According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, in more than one in five of every college dating relationships, one of the partners is currently being abused.
Nearly one-third of college students report having physically assaulted a dating partner in the previous twelve months.
In Idaho, there is one reported violence incident every 88 minutes.
However, researchers theorize that less than half of all cases are reported to authorities.
Many people wonder how an individual could stay in an unhealthy relationship.
The majority of people have a deeply seated desire for intimacy, whether platonic or romantic.
College is considered by some to be a prime place for finding that kind of intimacy. By coming into contact with so many people with similar goals every day, the chances of finding a romantic partner are perhaps higher than in the outside world.
With that greater chance at a romantic connection, however, comes a greater chance at being involved in an abusive relationship. Intimate partner violence, often called domestic violence, is a form of abuse everyone should know the warning signs of.
Melissa Orgill, a graduate teaching assistant at the Wellness Center, defines intimate partner violence as “physical, sexual, psychological harm or intent to harm, or stalking by a current or former intimate partner or spouse. Women ages 16 to 24,” says Orgill, “experience the highest rate of intimate partner violence, but it is important to realize and understand men are also victims. One in four women and one in seven men have experienced severe intimate partner violence.”
Certain behaviors are considered warning signs for intimate partner violence.
According to the Red Flag Campaign, an individual should question relationships in which the partner abuses alcohol or other drugs, blames the individual for how he or she is treated, or for anything bad that happens, nags the individual, or tries to force the individual to be sexual when he or she doesn’t want to, accuse the individual of flirting with others or cheating on them, tell the individual how to dress or act, etc.
“It’s all about power,” says Rhonda D’Amico, interim director of the Wellness Center.
By gaining power and control over an individual, the abuser can inflict emotional, sexual, or psychological damage on an individual.
A healthy relationship has an equal balance of power and control, with no one person making all the decisions or directing the other.
Experts feel it is important to reevaluate a relationship often in order to ensure that it remains healthy and equal.
Individuals who feel their relationships fit many of the abusive criteria can make use of multiple on-and-off-campus programs.
Michelle Cloward, the campus advocate at the Janet C. Anderson Gender Resource Center can be reached at 208-282-2805.
More criteria on the Red Flag Campaign can be found on theredflagcampaign.org, or at the Gender Resource Center.
The Family Services Alliance provides a 24-hour hotline in both English and Spanish at 208-251-HELP.
If danger is present, do not hesitate to call 911.
As Melissa Orgill cautions, “Trust yourself. If you feel scared you have a reason.”