Band fraternity sponsors event about domestic abuse

To address some of the issues of domestic violence, that college and university students face, the Kappa Lambda Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Fraternity presented the seminar, "Runaway Love-Domestic Violence Prevention", Feb. 13.

The program featured speaker Sylvester Reed.

A case manager and victim advocate at Family Services Inc. of Winston-Salem, Reed deals with domestic violence issues for his clients.

Reed also facilitates groups for men and teenagers and oversees a program called Strong Fathers, a collaboration with the Department of Social Services focusing on domestic violence.

Reed's lecture "Love Shouldn't Hurt" focused on types of abuse and the ways to avoid situations dealing with abuse.

"The main goal of the seminar was to share domestic violence, abuse and ways to prevent them," Reed said.  

The U.S. Department of Justice and the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence show an increasingly large number of incidents amongst college and university students.

According to NCADV, 42 percent of reported campus stalkers are boyfriends or ex-boyfriends. About half of all reported rape cases in the United States involve victims 18 and under.

About 71 percent of rape victims knew their offender, and 60 percent of rapes on college campuses occur between casual or steady partners.

Those involved in violent or abusive relationships may face unique obstacles in accessing services to escape from them.

Reed said that domestic violence is a disease.

"With Valentine's Day coming up, a lot of people don't understand just because you take one time out of the year to show somebody love that the stuff you do throughout the year is going to be forgiven," said Darius Cureton, chapter adviser.

Reed's lecture "Love Shouldn't Hurt" focused on types of abuse and the ways to avoid situations dealing with abuse.

Domestic violence is not limited to pushing or hitting, either.

"'If I didn't hit her in the face, it's not domestic violence' is the most common phrase I hear most," Reed said.

"Physical abuse is easy. Any woman can try to fight back but it all comes down to power and control, this is what men have."

According to Reed, four million women nationwide are physically abused each year and many more suffer emotional abuse from their partner.

In approximately 5 percent of the cases, men are the victims of violence and abuse. He said that a person being abused and criticized by a partner often feels afraid, isolated, depressed and in need of support.

Although the seminar had a low number in attendance, that did not seem to bother the chapter adviser.

"I wasn't particularly disappointed in the low number of students that attended that seminar because many enrichment and development programs on campus, at least from what I know, boast low numbers," Cureton said.

Cureton also said that programs focusing on sex and relationships seem to attract the most students.

"When we had the Safe Sex, seminar back in September, we had just under 100 students," Cureton said.

"Runaway Love" was the third installment of the Red Carnation seminar series.

The first two seminars "Safe Sex at WSSU" and "Meeting WSSU Deadlines" took place during the fall semester.

The Red Carnation is a series of workshops that Kappa Kappa Psi hosts three to four times a year.

The workshops were initially planned for the Red Sea of Sound band members, but the fraternity opened the seminars to all students.