Intersectionality.” The event, which is free of charge and open to the public, will take place Thursday, November 20, from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in Rice Commons in the Student Center. Attendees may come and go as they please. Click for a campus map.
The daylong event will feature professionals in mental health, law, social work, healthcare, education, as well as community agencies and domestic violence survivors. The speeches will explore the complexities of domestic violence and explain how to best respond to the crisis. Click for a list of speakers and topics.
“The symposium is designed to discuss the intersectionality of domestic violence and to help the community understand that it is not "about" violence, or about relationships. Rather, it is a complicated issue that cannot be discussed in isolation from a host of social and economic issues,” explains Adrienne Lyles-Chockley, who heads the Justice Education program at Saint Mary's College.
For more information about the event, please contact Lyles-Chockley at alylesch@saintmarys.edu.
Are you a student in an abusive relationship? Saint Mary’s students who believe they are in an abusive relationship may contact the Belles Against Violence Office (BAVO) for a confidential consultation at BellesAgainstViolence@saintmarys.edu. Saint Mary's students can also contact Security to reach BAVO professional staff outside of office hours. Other 24-hour assistance is available through the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224.
About Saint Mary’s College: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., is a four-year, Catholic residential, women’s liberal arts college offering five bachelor’s degrees and more than 30 major areas of study, such as business, nursing, art, chemistry, and social work. The College’s single-gender environment has been proven, in study after study, to foster confidence, ethical leadership, and strong academic success. Saint Mary’s College ranks 76 among the 248 “Best National Liberal Arts Colleges” for 2014 published by U.S. News and World Report. Founded in 1844 by the Sisters of the Holy Cross, Saint Mary’s College’s mission is to educate women and prepare them for postgraduate success whether it’s a first job, graduate school, or postgraduate service.
~Press release composed by media relations intern Sara Bauer ’15. Sara is majoring in business marketing and minoring in Italian.