October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This month is dedicated to showing support to victims and survivors of domestic abuse and raising awareness about Domestic Violence.
The One Love Foundation, which has a chapter at B-CC, focuses on domestic violence awareness. Kate Campbell, a senior at B-CC and Co-President of the One Love club, shared why the foundation was created. Campbell said, “One Love was founded after Yeardley Love, who was a lacrosse player at the University of Virginia, was unfortunately in an abusive relationship, and her boyfriend killed her. One Love was founded to help students recognize the warning signs of an abusive relationship.”
Junior Elisha Robinson, a member of One Love, noted that this club has given her vital information when learning about domestic violence, “I have learned how important it is to be in a healthy relationship. They also talk about signs to look for that your partner could be exhibiting toxic and unhealthy traits.”
Campbell explained why this is such a crucial topic for B-CC Students to learn about, “I think high school is when most kids are getting into their first real relationships. It’s their first time having a serious relationship, and a lot of the time, they don’t know what a healthy or unhealthy one looks like.”
Nearly 1 in 11 female and 1 in 14 male high school students report having experienced physical dating violence in the last year. However, only 33% of these teens told anyone about the abuse. One Love is working this October to decrease the stigma around speaking up about abuse. Campbell said, “We want to promote healthy behaviors and just help the students recognize and be able to help their friends who might be in an abusive or toxic relationship.”
