Domestic violence and sexual assault is an epidemic that is sweeping across the nation, and Kean University is taking a stance against it through the campaign It’s On Us. Lennox Mars, a resident hall director on campus, asserted “when it comes to social issues such as domestic violence and sexual assault, there is never enough support or organizations for something this important.”

“[Sexual assault and domestic violence] are very real issues in today's society and within today's college campuses, and it is important for students to work to change the culture surrounding sexual assault and domestic violence and show that these things will not be tolerated at Kean [University],” Kristin Bennett, coordinator of the aiming to create community empower with student success [ACCESS] program, passionately declared. Recognizing the opportunity to raise awareness for these acts of abuse, the office of residential student services [RSS], counseling and disabilities services, and health services stepped up and took the initiative. From Monday, November 17 through Friday, November 21, the three departments co-hosted Week of Action; in which, events scattered throughout the campus were conducted with hopes of raising awareness.

Perception is the key. Since some have various ways of perceiving situations, this makes recognizing the signs of violence in the domestic and sexual settings difficult. Bennett firmly believes college students can take a stance against these callous acts “by educating themselves and others in terms of what is and is not acceptable treatment within relationships…and by understanding the resources available to them if they are in such a relationship.” All individuals should be on the lookout for red flags and signs of domestic violence and sexual assault., Here are a few warning signs: tendency to be controlling, extreme possessiveness, short-tempered, and threatens acts of violence. One may believe they know what these forms of maltreatment are, but to be sure, here are the definitions:

• When an individual is forced to take part in sexual activities without his or her consent is known as sexual assault.
• The act of one person in a relationship exercises his or her power of control over the other as a form of abuse, whether it is of the physical, emotional, or psychological nature, is referred to as domestic violence.

Over the course of this specific week, Week of Action, events aspired to spread awareness. Achieving the goal of educating the university’s community, Bennett informed that the programs “included a variety of topics to help students see the different ways that sexual assault and domestic violence can manifest themselves within the lives of students, from physical violence to more emotional abuse.” Individuals were able to observe a domestic abuse situation via the screening of Death in Saint Augustine. This was a documentary that featured one woman’s struggles as she became a victim of domestic violence. Students were shown that the message communicated through the documentary is that “it is important that students work to not only help protect themselves, but also their fellow students, from being victims of domestic abuse or sexual assault,” Bennett commented. However, not many know the truth in the statistics.  How can college students take action?  To that, Bennett answered, “Such action can range from large scale educational programming to watching out for each other at parties or events.”

Despite the Week of Action being over, all students must remember to still take action because It’s On Us to prevent and put an end to domestic violence and sexual assault. Mars wishes that if one message could be taken away from the Week of Action events, it would be that individuals aim to “Be the person to make a difference [because] when it pertains to sexual assault and domestic violence, everyone is responsible for making a difference.” When the opportunity arises, an individual should be strong enough for both themselves and the victim of the abuse to end the inhumane acts being committed. Mars says It’s On Us because “It is easy to turn a blind eye and pretend that we do not have a responsibility to others…[it] is important to know [that] if you take a stand, you will realize others will stand up with you; we cannot wait for others to take action.”