October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Making a commitment to promote safe and healthy behaviors is the premise behind October’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month.  According to the Center for Disease Controls and Prevention (CDC), domestic violence (also called intimate partner violence (IPV), domestic abuse or relationship abuse) is a pattern of behaviors used by one partner to maintain power and control over another partner in an intimate relationship. In fact, one in four women and one in seven men will experience severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime.

At Quinsigamond Community College, the safety of our students, faculty and staff is paramount today and every day. Throughout the month of October, the college will be hosting events geared to inform and bring awareness to the issue of domestic violence.  

Events include:

Empty Place at the Table - Domestic Violence Scenarios: Empty Place at the Table is a powerful display to women in Massachusetts who have lost their lives to domestic violence in the past year. Compelling, moving and poignant, this is a display that shouldn’t be missed. The display will stay up until approximately 2:00 p.m. on the last day at each QCC location.

• October 1, 2, 3 at QCC’s Healthcare & Workforce Development Center, 25 Federal Street, Worcester
• October 22, 23, 24 at QCC Southbridge 5 Optical Drive, Southbridge
• October 29, 30, 31 at QCC 670 West Boylston Street, Worcester

Healthy Relationship Photo Booth: students will have the opportunity to get their photo taken holding up words that reflect their ideas of healthy relationships.The Healthy Relationship Photo Booth will be located on QCC’s Worcester campus, 670 West Boylston, Worcester.  

• October 15 in the Fuller Student Center from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
• October 16 in the Harrington Learning Center from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
• October 17 in the Surprenant Hall Lobby from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

One Love Escalation Film Event: Escalation is a film about Yardley Love, a college student who was killed by her ex-boyfriend. This event invites participants to define warning signs in the relationship that signal unhealthy relationship issues. Mental health professionals from Pathways for Change and The YWCA will be here to assist members of the community who find the film challenging or mirroring of some issues in their own lives. For more information, visit Joinonelove.

The showing of the film will take place at QCC’s Worcester campus, 670 West Boylston, Worcester Hebert Auditorium in the Hebert Auditorium on Tuesday, October 30 from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

For additional information, contact Elizabeth “Liz” Woods, Dean for Compliance and Education at LWoods [at] qcc.mass.edu.