Today's edition of the Temple News (a publication at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pa.) has a story by Temple News writer Sergei Blair about last week's campus event about dating violence. Laurel House's Tommie Wilkins, director of domestic violence education, and NBC10 anchor Tracy Davidson led the presentation. Read the article in its entirety below or by clicking here.
Students ‘talk frankly’ about abuse
November 10, 2009 by Sergei Blair
An NBC10 anchor and local abuse shelter education coordinator teamed up to discuss dating violence and domestic abuse at a campus event.
The issue of dating violence and domestic abuse is seldom discussed publicly. For many victims, it’s a personal subject. Some Temple students, however, attended an event last week at the Student Center to share their personal experiences and give encouragement to other abuse victims.
About 50 students and faculty members attended the event “Talking Frankly,” hosted by the Dean of Students Office. The hour-and-a-half talk, led by Tommie Wilkins, director of training and education at Laurel House domestic abuse shelter in Norristown, was highlighted with a special appearance by NBC 10 anchor Tracy Davidson.
The two discussed dating and domestic abuse and how to handle situations of abuse, along with personal stories of how domestic violence affected them.
“I grew up with domestic violence, so I witnessed it for a long time, the control that somebody can have over another person,” Davidson told the audience.
Unfortunately for many in situations similar to Davidson’s, the problem of abuse can follow its victims into their college years. Recent data on college dating violence and abuse from the National Center for Victims of Crime indicates that 60 percent of acquaintance rapes on college campuses occur in causal or steady relationships. The report says of all documented cases, 54 percent of dating violence victims stay in physically abusive relationships.
Wilkins identified the cycle of violence as a three-step process that most couples find themselves in during their relationships: a tension-building phase, then a violence and abuse phase, followed by an apologetic honeymoon phase. She said each step of the cycle develops over time and may reveal itself in subtle ways without others suspecting anything. The cycle only ends when someone involved in it takes action to end it, she said.
“The abuser is not going to let it go,” Wilkins said. “If it’s the abuser ending it, it will end in death.”
During the discussion, an open forum was provided for students to ask questions. Some took the opportunity to open up and share their own stories of how dating abuse affected their lives. One student was overcome with emotions when she recalled instances of emotional abuse and bullying she suffered from acquaintances on campus and how her boyfriend ended up being the one person she could lean on through rough times.
“He knew how to take the emotional abuse that I felt from this school and hold me. All I wanted was someone to hear me and understand what I was going through,” she said.
Sexual crimes do not seem to dominate the crime statistics at Temple, which generally sees high numbers of robberies, thefts and aggravated assaults. According to figures from Campus Safety Services’ 2009 Annual Security and Fire Safety report, there were four documented cases of forcible sex offenses last year on Main Campus. That number decreased by 71 percent from 14 cases reported in 2007.
Wilkins explained that no matter what type of relationship it may be, the issue of dating and domestic abuse all boils down to a single issue – the power of control.
Wilkins said the power of control stems from the past and ultimately affects most relationships in the future. She added the most common way of thinking of most abusers have a lot to do with taking advantage of power they never had.
“Even though I grew up in a great home, somewhere in my life I felt powerless and out of control,” she explained. “This relationship is how I get that control back.”
Wilkins and Davidson teamed up on behalf of Laurel House, an independent nonprofit organization that provides shelter, medical care and legal advocacy, plus a free 24-hour help hotline for victims of abuse.After the discussion, students were offered resources for abuse prevention. Several on-campus clubs and organizations, including the Health Education Awareness Resource Team provided assistance and literature on the topic.
Among others, one small organization with a big presence at the event was LIFT. As part of a larger group, the National Student Partnerships founded by college undergraduates in 1998 to work side-by-side with low-income community members and college students, LIFT at Temple handles issues like poverty, healthcare, employment and education.
Student volunteer Trang Pham said her organization is also dedicated to helping victims of abuse.“We’ve seen a couple of times when our clients come in with bruises, and we just want to know how we can help them and how we can bring up the topic without making them feel uncomfortable,” she said.Although the event was primarily geared toward females, as they more often find themselves in abusive situations, several male students and faculty members joined the conversation as well.
“There are women out there who are physically and psychologically [abusive] to their boyfriends and husbands,” Wilkins said. “It’s no longer a gender issue where there’s this big guy beating up poor, helpless women. There are some scary women out there.”
Sergei Blair can be reached at sergei.blair@temple.edu.
Thank you, Sergei, for covering this event and raising awareness through your reporting about domestic abuse.
Showing posts with label Teen Dating Violence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Teen Dating Violence. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Mirror, Mirror Prompts Discussion About Dating Violence
Laurel House is a member of Tri-County Community Network, which recently worked with students at Pottstown High School (Pottstown, Pa.) on a student production called "Mirror, Mirror" about dating violence.
Here's the article from the Pottstown Mercury, 11/7/09. Laurel House extends congratulations to all the performers in this production for using your talents to bring attention to such an important issue.
POTTSTOWN — Pottstown High School students are playing their part to bring awareness to National Domestic Violence Month. Members of the Pottstown High Acting Troupe, under the direction of Joseph Perrone, performed "Mirror, Mirror" to a student audience. The project was a collaborative effort with the TriCounty Community Network. Cast members were Melissa Barboza, Isaih Robinson, Jessica Rhoads, Braxton Johnson, Dequan Washington and Hayley Steltz. Amanda Thomas was assistant director. Stage manager was Alex Argue.Representatives of Laurel House, Diamond Credit Union, Creative Health Services and Family Services led small group discussions about safe dating.
Here's the article from the Pottstown Mercury, 11/7/09. Laurel House extends congratulations to all the performers in this production for using your talents to bring attention to such an important issue.
POTTSTOWN — Pottstown High School students are playing their part to bring awareness to National Domestic Violence Month. Members of the Pottstown High Acting Troupe, under the direction of Joseph Perrone, performed "Mirror, Mirror" to a student audience. The project was a collaborative effort with the TriCounty Community Network. Cast members were Melissa Barboza, Isaih Robinson, Jessica Rhoads, Braxton Johnson, Dequan Washington and Hayley Steltz. Amanda Thomas was assistant director. Stage manager was Alex Argue.Representatives of Laurel House, Diamond Credit Union, Creative Health Services and Family Services led small group discussions about safe dating.
Monday, October 26, 2009
And the Winners Are ...
Artie Ziemer (second from left) and Brett "Mitchell" Michener (third from left), whose posters took first and second place prize, respectively, in the Teen Dating Violence Poster Contest. The students, both from North Montco Technical Career Center, were recognized on October 22, 2009 at a ceremony held at the Montgomery County Court House in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Offering their congratulations were their teacher, Candace Weber (pictured at left) and Laurel House's Executive Director, Beth Sturman (right).
First place winner Artie Ziemer is pictured with his winning design, shown close up. Later that evening, Artie was honored at the Montgomery County Commission of Women and Families' annual dinner.
Brett "Mitchell" Michener's poster (below) carried the message of There's a Difference Between Love and Control.
Finally, another entry implored teen to Shatter the Silence and Stop Dating Violence Now.
Congratulations to the winners!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Teen Dating Violence: Stop It In the Classroom Before It Gets to The Courtroom
Laurel House and the Domestic Violence Legal Network (DVLN) of Montgomery County invite the public to attend a special event in connection with Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
October 22, 2009
Presentation will include
Awards and ceremony for winners of the
Teen Dating Violence:
Stop It in the Classroom Before It Gets to the Courtroom
October 22, 2009
Presentation will include
Awards and ceremony for winners of the
Thomas Barone Scholarship presentation
Keynote Speaker: The Honorable S. Gerald Corso
Judge Corso will share his experiences during his time on the juvenile court bench in relation to the issue of teen dating violence
Closing Remarks
District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman
For questions or more information, please contact 610-277-1860
or mfirman@laurel-house.org (or leave a comment here on the blog)
Monday, September 28, 2009
Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Poster Contest Deadline Fast Approaching
Calling all high school student artists!
Thursday October 1 is the last day for Montgomery County, Pa. high school students to enter the 2009 Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Poster Contest, sponsored by Laurel House and many other community organizations (see list at end of this post).
“Dating Violence and the National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline” is the theme for the 2009 contest. Entries must be postmarked by October 1, 2009. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners will receive monetary prizes, and the 1st place winner's poster will be used as the Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention poster for Montgomery County schools from October 2009 to October 2010.
All winning posters will be placed on Laurel House's website. A copy of the official Contest Rules and Registration Form can be found here, or by pasting http://www.laurel-house.org/index.php?pr=Poster_Contest in your browser. All posters must have a completed Registration Form on the back of their entry.
Sponsoring organizations include:
Upper Perkiomen Domestic Violence Task Force
Montgomery County Teen Parent Task Force
North Penn Community Action Team
Domestic Violence Legal Network
Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library
Women's Center of Montgomery County
Victim Services Center of Montgomery County
Tri-County Community Network
Laurel House
For questions or more information, contact Tommie Wilkins, Director of Domestic Violence Training and Education at Laurel House, twilkins@laurel-house.org or at 610-277-1860, ext. 100.
Thursday October 1 is the last day for Montgomery County, Pa. high school students to enter the 2009 Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Poster Contest, sponsored by Laurel House and many other community organizations (see list at end of this post).
“Dating Violence and the National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline” is the theme for the 2009 contest. Entries must be postmarked by October 1, 2009. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners will receive monetary prizes, and the 1st place winner's poster will be used as the Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention poster for Montgomery County schools from October 2009 to October 2010.
All winning posters will be placed on Laurel House's website. A copy of the official Contest Rules and Registration Form can be found here, or by pasting http://www.laurel-house.org/index.php?pr=Poster_Contest in your browser. All posters must have a completed Registration Form on the back of their entry.
Sponsoring organizations include:
Upper Perkiomen Domestic Violence Task Force
Montgomery County Teen Parent Task Force
North Penn Community Action Team
Domestic Violence Legal Network
Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library
Women's Center of Montgomery County
Victim Services Center of Montgomery County
Tri-County Community Network
Laurel House
For questions or more information, contact Tommie Wilkins, Director of Domestic Violence Training and Education at Laurel House, twilkins@laurel-house.org or at 610-277-1860, ext. 100.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Souderton Area High School Students Raise $2,000 for Laurel House
For their senior project at Souderton Area High School, Anna Vo and Alanna Messner decided to have fun while raising money for Laurel House at the same time. The two friends organized a Charity Fashion Show that raised more than $2,000 for Laurel House's anti-domestic violence programs and services.
Anna and Alanna, you are an example to young women in your community. Thank you for dedicating your time and talents to increasing awareness and education about domestic abuse and teen dating violence. You're an inspiration to us all!
In case you missed the original article, take a moment to read the story below by Bob Keeler, Staff Writer for the Souderton Independent.
By Bob Keeler, Staff Writer
Everybody knows times are tough, but two Souderton Area High School juniors working on a charity fundraiser for their senior project say that hasn’t stopped donations from businesses and people willing to help out.
“We’ve been really excited with the support we got from the community,” said Alanna Messner, of Franconia, who with Thuytien “Anna” Vo, of Harleysville, is putting on a fashion show and concert 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, May 29 at the Indian Valley Boys & Girls Club on Washington Avenue in Souderton.
Proceeds will benefit the anti-domestic violence and shelter programs of Laurel House.
“We picked Laurel House because as young, teenage girls, we can kind of relate to the growing problem of domestic violence in our community,” Messner said. “And it’s a local event, which I think is pretty cool because it’s giving back to pretty much just our community.”
The theme for the fashion show will be spring fling.
“A bunch of the clothing that the models will be wearing will be bridal gowns or bridesmaid’s dresses, formal attire, and the males would be wearing tuxedos,” Vo said.“Plus, we’ll have a lot of casual stuff, just kind of trendy new things for the summer,” Messner said.
Both students are building onto past experiences in putting together their senior project.
Connections made in those experiences are also helping bring in donations and volunteer help.
“I’m familiar with a lot of the bridal places because I help run the fashion show for the high school,” Vo said.
The fashion show, in which Vo was both a model and an events planner this year, is held annually at the school to show prom-wear styles.
Messner, who has more extensive modeling experience, also appeared in a music video by Rivers Monroe, which will be performing at the fundraiser.
Rivers Monroe videos, including the one in which Messner portrayed the female lead in a relationship that was ending, as well as other information about the group, can be seen at www.myspace.com/RiversMonroe.
“In addition to the concert, we also have a tattoo artist. We have a lot of professional models coming in,” Messner said. “We have food that was donated by local pizzerias.”
“It’s just a fun family night out,” Vo said.
Other students from the high school have also volunteered to help out. The fundraiser also will include a raffle and silent auction.
Along with doing the show as a senior project, Messner expects to use it for an entrance project to her subsequent educational step after next year’s graduation from Souderton. She plans to study international trade and marketing for the fashion industry at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.
Vo, who plans to major in biology at the University of Pittsburgh, might not be directly using the events planning experience in that, but she also has another reason for choosing to do the fundraiser as her senior project.
“I do what I can to give back to the community,” Vo said.
Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and $3 for children younger than 12. Tickets will be available at the door, but purchasing in advance will help in the planning. Tickets or information are available by e-mailing charityfashionconcert@yahoo.com or by calling 215-880-2775.
The two students have been working hard on the project since January, Messner said.
People who know about Laurel House and its programs have been especially supportive.
“I feel like a lot of people that know the organization are more than willing to help,” Messner said.
In addition to raising money for the organization, the fashion show and concert can help bring awareness about the Laurel House programs, she said.
The successful work already done to prepare for an event of this size is inspiring, Messner said, but there’s still work to be done in the final month to make sure people know about and come out to the show.
“We’re just working right now on getting it promoted and getting the word out there because, of course, the more people we have, the more of a success it’ll be, and the more money that’ll be raised,” Messner said.
See photos from the event here.
Anna and Alanna, you are an example to young women in your community. Thank you for dedicating your time and talents to increasing awareness and education about domestic abuse and teen dating violence. You're an inspiration to us all!
In case you missed the original article, take a moment to read the story below by Bob Keeler, Staff Writer for the Souderton Independent.
By Bob Keeler, Staff Writer
Everybody knows times are tough, but two Souderton Area High School juniors working on a charity fundraiser for their senior project say that hasn’t stopped donations from businesses and people willing to help out.
“We’ve been really excited with the support we got from the community,” said Alanna Messner, of Franconia, who with Thuytien “Anna” Vo, of Harleysville, is putting on a fashion show and concert 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, May 29 at the Indian Valley Boys & Girls Club on Washington Avenue in Souderton.
Proceeds will benefit the anti-domestic violence and shelter programs of Laurel House.
“We picked Laurel House because as young, teenage girls, we can kind of relate to the growing problem of domestic violence in our community,” Messner said. “And it’s a local event, which I think is pretty cool because it’s giving back to pretty much just our community.”
The theme for the fashion show will be spring fling.
“A bunch of the clothing that the models will be wearing will be bridal gowns or bridesmaid’s dresses, formal attire, and the males would be wearing tuxedos,” Vo said.“Plus, we’ll have a lot of casual stuff, just kind of trendy new things for the summer,” Messner said.
Both students are building onto past experiences in putting together their senior project.
Connections made in those experiences are also helping bring in donations and volunteer help.
“I’m familiar with a lot of the bridal places because I help run the fashion show for the high school,” Vo said.
The fashion show, in which Vo was both a model and an events planner this year, is held annually at the school to show prom-wear styles.
Messner, who has more extensive modeling experience, also appeared in a music video by Rivers Monroe, which will be performing at the fundraiser.
Rivers Monroe videos, including the one in which Messner portrayed the female lead in a relationship that was ending, as well as other information about the group, can be seen at www.myspace.com/RiversMonroe.
“In addition to the concert, we also have a tattoo artist. We have a lot of professional models coming in,” Messner said. “We have food that was donated by local pizzerias.”
“It’s just a fun family night out,” Vo said.
Other students from the high school have also volunteered to help out. The fundraiser also will include a raffle and silent auction.
Along with doing the show as a senior project, Messner expects to use it for an entrance project to her subsequent educational step after next year’s graduation from Souderton. She plans to study international trade and marketing for the fashion industry at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.
Vo, who plans to major in biology at the University of Pittsburgh, might not be directly using the events planning experience in that, but she also has another reason for choosing to do the fundraiser as her senior project.
“I do what I can to give back to the community,” Vo said.
Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and $3 for children younger than 12. Tickets will be available at the door, but purchasing in advance will help in the planning. Tickets or information are available by e-mailing charityfashionconcert@yahoo.com or by calling 215-880-2775.
The two students have been working hard on the project since January, Messner said.
People who know about Laurel House and its programs have been especially supportive.
“I feel like a lot of people that know the organization are more than willing to help,” Messner said.
In addition to raising money for the organization, the fashion show and concert can help bring awareness about the Laurel House programs, she said.
The successful work already done to prepare for an event of this size is inspiring, Messner said, but there’s still work to be done in the final month to make sure people know about and come out to the show.
“We’re just working right now on getting it promoted and getting the word out there because, of course, the more people we have, the more of a success it’ll be, and the more money that’ll be raised,” Messner said.
See photos from the event here.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Laurel House Announces 2009 Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Poster Contest for Montgomery County, PA High School Students
High school students in Montgomery County, PA are invited to participate in the 2009 Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Poster Contest. This year's theme is “Dating Violence and the National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline.” Entries are due October 1, 2009.
1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners will receive monetary prizes. The 1st place winner's poster will be used as the Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention poster for Montgomery County schools from October 2009 to October 2010. All winning posters will be placed on Laurel House's website.
Official Contest Rules and Registration Form can be found here, or by pasting http://www.laurel-house.org/index.php?pr=Poster_Contest in your browser. All posters must have a completed Registration Form on the back of their entry.
For questions or more information, contact Tommie Wilkins, Director of Domestic Violence Training and Education at Laurel House, twilkins@laurel-house.org or at 610-277-1680
Sponsoring organizations include:
Upper Perkiomen Domestic Violence Task Force
Montgomery County Teen Parent Task Force
North Penn Community Action Team
Domestic Violence Legal Network,
Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library
Women's Center of Montgomery County
Victim Services Center of Montgomery County
Tri-County Community Network
Laurel House
For questions or more information, contact Tommie Wilkins, Director of Domestic Violence Training and Education at Laurel House, twilkins@laurel-house.org or at 610-277-1860, ext. 100.
1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners will receive monetary prizes. The 1st place winner's poster will be used as the Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention poster for Montgomery County schools from October 2009 to October 2010. All winning posters will be placed on Laurel House's website.
Official Contest Rules and Registration Form can be found here, or by pasting http://www.laurel-house.org/index.php?pr=Poster_Contest in your browser. All posters must have a completed Registration Form on the back of their entry.
For questions or more information, contact Tommie Wilkins, Director of Domestic Violence Training and Education at Laurel House, twilkins@laurel-house.org or at 610-277-1680
Sponsoring organizations include:
Upper Perkiomen Domestic Violence Task Force
Montgomery County Teen Parent Task Force
North Penn Community Action Team
Domestic Violence Legal Network,
Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library
Women's Center of Montgomery County
Victim Services Center of Montgomery County
Tri-County Community Network
Laurel House
For questions or more information, contact Tommie Wilkins, Director of Domestic Violence Training and Education at Laurel House, twilkins@laurel-house.org or at 610-277-1860, ext. 100.
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