The first-ever student organized panel on domestic violence was held Oct. 29 in the RCA. The event featured a documentary titled “Telling Amy’s Story”, a brief informational session, and a Q&A session.
The ENC Social Work Club, led by A.J. Jimenez, helped organize the event, along with Dr. Stacy Barker, the Chair of the Department of Social Work. The club aimed to include those suffering from domestic violence and potential supporters.
“We wanted to create a safe forum to talk about domestic violence because statistics showed that one in every four people are facing battery or are in an abusive relationship,” stated Jimenez.
“Telling Amy’s Story” chronicles the relationship between Amy and Walter McGee, a relationship in which McGee abused Amy on multiple occasions over an eight-year period without being put in jail, eventually resulting in Amy’s murder.
The subsequent panel provided students with information about the DOVE shelter in Quincy, a safe place for women escaping abusive relationships. The shelter also provides a 24-hour hotline service that offers advice. DOVE works directly with the Quincy Police Department to ensure that cases involving domestic violence are handled with the right amount of sensitivity and compassion so that they improve, rather than worsen, the situation.
The ENC Social Work club hoped to raise awareness about domestic violence and the many factors that contribute to it.
People often associate domestic violence with physical assault when it can also be emotional, mental, and even financial. The collaboration with DOVE was an attempt to boost the credibility of the club and promote awareness about a painful subject that affects many lives and college campuses.