Students bring awareness to domestic violence in October

October was domestic violence awareness month and USD groups got involved to spread awareness on the topic.

The University of South Dakota annual Cleary Report reported one case of domestic violence, as well as two cases of dating violence in 2015.

Bridget Diamond-Welch, assistant professor of criminal justice shed light on the important problem.

“The fact the numbers (of reports of domestic violence and sexual assault on campus) are so low is a problem,” she said. “It means students aren’t reporting their victimization.”

This fact alone is evidence to why USD student organizations choose to do so much for the cause.

In years past, there have been several events held by different student organizations in order to make students aware of the troubling problem of domestic violence, according to Patrick Courtney, fighting against domestic violence cases. Last year, Pi Kappa Alpha and other USD students walked around Vermillion in high heels in an event called Walk a Mile in her Shoes 5k event, which cost $10 to participate.

For the second year in a row, the Criminal Justice Club held a fundraising event called the Domestic Violence Supply drive, organized by sophomore Austin Thompson.

“The goal of the domestic violence supply drive is to collect donated items for the purposed of giving them to Vermillion’s Domestic Violence Safe Option Services,” Thompson said. “DVSOS then will offer them to victims of domestic violence who are in need or are struggling financially.”

The drive collect basic essentials such as shampoo, body wash, diapers, toilet paper, paper towels, dish soap and laundry soap and gift cards to retail stores.

Senior criminal justice major Gage Plueger also took part in the event.

“I wanted to get involved with the supply drive because domestic violence is an issue that seems to be brushed under the table sometimes,” he said. “When I see a need for others, I do pretty much all I can to make their situation better, and this is just one of those things I felt obligated to do.”