Students mark Domestic Violence Awareness Month 2020

In a stressful year of overlapping crises, one of the alarming side effects of staying at home more during a pandemic is that reports of domestic violence have been rising. ASU students offer year-round support and resources through ASU Sexual and Relationship Violence Prevention, including hosting virtual and in-person events for Domestic Violence Awareness Month throughout October. 

Nonprofit management and marketing major Cheyanne Kratz is one of the student leaders who helped organize a month of relevant, educational, physically distant activities. 

“We were excited to do the virtual events because we were trying to find a way to interact with online students with the events as well, since ASU has such a big online student population,” Kratz said.

ASU students led virtual events to observe Domestic Violence Awareness Month 2020.

Domestic Violence Awareness Month at ASU launched with a social media event. Boundaries and Beyond informed viewers on resources against violence and gave folks a chance to win giveaways. On Oct. 19, the group launched a countdown to Wear Purple Day on Oct. 22, which signals support to survivors of domestic violence by wearing purple. 

“We also wanted people to wear purple on social media,” she said. “Whether that’s changing your profile picture to a purple ribbon in support and solidarity, posting a picture in purple, using a hashtag and just running more awareness that way.”

A new offering this year was a partnership with Sun Devil Fitness and Wellness to create Consent Yoga, a mix of exercise and thought about setting and respecting boundaries. 

“A lot of times consent is perceived to only be sexual consent, but consent is in our everyday lives,” Kratz said. “We should be constantly, especially with the pandemic, respecting people's boundaries and looking for confirmation of what some people are comfortable with and what some people aren't comfortable with.”

In October students also had the opportunity to register for the Sun Devil Support Network Training. SDSN is for any student looking to expand their knowledge, skills and tools in order to better support survivors and victims of sexual, domestic and relationship violence. The last SDSN trainings of the semester are coming up Nov. 13 and 20.

An in-person event was also held for Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a Deconstructing Disney townhall conversation on Oct. 12. The event also celebrated Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month. Attendees discussed the cultural motifs and connotations of “Coco.” Kratz said she was excited to work with other groups and broaden their conversations.

“Just because it's Domestic Violence Awareness Month doesn’t mean it’s just Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It’s really cool that they do that and they respect other things that people are focusing on.”

Their last, longest and according to Kratz one of their most meaningful events is the ASU Clothesline Project. Survivors of domestic or relationship violence can express their feelings and experiences by decorating a shirt and putting it on display. This year, the event happened virtually from Oct. 25 to Oct. 31; participants created and designed shirts virtually.

Get involved with the Sun Devil Movement for Violence Prevention and find resources about violence prevention at ASU through ASU Sexual and Relationship Violence Prevention.