3/23

Today was my first day volunteering at DVCCCT (Domestic Violence Crisis Center CT). I
arrived promptly at the Norwalk office at 9 a.m. and was welcomed by Tracy. After getting to know each
other a little bit, she began to tutor me about the basics of domestic violence and how destructive it truly
is. In the pamphlet I received, I learned that 1 in every 4 women will be victimized by domestic
violence, women ages 20-24 are at the greatest risk, and more than 4 million women will experience
physical assault and rape by their partners. When I first read these facts, they were very alarming. After
discovering a little more about domestic violence, we took a lunch break. When I got back, I followed
Tracy into a workshop on their program called PeaceWorks. PeaceWorks is prevention education project
that aims to raise the awareness of domestic violence in teenagers. The program targets the youth
because the middle school years offer key moments to educate young people about relationships and
teen dating violence. The topics of discussion in the workshop ranged from conflict resolution to
bullying to understanding the dynamics of dating violence. Shockingly enough, I learned that 57% of
teens know someone who has been physically, sexually, or verbally abusive in a dating relationship, and
more than 1 in 3 young people have been threatened online. Because these issues are so prevalent to
children these days, raising awareness is a must. After the workshop ended, I said goodbye to Tracy and
headed home.
Today was very helpful in gaining more knowledge about the domestic violence aspect of my
senior thesis. I had no idea how many people are affected by abuse, and now I wonder how influential
cognitive impairment plays since domestic violence is so common. Thankfully, I am raising my
awareness to this issue and have learned some crucial facts that will definitely help prove that violence
off the field is a bigger issue than the aggression seen on it.

3/24
Yesterday was similar to the day before. However, instead of working with Tracy (she was at the
other DVC in Stamford), I met the supervisor Sarah DeMerchant (Sarah.DeMerchant@ct.gov). After
familiarizing with each other, we attended another PeaceWorks workshop. Interestingly, the presentation
was not about physical violence, but it was about mental abuse. Particularly, the topic of discussion was
cyber bullying. I took notes during the powerpoint and learned that 63% of middle schoolers have cell
phones, 45% of them are on Facebook, and about 25% of the students have been the targets of cyber
bullying. The man presenting suggested that physical bullying and cyberbullying are closely related
because those who bully at school bully online and those who are bullied at school are bullied online. He
continued by saying that the motives of bullying may be cause from a myriad of reasons such as low
self-esteem, anger, or a variety of other emotional and psychological problems. Because the effects of
bullying can lead to the oppressed committing suicide, the purpose of his presentation was to highlight
the severity of bullying. The hopes are for the other teachers to spread awareness of the dangers of
bullying when they present at schools.
Although cyber bullying may be slightly disjointed from my senior thesis, there is some merit
towards learning about it. Just as domestic violence slowly deteriorates the victim, so does cyber
bullying. Similarly, just as bullies have culprits for their actions, so do those involved in domestic
violence. Even though neither cyber bullying nor domestic violence is good, they both demonstrate the
malice that exists in the world.

3/25
Today Sarah greeted me again. Instead of working with PeaceWorks, she brought me to where
the assistants answered the phone for the hotline. I received a basic understanding of how to go about
analyzing and reacting to a victims call and there was only one call about sheltering during the time we
spent in the office. After lunch, Sarah took me to one of the safe houses they provide for those in need.
The house was pretty cool. It consisted of a bunch of bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, and a large
common area. Although nobody was housed there, it was neat to understand the entire process. Sarah
explained that once they receive a call, they advise the victims to stay in a safe house while the police
are notified. Once the police have arrested the victimizer, it is generally safe to move back to their
original home. However, some victims insist on moving entirely because of fear, and workers at DVCC
will continue to help until the victims feel safe.
I am learning more about domestic violence than I had thought. Today was all about the process
of those in need of help and how help is provided. Even though this probably wont be included in my
final paper, today was the most interesting day yet. I did not learn how or why domestic violence
happens, but instead I learned how people are helped throughout a haunting experience, which is the
most important thing of all.

3/26
Today I spent the day with PeaceWorks. In the workshop, the topic of discussion was abusive
relationships. Particularly, the focus was on high school relationships I learned that violent behavior
typically begins between the ages of 12 and 18, and girls and young women between the ages of 16 and
24 experience the highest rate of intimate partner violence, which is almost triple the national average.
In addition, I also learned that nearly 1.5 million high school students nationwide experience physical

abuse from a dating partner in a single year, which translates to about one in every ten students that are
physically hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend. Abusive relationships are a serious problem because the
victims attempt to find an escape through substance abuse, eating disorders, or even suicide. Sadly, half
of youth who have been victims of both dating violence and rape attempt suicide. In comparison, only
12.5% of non-abused girls and 5.4% of non-abused boys. However, the severity does not stop there.
Judicially, eight states currently do not include dating relationships in their definition of domestic
violence. As a result, young victims of dating abuse often cannot apply for restraining orders.
The facts I learned today can help my senior thesis tremendously. Learning about the legal aspect
and the effects of an abusive relationship demonstrates the hardships the victims feel. This furthers my
thesis because I have learned more about the impact the aggressor inflicts upon the victim. Moreover, I
have become aware of how prevalent domestic violence is amongst our nation and that spreading
awareness is a must in order to try to lessen the issue.

3/27
Today was my last day volunteering for DVCC. There were no scheduled workshops or events
because it was Friday, and rather than having me help with paperwork, Sarah suggested that I do a little
online research myself. She directed me towards looking up the two largest public campaigns NoMore
and Its On Us. The Its On Us campaign was launched to raise awareness of sexual assault by
president Obama whereas the NoMore campaign spotlights professional athletes attempting to end
domestic violence. In both PSAs, the message is simple: to end domestic violence and sexual assault
through raising awareness. Overall, I have become conscious to the fact that spreading awareness is the
first step towards solving any of these problems.

It has been a bittersweet feeling volunteering and learning about domestic violence. The most
valuable thing I can take away from this experience is the knowledge I have learned about domestic
violence. Before my March experience, I knew very little about the effects and causes of domestic
violence; however, now I am educated in an ongoing problem throughout our nation. Knowledge is the
key towards knowing and if theres one thing I hope I can do it is to spread awareness in my final
product and presentation.