Domestic violence programs at UNC aim to raise awareness

In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, The Daily Tar Heel is showcasing three local organizations and their efforts to combat violence.

Domestic violence is defined as a pattern of violent or controlling behavior used against a family member or partner to gain power.

Family Violence Prevention Center of Orange County

The county Family Violence Prevention Center focuses on helping residents in emotionally, physically or sexually abusive relationships.

Beverly Kennedy, the center’s executive director, said the center is working with other local groups to help increase awareness.

The groups include the Carolina Women’s Center and the UNC School of Law, with which the center is highlighting college-age survivors of domestic violence in a project called “Silent Witness.”

Kennedy said last year the center helped 805 clients in the county.

Visit www.fvpcoc.org/volunteer.shtml for more information.

Orange County Rape Crisis Center

While the Orange County Rape Crisis Center is not sponsoring events specifically for the awareness month, the center is working with the women’s center to promote domestic violence awareness, said Alyson Culin, the center’s development and marketing director.

To raise funds for the crisis center, UNC’s chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., hosted a Violence Against Women Prevention Walk on Oct. 1.

Visit www.ocrcc.org/get_involved.html for more information.

Carolina Women’s Center

In addition to participating in the “Silent Witness” project, the Carolina Women’s Center sponsors HAVEN, a program that trains individuals to help students deal with issues of domestic violence.

Robert Pleasants, Interpersonal Violence Prevention Coordinator for the UNC Counseling and Wellness Services, runs HAVEN.

He said the most rewarding part of his job is helping students find information about domestic violence and how to stop it.

“Our community is so full of resources,” he said in an e-mail. “It’s great to be able to show them what’s out there.”

Students can also become involved with One Act, which teaches skills to help prevent sexual and interpersonal violence, or take a course in the women’s studies department in leadership and violence prevention.

Visit http://womenscenter.unc.edu for more information.

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.