Domestic Violence Awareness Month
October is national Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). It is a month devoted to raising awareness of the societal issue of domestic violence (including dating, intimate partner, and relationship violence). We take this time to honor survivors of domestic violence and inspire people to take action to end domestic violence.
We encourage you to participate in the DVAM events listed below and follow our @bewellwwu Instagram account for more information.
Every person deserves to be treated with love, dignity and respect.
If you are a Western student who is experiencing or has experienced relationship abuse, sexual violence, stalking or harassment, you are not alone and support is available through Western's Survivor Advocacy Services.
We are here to support you and help you heal from your experiences of violence/abuse. This service is for Western students. We affirm people of all identities and lived experiences. Please note, you do not have to identify yourself as a survivor or use the terms violence/abuse to describe your experience or in order to receive support.
If you are a concerned friend, partner, or family member of a Western student, support is also available for you.
Art-Based Support Group
Survivors are invited to join our art-based support group, a safe space for survivors of violence to support one another in healing. Available to and affirming of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. Art supplies are provided.
Be part of the solution by participating in DVAM events at Western throughout the month of October. Check back often for a list of upcoming events for 2022, and follow the @BeWellWWU account on Instagram for updates.
DVAM Kick-Off in Red Square
Stop by our table in Red Square to help us kick off DVAM at WWU! Pick up a purple DVAM ribbon, consent stickers, Healthy Relationships checklist, and more.
Free T-shirts available at our table while supplies last!
Staff and Faculty Training
Faculty and staff, including student employees, are invited to participate in a training on supporting student survivors. This interactive training, co-hosted by Survivor Advocacy Services and the office for Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance will cover the roles and responsibilities for faculty and staff.
This in-person training focuses on how each of us can have a role in supporting students who have experienced sexual violence/harassment in our community. We will review employee reporting requirements, all available resources, and options. Includes practice providing resources & support when a student discloses.
Clothesline Project
Join us outside below the Library Skybridge for a visual display of personal testimonies by survivors of domestic violence and those who honor and support them. Bear witness and participate in this safe space to share stories and experiences.
The Clothesline Project originated in 1990 in Cape Cod, MA, by a coalition of women’s groups. Its purpose was to break the silence and bear witness to the issue of violence against women. The Project has spread across the country and is often hosted on college campuses and has grown to include anyone who has been impacted by interpersonal violence.
Survivors are invited to design a shirt in whatever way feels authentic and cathartic to you. Stop by our table to create your shirt OR you can pick up supply packets from the front desk at the Counseling and Wellness Center in Old Main 540 from Monday, Oct. 2 through Friday, Oct. 13. You are the one in charge of deciding to tell your story, it is up to you what information and details you share on your shirt.
Restorative Justice + Sexual Assault
This workshop will give an overview of restorative practices that center the voices and perspectives of local survivors of sexual assault and intimate partner violence. Join Susan Marks, Director of the Bellingham-Whatcom County Commission on Sexual and Domestic Violence, and Jessyca Murphy, Director of Make.Shift Art Space, to discuss themes and lessons learned from 40+ in-depth interviews with local survivors about their experiences and hopes for justice in our community.
Staff and Faculty Training
Faculty and staff, including student employees, are invited to participate in a training on supporting student survivors. This interactive training, co-hosted by Survivor Advocacy Services and the office for Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance will cover the roles and responsibilities for faculty and staff.
This online training focuses on how each of us can have a role in supporting students who have experienced sexual violence/harassment in our community. We will review employee reporting requirements, all available resources, and options. Includes practice providing resources & support when a student discloses.
Learn more about what domestic violence is and how you can support those in your life who might be experiencing abuse.
DVAM Zoom Background
Show your support for Domestic Violence Awareness Month by displaying our #DVAM Zoom background for all your virtual meetings during October!
Prefer not to have your video on during Zoom meetings? You can also change your profile picture to our #DVAM Zoom profile image!
DVAM Flyer
Promote Domestic Violence Awareness Month in your department by printing and posting our DVAM flyer during the month of October.
And, if you would like additional DVAM information, including Survivor Advocacy Services handbills and resources on healthy relationships, email Deidre Evans, WWU Survivor Advocate.