USI hosted its 10th annual Flowers on the Lake ceremony dedicated to the survivors and victims of domestic violence Tuesday at the Reflection Lake.
“I got flowers today… He said a lot of terrible things that hurt a lot/but I know he is sorry/because I got flowers today,” begins Paulette Kelly’s “I Got Flowers Today,” a short poem about the effects of domestic violence.
Albion Fellows Bacon Center, the Institutional Equity Office, Public Safety and the Title-IX Office offer help and support to those on campus suffering from domestic violence.
The difference between a respectful and abusive relationship can help people determine whether they are experiencing domestic violence.
According to the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, healthy relationships are relationships in which both partners feel supported and connected but are independent. Domestic abuse is characterized by a partner using power and control in an intimate relationship that threatens a person’s well-being.
There are different types of abuse, including physical, sexual, emotional and financial. Abusers typically attempt to control their partner’s life by excessively monitoring their partner’s communications, sabotaging their partner’s work environment, physically harming their partner, etc. Anyone can be a victim of domestic violence, no matter their age, religion, gender, sexual orientation or economic status.
There are resources for help on campus.
“Any employee, faculty, staff, student employees, are all required to report any instance of sexual violence to our office, and then from there, we would just conduct outreach and let them decide if they want to talk to us,” said Chelsea Gibbons, Title IX coordinator.
If an individual needs help, it can be reported to the Institutional Equity Office, the Dean of Students Office or a trusted adviser who can help them contact the Title IX Coordinators. Additionally, the Albion Fellows Bacon Center has 24/7 hotlines to help individuals through the legal process of filing restraining orders and accompany people to court if needed.
Many of the event’s interviewed attendees are the children of domestic abuse survivors.
“You’re worthy of more than what you’re receiving, and there are people who will help you, and there are people who will care, even if it feels so isolating,” said Ryan Jones, junior criminal justice major.
Madison Hahn, junior biology major, whose mother was a domestic violence survivor, said her mother would not have been able to get out without a community of people.
“No matter how dark it feels, no matter how long you feel, it gets better,” she said. “You just have to find the light and let that guide you to a solution.”
Albion Fellows Bacon Center Hotlines:
Domestic Violence: (812)422-5622
Sexual Violence: (812)424-7273