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St. Cloud State University
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Tuesday vigil brings violence awareness
By Anne Osterburg
Published:
Thursday, October 3, 2002
Media Credit: Blair Schlichte
Jack Petroske, 4, holds his candle high at a vigil downtown Tuesday, as instructed by his mother. Organized by the Central Minnesota Task Force on Battered Women, the vigil marked the beginning of the National Domestic Violence Awareness month.
The Central Minnesota Task Force on Battered Women organized a candlelight vigil Tuesday to commemorate the beginning of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
The evening included speakers, readings and music designed to provide attendees with a greater awareness of women who have been victims of domestic violence.
The Central Minnesota Task Force on Battered Women is dedicated to the liberation and empowerment of battered women and their children. The shelter will spend extra time during October concentrating on the millions of women in the United States who are physically and emotionally abused by their husbands or partners each year.
"Fifty percent of all women will experience violence from a partner and 30 percent of women in the United States are murdered by their husbands, ex-boyfriends, or stalkers," said the Rev. Yolanda Denson Lehman.
Violence is a pattern of assault and coercive behaviors, including physical, sexual, emotional, psychological attacks and economic coercion that adults or adolescents use against their intimate partners in attempt to control their thoughts, feelings and behaviors.
"College years are the most dangerous years of one's life because it is filled with controlling relationships," said Judy Gay, Task Force volunteer services and communications coordinator.
Last year Anna Marie's Shelter for Battered Women and Children in St. Cloud reported about 3,500 calls on domestic violence cases. Ninety percent of the callers were women but domestic violence has shown no gender, age, race, or religious boundary.
"Three to four million women are abused by men and every 15 seconds women and children are being victimized," St. Cloud Police Chief Dennis Ballantine said.
SCSU's Women's Center offers special programs dealing with domestic violence.
One employee at the Woman's Center, Emily Voller, is putting together a gravestone project that will be located outside of Atwood Mall.
Throughout the month of October, the Women's Center is having a poster campaign as well as other projects that deal with domestic violence.
The Women's Center is available for year round support for domestic abuse survivors, at 255-4958.
