The Crippling College Crime

Many of us on campus hear stories of domestic disputes through the grapevine. Naturally, it is not out of the ordinary for couples to have differences, as dissimilarities are what essentially connect us with one another. But what happens when those verbal disagreements turn into physical abuse? Many are afraid to speak out about their abusive college relation¬ships, not knowing of the many resources on campus that can do the talking for them. Domestic violence within the community is something that is unfortunately not fleeting. Oftentimes, victims are stuck on what to do or where to go when the abuse becomes physical and out of control. And even when they do know of outreach programs to turn to, such as Voices Against Violence, a crisis service agency located here in Plymouth - they turn a blind eye in fear of a confidentiality breach. When asked about the assault cases occurring on campus each year, Officer Jennifer Frank, Plymouth State University's Special Investigator said, "The University Police deals with about twelve to fifteen cases per academic year. As low as that number sounds, it's not low enough. Even if the number of domestic violence cases was as low as two, it would not fly with me, and it shouldn't fly with you." As societal "norms" would have it, Officer Frank states that the aggressors are "predominately male." However, there are an increasing number of cases where the woman is commit¬ting the abuse. To make matters worse, it is common for neither of the prospects in the relationship to call for help. "Other parties usually call the police," Officer Frank confirmed. Out of instinct, many couples don't call the police because they do not want to see the other person go to jail. While abstaining from jail time is understandable, Jennifer Frank wants students to know that if they are in an abusive relationship, they do not need to be ashamed to seek help. If we are sick, we take medication, if we feel emotionally distraught, we console with other people. The same premise goes for any form of abuse. Contrary to the belief of many, asking for help does not make you weak; having the courage to address a problem is actually a trait of strength. Studies show that 68 percent of college females know their attacker as either some¬one they were once intimate with, a platonic friend or a "casual acquaintance." The same source also says that 40 percent of domestic violence occurs among those who are unwed. A large portion of this percentage consists of college students. Our scholastic environment forces us to learn reading, arithmetic, and scientific skills. An important skill that we tend to neglect, however, is learning how to protect ourselves.
Luckily, although there has been a slight increase in reports of assault, the amount of confirmed domestic disturbances has stayed the same. The next task for the University Police Department is to prevent these instances from happening.
For those of you who are involved, or know of someone who is involved in an abusive relationship, Officer Frank mentioned both Voices Against Violence and the Plymouth State S.A.G.E Center as confidential resources. She also has a sound piece of advice, "What¬ever you say, keep in mind that your privacy is protected."