violence

Stressed?? CDC Tips for Coping

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Wilce Student Health Center

Overwhelmed?

With the shocking and traumatic events of this week, are you getting overwhelmed by the news coverage?  Perhaps you have family or friends directly impacted? 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has posted a number of symptoms to consider as possible danger signs, as well as tips on stress management 

Symptoms of Stress

  • Fear and anxiety about the future
  • Difficulty making decisions
  • Being numb to one’s feelings
  • Loss of interest in normal activities
  • Loss of appetite
  • Nightmares and recurring thoughts about the event
  • Increased use of alcohol and drugs
  • Sadness and other symptoms of depression
  • Crying
  • Sleep problems
  • Headaches, back pains, and stomach problems
  • Trouble concentrating

Tips for Self-Care

  • Avoid drugs and alcohol – in the long run they can create more problems instead of take stress  away.
  • Find support – talk to a partner, family member, friend, counselor, doctor, or clergyperson.
  • Connect socially – make sure that you are spending time with loved ones.
  • Take care of yourself – diet, exercise, sleep, normal routines
  • Give yourself a break if you feel stressed out
  • Stay active – helping a neighbor, volunteering in the community, even taking the dog on a long walk.

If you need additional help, come talk to a healthcare professional at Student Health Services, or contact our Student Life partners at Counseling and Consultation Services, the Student Wellness Center, or the Student Advocacy Center.

Take care,

 Roger Miller, MD (OSU Student Health)

How do I help my friend get out of an abusive relationship?

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National Domestic Violence Hotline

Q: My friend has stopped going out because she says her boyfriend won’t let her; he thinks she’ll cheat on him if she hangs out without him.  I barely see her anymore and I’m worried that he’s crossed the line in their relationship. What can I do? 

A: It can be difficult to assess whether abuse is occurring in a relationship, including your own!  Abusive behavior is often hard to recognize and many people may actually believe that it is part of a normal relationship. The first step in knowing if your friend is in trouble is to learn what abuse looks like.

Physical and sexual abuse can be described as any unwanted physical contact.  It might be hard to identify in a friend because victims often hide the physical evidence (bruises, scrapes or cuts) and feel that they are to blame in some way.

Emotional abuse is harder to define.  It can range from verbal insults and threats, to online bullying by text, email or social network stalking.

Abuse is always about power and control, and research has shown that it is much more likely to escalate rather than resolve.  Facts about dating violence:

  • 1 in 4 women will experience abuse at some point in their lifetime.
  • 80% of women stay in abusive relationships.
  • On average, it takes women 7 attempts to leave an abusive relationship. This is explained by a concept called the cycle of abuse.
  • Women ages 16-24 have the highest risk for becoming victims of dating abuse.
  • 32% of college students report being abused by a past partner and 20% report being abused by a current partner.
  • 60% of acquaintance rapes on college campuses occur in casual or steady dating relationships.

Dating abuse is much too complex to contain in a single blog post.  Please see the links below for more information, including links to local resources.  If you are concerned about your partner finding out that you’re looking for help, please use a public computer to access the links below!

The Safe Space    The Red Flag Campaign    Break The Cycle

LOCAL RESOURCES:

It’s Abuse   

The Ohio State Student Wellness Center   

Ohio Domestic Violence Network

Cheryl Czapla, Med IV
College of Medicine
The Ohio State University

Emily Vargas, GAA
Student Wellness Center
The Ohio State University

John A. Vaughn, MD
Student Health Services
The Ohio State University

Cool Programs and Awesome Give-Aways for Sexual Violence Awareness Week!

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www.silc.ku.edu

In recognition of Sexual Violence Awareness Week, there will be a bunch of cool programs on campus this week to promote safety and support for students.  There will be tons of free give-aways, food, music, movies and more, so bring your friends and have a great time while you learn how to keep each other safe!

Here is the schedule for the week.  For updated information visit the Student Wellness Center website, email sves@osu.edu or call 292-4527.

TODAY

Kick Off Festival:  Music!  Food!  Prizes!     12noon – 3pm   Ohio Union Lawn

Music, tie-dyeing and other fun events will be held to help raise awareness among students about the issue of sexual violence and week of scheduled events.

When Love Turns to Fear  7-9pm   Ohio Union Ballroom, 2nd Floor

Author Lundy Bancroft will discuss intimate partner abuse, and answer questions such as: What does it look like?  What can you do? This presentation will be helpful to students who have experienced intimate partner abuse or know others who have.  Bancroft will offer information concerning:

  1. The early warning signs of an abusive relationship
  2. Different styles of abusers, how they differ, how they are similar
  3. How to tell if an abuser can change, is changing, or ever will
  4. The role of drugs and alcohol in an abusive relationship
  5. What can be fixed, and what can’t
  6. How to leave a relationship safely: Resources on Campus
  7. Specific safety challenges for intimate partner abuse among college students 

TUESDAY, APRIL 20th

T-shirt making for Clothesline Project  9am-5pm  Student Wellness Center, RPAC

Create a t-shirt design reflecting an experience of sexual violence, healing and recovery. These t-shirts become part of the OSU “Clothesline Project”: a visual awareness-raising display. 

T-shirts and supplies are furnished, or you can bring your own t-shirt.  T-shirts will be displayed on the Oval on Wednesday, 4/21/2010.  The OSU Clothesline Project is displayed every year at the Annual Take Back The Night March and Rally, and at other events.

Options Following Sexual Violence:   Civil, Criminal and Student Judicial Affairs   12:30-1:30pm  Sphinx Suite, Room 2150, Ohio Union 2nd Floor   

Options following an incident of sexual violence (i.e. sexual assault, intimate partner abuse and stalking) will be discussed during this panel presentation.   Representatives from the Capital University Law School’s Family Advocacy Clinic, the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office Abuse Unit, and OSU Student Judicial Affairs will offer information and answer questions.  Specifically, the criminal justice process, stalking order process and Student Judicial process will be discussed.  This presentation is designed to answer questions for attendees, as well as to provide an overview of the related processes.

Stalking 101   2:30-3:30pm  Dave Griner Room, RPAC

Learn how to identify and respond to stalking behavior.  An officer from the OSU Division of Police and the long-term advocate at the Student Wellness Center will present on what stalking may look like for college students, options for addressing the unwanted behavior and safety planning.  This workshop would be especially helpful for any student who is wondering if they, or someone they know, is experiencing stalking.

White Ribbon Campaign:  Men Working to End Violence  10am to 2pm   Oval, RPAC pavilion

The white ribbon campaign is an international awareness effort to demonstrate men’s commitment to ending sexual violence.  Men will be passing out white ribbons and providing information about sexual violence.   This event is designed to help men become involved and raise awareness about how sexual violence is not just a “woman’s issue” it’s an issue for everyone.

Tough Guise:  Men and Masculinity   7-9:30pm   RPAC Meeting Room #2

A video and presentation will be shown to encourage discussion of masculinity and hyper-masculinity, and how they intersect with sexual violence.    

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21st

Clothesline Project on the Oval   12noon – 3pm

T-shirts made by OSU survivors and co-survivors will be displayed on the Oval.   Peer crisis intervention support will be provided in case someone needs to talk about their reaction to the t-shirt display.   

Consent Workshops  4:30-5:30pm   Sphinx Suite, Room 2150, Ohio Union, 2nd Floor

What is consent and how do I get some?

Members of the student groups, Women and Allies Rising in Resistance and Student Support for Survivors, will lead a discussion about consent to sex, and the factors that affect our ability to give and receive consent to sex. 

THURSDAY, APRIL 22nd

Sex in the Media  11:30am-12:30pm Barbie Tootle Room, Room 3156, Ohio Union, 3rd  Floor   

Nicole Nieto from the Multicultural Center will offer information and lead a discussion of how sexuality is portrayed in the media and how this portrayl may impact sexual violence.

Root Beer Pong  1-4pm  Oval

Students will have fun while learning about the connections between alcohol consumption and sexual violence.

Crossing Intimate Partner Lines:  People of Color and Intimate Partner Violence  2-3pm  Multicultural Center Lantern Room, Ohio Union, First Floor

Inter-cultural specialists from the Multicultural Center will lead a discussion about the occurance of intimate partner violence in communities of color. 

Violence in Same Sex Relationships  2:30-3:30pm  Dave Griner Room, RPAC

Violence can happen in all kinds of relationships.  Gary Heath from the Buckeye Region Anti-Violence Organization (BRAVO) will offer information about violence in same sex relationships. 

Healing Event for Survivors and Co-survivors   6:30-7:30pm  Dave Griner Room, RPAC

Activities are planned to help participants express their feelings surrounding sexual violence.  Survivors and Co-Survivors of Sexual Violence are invited to attend this healing experience.

Candlelight Vigil   8:30-9:30pm   RPAC Pavilion

The candlelight vigil will follow the healing event for survivors and co-survivors.  However, it is open to anyone who wants to participate in a symbolic act to show our unity.  Sexual violence affects everyone and, at the Ohio State University, we have pledged and proclaimed our desire to end sexual violence.  This event will help recognize our shared goal and provide an opportunity for reflection on the week of events.

FRIDAY, APRIL 23rd

Free showing of “Precious: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire”   7-9pm   Hagerty Hall 180

This movie depicts a survivor’s story and if you’ve wanted to see it, this can be one way to watch it in good company. Students are encouraged to come and bring a friend.  Advocates will be available, if participants need to talk.

SATURDAY, APRIL 24TH

Spring 2010 Power Puff Championship Game  3:30pm (after the Buckeye Spring Game) on turf field behind RPAC.    Playoff games on 4/13 and 4/23. 

What’s the most common type of relationship abuse?

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safenetwork.org

Q: What’s the most common type of abuse in a bad/unhealthy relationship? 

A: The best way to answer this question is to look at surveys which ask people about their experiences with abuse in relationships. 

The 2009 American College Health Association (ACHA) assessment at Ohio State reported that in the preceding 12 months, 9.9% of respondents were in a relationship that was emotionally abusive, 2.4% were in a relationship that was physically abusive, and 1.4% were in a relationship that was sexually abusive.  From this data, it seems clear that emotional abuse is the most common.  The problem is that the survey doesn’t define what constitutes “emotional abuse,” so we are left trying to figure out what behaviors would fit that definition.    

For example, we hear a lot about “technological and/or communications” abuse.   According to a 2007 Technology & Teen Dating Abuse Survey:

  • 1 in 3 teens (30%) say they are text messaged 10, 20, or 30 times an hour by a partner inquiring where they are, what they’re doing, or who they’re with.
  • 68% of teens say boyfriends/girlfriends sharing private or embarrassing pictures/videos on cell phones and computers is a serious problem.
  • 71% of teens regard boyfriends/girlfriends spreading rumors about them on cell phones and social networking sites as a serious problem

An abusive relationship refers to a pattern of controlling behaviors, and a bad/unhealthy relationship will undoubtedly be emotionally abusive, and might also be verbally, physically, sexually, and perhaps financially abusive.

The Sexual Violence Education and Support program in the Student Wellness Center can help students identify and make decisions about an abusive relationship.  Additionally, the “it’s abuse” campaign on campus offers great resources and information.

Deborah Schipper, Sexual Violence Education and Support (OSU SWC)

John A. Vaughn, MD (OSU SHS)

New support fund for OSU students who have experienced sexual violence

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A Sexual Violence Assistance Fund has been created by the Office of Student Life in partnership with Undergraduate Student Government (USG).  It provides financial assistance for students who have experienced sexual assault, intimate partner abuse and/or stalking.

Current Ohio State students can apply for up to $500 to assist with expenses such as replacement items, uncovered and documented medical expenses, emergency housing and other associated costs.

This fund was created through the initiative of USG and the student group Women and Allies Rising in Resistance (WARR), in partnership with the Office of Student Life. For more information and to learn how to apply, contact the Student Wellness Center’s Sexual Violence and Education Support team by going to their website or calling 614-292-4527

Nancy Radcliffe, (Ohio State University Student Wellness Center)