By STEPHEN FORSTMEIER
Contributing writer
Domestic violence is all around us, but many misconceptions about it contribute to the lack of awareness.
That’s the point a panel of four speakers attempted to convey during Domestic Violence and Abuse Awareness Day at Clarion University of Pennsylvania on Tuesday evening.
The panelists – experts in the field of domestic violence and abuse – all agreed that physical abuse is but one manifestation of domestic violence.
“It’s not always easy to leave (the abuser).” said Alyssa Snyder, a Clarion graduate student and event coordinator who moderated the event. “It’ll be OK. It’s OK to get out you don’t need that person.”
The difficulty in leaving stems from victims being “emotionally and financially entangled with their abusers,” said panelist Linda Trojak, of Clarion County SAFE.
According to panelist Yolanda Rosetti, of Jefferson County Community Action Inc. Crossroads Project, neither alcohol nor mental instability causes abuse.
Another panelist Christin Foster, of Venango County PPC Violence Free Network, said people often attribute abuse to a problem with anger management, ignoring that the abuser harasses no one else.
The panel, which also included Cpl. Shane White, of the Clarion University police, outlined signs that someone could be a victim of domestic violence. They include:
- Wearing long clothes when it is hot outside.
- Wearing excessive makeup.
- Asking permission from their spouse to go out.
- Isolation from their family.
Rosetti said some ways a friend or relative of a victim can help is by being their support system, such as “offering money, giving rides, helping with their kids so they can have a break.”
The panelists directly addressed their messages to victims. Foster said they should “never give up,” and Rosetti stressed that “it’s not your fault. There’s help out there.”
In addition, shelters and other institutions that support victims of domestic abuse only have one type of resource, and calling ahead of time can be helpful, according to Amy Salsgiver, one of the event coordinators and the university’s director of social equity.
“Shelters need resources all the time,” Salsgiver said. “Find out what they need.”