Event raises awareness of sexual violence

While students, professors and business owners took a day off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Protective Order Assistance Partnership celebrated “A Day On! Not a Day Off” at City Hall.

Linda Robbins, Monroe County clerk and a partner of POAP, co-founded the organization three years ago with Prosecutor Chris Gaal.

Their goal was to support victims of domestic violence, sexual abuse and stalking, she said.

Robbins said she draws from her experience working at the clerk’s office, where domestic work is handled similarly to the Department of Motor Vehicles.

“I really understand how humiliating it is to admit this is going on, much less ask for help,” she said.

Robbins and Gaal created POAP as a safe, confidential option that allows victims to seek help and support.

POAP is a collaboration between the Office of the Monroe County Clerk, the Office of the Monroe County Prosecuting Attorney, Middle Way House, the IU Maurer School of Law’s Protective Order Project and the IU School of Social Work, according to a press release.

Middle Way House is a place where women can go for temporary housing, counseling and — if necessary — the creation of an exit strategy, Robbins said.

Robbins said an abusive relationship is at its most volatile when the victim leaves his or her abuser.

“That’s why protective orders are so important,” she said.  

Representatives from each of the agencies involved will work on site at Middle Way House to make people feel comfortable and provide them with the services they need.

Sarah Hunt, a senior  in the IU School of Social Work, worked with POAP on “A Day On! Not a Day Off” to raise awareness about these issues.

Hunt created the event as a social justice project that she was required to

complete for class.

“I work one-on-one with survivors petitioning the court for protection,” Hunt said.

Inspired by the national “No More” movement — which includes celebrities declaring “no more” to domestic violence — Hunt said she decided to get people talking about the abuse that so often is forgotten or ignored.

National organization members want more local groups to get involved, Hunt said.

“We are growing and evolving,” Robbins said. “We’ll be having some things on campus later.”

Hunt has become so involved in the program at IU that she has events planned each month to help keep domestic violence from being ignored, Robbins said.

“This is one of those societal problems where the victims become invisible,” Robbins said. “Nobody wants to talk about it.”

Hunt also acknowledged the lack of communication when it comes to domestic abuse and other forms of violence.

“Really, we don’t talk about it,” Hunt said. “(A Day On! Not a Day Off) is to get people sort of speaking about it in an empowering way.”

Throughout the day, a variety of activities and interactive stations allowed for people to understand that talking about abuse is necessary to prevent it and help survivors.

People entered the building, signed in and went to the “No More” station.

At the station, they read facts and statistics on domestic violence, sexual abuse and stalking, both nationally and within Monroe County.

For example, the Bureau of Justice reported that in 2007, an average of three women per day are killed by a current or former intimate partner nationwide.

After reading these facts, visitors were encouraged to write their own “No More” statement to be hung up in the atrium’s gallery.

Visitors could hold their statement and take a photograph for the “Monroe County says No More” Facebook page.

Next, visitors were directed to a web browsing station where they could view the Monroe County public service announcement created under Hunt’s direction.

The video can be accessed on the “Monroe County says No More” YouTube page.

In the video, facts similar to those at the first station are displayed as well as messages from local and state politicians and volunteers about why they say “no more” to domestic violence.

“No more ‘It’s none of my business,’” Senator Mark Stoops said in the video.

Executive director of Middle Way House Toby Strout and Gaal also spoke in the video.

At the final station, visitors could decorate bags to be filled with women’s warm winter socks, women’s and children’s winter gloves, hats and scarves to be brought to Middle Way House.

Hunt said donations are still welcome and appreciated.

The activities are meant to address the topic of domestic violence in an approachable way for all ages, inspiring them to take an active role in helping friends and family members who are suffering, Hunt said.

Hunt will talk to children and teens in future projects.

“Hopefully, they’ll carry on the conversation when they leave,” Hunt said.

Hunt said it felt good to try to do something that would make people feel empowered and move this issue out of the margins.

Society has come a long way, but this is not nearly enough, Hunt said.

“It’s certainly a very large issue,” Hunt said. “It touches everyone. Violence in our society affects all of us. It isn’t something that just happens to other people.”

Follow reporter Amanda Marino on Twitter @amandanmarino.