Becoming more aware of the negative signs of domestic violence is one of the most important ways to stop it, a victim advocate said at "Stand Up! Stand Out!" event Tuesday night at Pruis Hall.
Michele Cole, a victim advocate at the Amelia T. Wood Health Center, spoke at the fourth annual Kappa Delta sponsored event to promote awareness against domestic violence.
One in five college students have experienced physical violence in a relationship, according to the presentation Cole gave at the event.
Cole told students about some of the major warning signs of an unhealthy relationship during her 30-minute speech. She said a few important signs are jealousy, a short-temper and over-controlling tendencies.
Cole said one of the best ways to protect yourself against unhealthy relationships is to know your resources. The Office of Victim Services and the Counseling Center are a few resources available to students.
Along with showing what an unhealthy relationship looks like, Cole told students of some characteristics of a healthy relationship, which include respect, honesty, trust and the ability to negotiate.
After telling students about unhealthy relationships, Cole tested students about their knowledge on the subject. Ten students were pulled from the audience to play a game.
Two students were asked 10 questions about relationships. The two students then had to match their answers with the other eight students.
"I loved the participation of the audience," Cole said. "Not everyone wants to talk about unhealthy relationships. It's about awareness. It's about standing up and standing out.
About 150 students attended "Stand Up! Stand Out!" this year - more than a 100-student increase from when the event began in 2005.
Lauren Wood, a sophomore criminal justice major and the event's coordinator, said "Stand Up! Stand Out!" is slowly growing into a larger event on campus.
"I feel like everyone got really involved; however I think it will be very difficult for people to admit they are in an unhealthy relationship," Wood said. "So hopefully Michele can set a spark in a few minds of the audience members."
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