College is a time for experimenting with a number of things, including a potential career path, new friends or social groups, different student organizations and even with dating. Most college-aged students have at least one intimate partner throughout their college careers. What most people don’t know is that during this time, over one fourth of all college women experience some form of domestic violence within these intimate relationships.

In fact, according to thesafespace.org, an online resource for information about dating violence, women between the ages of 16 and 24 are the most vulnerable to domestic violence. This makes it all the more important for college students to be conscious and aware of what domestic violence actually is.

Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment (PAVE) is a UW-Madison student organization designed to do just that – better educate the student body in an effort to prevent domestic violence and sexual assault. The best way to prevent these instances is to ensure students know the common warning signs associated with dating violence and what to do when they find themselves or a friend involved in these situations.

According to the Domestic Violence Awareness Project, domestic violence can be defined as “a pattern of abusive behaviors – including physical, sexual and psychological attacks as well as economic coercion – used by one intimate partner against another to gain, maintain or regain power and control in the relationship. Batterers use a range of tactics to frighten, terrorize, manipulate, hurt, humiliate, blame, often injure and sometimes kill a current or former intimate partner.”

While domestic violence on college campuses typically consists of emotional and even physical abuse, it is not uncommon for sexual abuse to occur between two individuals involved in an intimate relationship as well. Although many believe sexual assault and rape are incidents that only happen between strangers, in reality, according to thesafespace.org, almost 90 percent of sexual assault victims on college campuses know their attacker. Furthermore, in a majority of these instances the attacker is someone the victim is currently dating or has dated in the past.

Despite these alarming statistics, domestic violence on college campuses frequently goes unreported. College students who are victims of domestic violence often do not know where to go to report these instances. Many victims are away from home for the first time, and they feel trapped within their social group or relationship and fear reporting the abuse will perpetuate the attacks.

To reduce the instances of domestic violence on campus, it is essential for students to be aware of common behaviors that could lead to abusive relationships. According to the website, early warning signs to look for include: Extreme jealousy, constant insults or ridicule, telling you what you can or can’t do, financial control, possessive or controlling behavior, making false accusations and keeping you from seeing or talking to family and friends.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and PAVE is hosting a series of events to better inform students about domestic violence, warning signs to look for and what to do for help. Some of these events include: A National Day of Unity on Oct. 4, a “Twilight” film screening on Oct. 7, a speech about the forms of domestic violence and warning signs to look for on Oct. 18, PAVE campus read discussions on Oct. 26 and Nov. 1, and the Take Back the Night event on Oct. 27 co-sponsored with the Campus Women’s Center.

Although it is important for students to be informed, it is vital for students to know where to go if they experience any of these warning signs within their intimate relationships. Domestic violence victims are encouraged to call the rape hotline at the Rape Crisis Center in Madison at 608-251-7273 or the help hotline at Madison’s Domestic Abuse Intervention Services at 608-251-4445.

Domestic violence is more common than many think, and college students can be particularly vulnerable to instances of dating violence. College should be a time for students to grow, learn and mature. At the end of the day, all students should feel safe and secure in whatever endeavors they choose to pursue within their college career – particularly those within their dating and intimate lives.

Kelsey Gunderson ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in journalism. She is a PAVE Media Team member.