To increase awareness about domestic violence and the risk of sexual assault, Bucks invited Christina Baer, director of A Woman’s Place (AWP), to educate students about the steps they could take to protect themselves and the services that are available on campus.
The event took place on Oct. 9 since October is Domestic Violence Awareness month.
As the current head of AWP, Baer has been educating and counseling people on how to guard against domestic violence for more than five years. During her hour-long presentation, Baer described how domestic violence could progress between two people who are involved in a relationship and the general impact that such abuse could have on the victim.
Baer said that one of the partners could start exhibiting excessive behavior when he or she sends repeated texts in a short amount of time without waiting for an answer or showing a constant need to know about the whereabouts of his or her partner.
One of the most pressing issues facing young couples, according to Baer, is how to set appropriate boundaries. The difficulty seems to lie in the fact that boundary-setting runs counter to the impulse of wanting to please one’s partner as much as possible. Thus, since boundary-setting actions could cause friction or displeasure, many couples might be reluctant to take that step.
Baer said that this reluctance is even greater when it comes to sexual contact.It could be particularly hard for a woman to say “no” to her partner, but Baer emphasized that this is an important step that must be taken in a relationship. To that end, Baer encouraged students to establish proper boundaries.
By policing those boundaries vigilantly, Baer indicated that women would be less likely to become victims of domestic violence or non-consensual sex. She also stressed that anyone could end up in an abusive relationship.
It is an issue that resonated personally with Baer because she has a friend who was a victim of domestic violence. Baer’s friend was threatened with a baseball bat by her boyfriend during an altercation.
Oftentimes, there are many abusers who would try to rationalize their behavior. She told the students “nothing could justify these types of behavior” because such “abuse is a conscious choice.”
In an interview after her presentation, Baer said she wants students to keep in mind that when involved in a relationship, they have the right to respect and be respected by their partners.
For the male participants, Baer showed a short video that depicted the importance of seeking consent. The video is entitled “Seven A’s of Hooking Up.” It is a response to a letter written by a fraternity member giving advice on “luring your rapebait.”
In the video, Jamie Utt stressed that a guy should ask a girl for her consent before attempting to do anything, be it kissing, inviting her to his room, or engaging in any sexual activities.
Carey Thomas, a criminal justice major from Trevose, reacted to the presentation by saying that the information provided by the lecture could greatly benefit a relationship since the information could guide one on how to treat one’s partner with respect.
The lecture was also well received by Carey Nickey, who is also from Trevose and majoring in social work. Nickey stressed the importance of having such information available to college students.
Dekia Smith, the director of counseling services and student services, who organized the lecture, said, “The goal of the event is to empower students so that if anything were to happen to them, they would know what to do.”
Smith also mentioned that she wants students to know where they can go for help, what their rights are and all the counseling services that are accessible to them on campus.