My project aims to educate my small, middle class, suburban society about the hidden truth that is domestic violence. The low level of knowledge that people in my community have about this large issue shocks me, and so I have played an active apart in trying to open the eyes of the people of Needham to how much domestic violence truly affects us all. By having high school students organize an event about such a mature issue bring light and attention to the alarm we are ringing about domestic violence.
vital stats:
people impacted:
300
people involved:
40
why it's important:
The topic of domestic violence and sexual abuse/harassment awareness is important to me because it is an issue that arises in the high school and teenage years, and I think that having a solid background about what to do in situations of domestic violence is extremely important to know. Additionally, domestic violence is a topic that many people tend to shy away from, for it is difficult to talk about. However I think it is crucially important to bring a controversial topic like this to the table because otherwise it will just be ignored. By leaving the topic untouched, domestic violence will continue to happen and seem OK, even though it's not OK at all. Additionally, the subject of domestic violence is particularly important to me individually because this past year my best friend was sexually assaulted. After hearing his story, an even brighter flame ignited inside of me that pushed me to want to raise awareness even more, so that something like what happened to him will never happen again. Take Back the Night dedicates a night to learning about the truth of domestic violence, and then, after soaking in this knowledge, parading around the fact that we do not want domestic violence to reside any longer in our town, our country, and our world. This event is especially effective in educating young people about domestic violence, since the youth generation is the future of this world. If they are aware of the damage that domestic violence causes to our world, then perhaps this issue will no longer exist in a few short decades.
the plan of action:
My plan of action is to continue the existence of my town's annual Take Back the Night event, a night dedicated to teaching people about the tragedy that is domestic violence while providing a safe place for people to express their own stories regarding domestic violence and sexual assault. The event also provides private, free-of-charge counseling to those who seek help. Take Back the Night is also a great opportunity for the community to come together to fight against an issue that tends to creep under our noses because people do not bring it to the forefront. The impact of this event is great - the number of young people who show up at Take Back the Night every year is both astounding and exciting, for it gives the notion of hope that this generation of youth will no longer have domestic violence when they are older.
how you can get involved:
Others can help by joining the high school club that I have helped maintain and lead. The club meets on Friday mornings before school to organize the event. Everything is student-run - fund raising, public relations, secretarial duties, and event planning. Those who don't have as much time to commit can simply come to the event which takes place in April annually in my town.
project updates:
10/31/2009
Take Back the Night 2009 was an incredibly successful event, despite the unfortunate weather. The day started off looking decent, however once the nighttime hit there was heavy on and off rain throughout the event. Despite this road block, TBTN Club members persevered and overcame the challenges associated with the terrible weather. Many people were touched by speaker Jenna Quinn, a 22 year old from Texas who experienced sexual assault for four years before speaking out. The general message that was sent by the event was to not be afraid to shatter the silence and to tell your story. There are people all around who are willing to help, and the problem won't be solved if you never say anything about it.
The event received a fair amount of publicity, including a news segment on the local news channel, a headline article in Needham's "Hometown Weekly" as well as a story in local newspaper, "The Needham Times."
Comments
Thanks for your playing a part in shattering the silence surrounding sexual violence and domestic violence.
Your welcome! I'm very passionate about making this issue become a more prominent one in our society.