Spring Break
Univ. group to fight 'silent' relationship abuse
Founder aims to educate, inform
JOANN ANDERSON
Issue date: 2/28/08 Section: News
Because there may be silent sufferers of sexual or relationship violence on campus, a new organization has made its mission to become an advocate of violence prevention.
Thirty-two million adult Americans have reported partner violence sometime in their lives, according to the National Violence Against Women Survey.
Seven percent of men and 22 percent of women reported physical assault in an intimate relationship.
violence are women.
At the University, 18.3 percent of students reported being in an emotionally abusive relationship, according to a 2001 study conducted by the National College Health Assessment.
Sissy Weldon, a sophomore from Hahira, said the need for information about relationship and sexual violence at the University inspired her to start an organization, Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention.
"Larry Gourdine [the Relationship & Sexual Violence Prevention coordinator] and I came up with the plan to create RSVP in fall of 2006, and have since been trying to recruit other students with a passion to end relationship and sexual violence," she said.
"It also became apparent to me that students were not educated on what kinds of threats they might face at such a large university … I decided to give back to this University community by spending my time here educating others in hopes of preventing sexual and relationship violence."
The club aims "to eliminate relationship and sexual violence from the University community," Weldon said.
Gourdine said, "It has been a goal of mine to create a student organization of this nature since I arrived at the University a year ago form North Carolina State University, as the violence prevention educator. Peer education or student learning from other students is a concept that can be powerful and an effective tool when trying to raise students' awareness on campus."
Weldon said efforts to do this include spreading awareness on campus, providing a safe haven of support for victims of sexual or relationship violence and offering information to victims to help start the healing process.
Group members will have the opportunity to undergo training offered by the Office of Violence Prevention, Weldon said.
"Members of RSVP will work to empower survivors and make them aware of their resources not only on campus, but within the Athens community as well," she said.
"We hope to challenge cultural attitudes, misconceptions that perpetuate, condone, sustain and contribute to violence," Gourdine said. "[We also want to] provide students with the tools and skills needed to make informed decisions as it relates to reducing the risk of sexual assault, stalking, sexual harassment and dating violence."
Gourdine said the organization hopes to "give survivors a voice so that they do not suffer in silence alone."
Thirty-two million adult Americans have reported partner violence sometime in their lives, according to the National Violence Against Women Survey.
Seven percent of men and 22 percent of women reported physical assault in an intimate relationship.
22, 7
Percent of women and men, respectively, who report physical assaults.85-90
Percent of victims of relationshipviolence are women.
18.3
Percent of University students who report being in an emotionally abusive relationship in the past year.At the University, 18.3 percent of students reported being in an emotionally abusive relationship, according to a 2001 study conducted by the National College Health Assessment.
Sissy Weldon, a sophomore from Hahira, said the need for information about relationship and sexual violence at the University inspired her to start an organization, Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention.
"Larry Gourdine [the Relationship & Sexual Violence Prevention coordinator] and I came up with the plan to create RSVP in fall of 2006, and have since been trying to recruit other students with a passion to end relationship and sexual violence," she said.
"It also became apparent to me that students were not educated on what kinds of threats they might face at such a large university … I decided to give back to this University community by spending my time here educating others in hopes of preventing sexual and relationship violence."
The club aims "to eliminate relationship and sexual violence from the University community," Weldon said.
Gourdine said, "It has been a goal of mine to create a student organization of this nature since I arrived at the University a year ago form North Carolina State University, as the violence prevention educator. Peer education or student learning from other students is a concept that can be powerful and an effective tool when trying to raise students' awareness on campus."
Weldon said efforts to do this include spreading awareness on campus, providing a safe haven of support for victims of sexual or relationship violence and offering information to victims to help start the healing process.
Group members will have the opportunity to undergo training offered by the Office of Violence Prevention, Weldon said.
"Members of RSVP will work to empower survivors and make them aware of their resources not only on campus, but within the Athens community as well," she said.
"We hope to challenge cultural attitudes, misconceptions that perpetuate, condone, sustain and contribute to violence," Gourdine said. "[We also want to] provide students with the tools and skills needed to make informed decisions as it relates to reducing the risk of sexual assault, stalking, sexual harassment and dating violence."
Gourdine said the organization hopes to "give survivors a voice so that they do not suffer in silence alone."
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