Domestic Violence Awareness Month: Mourn, celebrate, connect

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the Richmond YWCA and VCU’s Institute for Women’s Health will host a series of events aimed at empowering survivors and the community.

September 29, 2015; 4:22 PM • by Valerie Catrow

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States–that’s more than 10 million women and men each year. One in five women and one in seven men have been victims of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. Meanwhile only 34 percent of people who are injured by intimate partners receive medical care for their injuries.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the Richmond YWCA and VCU’s Institute for Women’s Health will use the next several weeks to empower survivors, their loved ones, and our community. Each of the events in this series–the third annual “Empowerment through Education”–is free and open to the public, just please use the links below to register.

The Impact of Social Media on Domestic Violence

Kristen Pritchard of Virginia Sexual & Domestic Violence Action Alliance will lead a demonstration on how technology can be used to maintain power and control over an individual.

• Thursday, October 8th • 12:00 – 1:30 PM
• YWCA Richmond, 6 N. 5th Street
• Free (registration)

Healthy Relationships Online

Learn how to engage in healthy relationships when using online dating apps.

• Tuesday, October 13th • 12:00 – 1:30 PM
• Belmont Library, 3100 Ellwood Avenue
• Free (registration)

Effects of Domestic Violence on Children

On average, 10 million children in the United States is exposed to domestic violence. This session will offer an increased understanding of the impact of domestic violence on the family system.

• Thursday, October 15th • 12:00 – 1:30 PM
• YWCA Richmond, 6 N. 5th Street
• Free (registration)

Bystander Intervention Workshop

This workshop is intended to empower community members to take an active role in ending sexual violence, relationship violence, and stalking. Participants will get tips to advocate for survivors and teaching pro-social methods of intervening before, during, and after incidents of violence occur. You’ll leave with concrete tools for how to create a safe space for someone experiencing violence, as well as information about resources available in our community.

• Tuesday, October 20th • 6:00 – 8:00 PM
• Virginia League for Planned Parenthood, 201 Hamilton Street
• Free (registration)

The Role of Firearms & Domestic Violence

The presence of a gun in a domestic violence situation increases the risk of homicide by 500 percent. Chief Venuti of the VCU Police Department will team up with Lisette Johnson, an advocate and survivor, for a panel discussion on gun laws as it pertains to domestic violence, statistics on the number of injuries and deaths as a result of firearms in domestic violence incidents, and understanding the heightened danger for individuals when firearms are accessible in a domestic violence situation.

• Thursday, October 22nd • 12:00 – 1:30 PM
• YWCA Richmond, 6 N. 5th Street
• Free (registration)

20th Annual Remember My Name

Help honor those in the Greater Richmond area who lost their lives as a result of domestic violence–and get inspired to protect, educate, and empower others.

• Tuesday, October 27th • 6:00 – 9:00 PM
• YWCA Richmond, 6 N. 5th Street
• Free (registration)

September 29, 2015 4:22 PM 0