Intimate partner violence is prevalent among college-aged adults. According to the United States Department of Justice, 53% of all college students have reported experiencing abuse from a current or previous partner.
To launch a campus conversation about relationship violence, Student Affairs has invited the One Love Foundation to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to discuss healthy versus unhealthy relationships. The presentations are part of the new Use Your Voice Initiative.
Led by Student Affairs, Use Your Voice is intended to get the university community to step up and play a role in stopping sexual assault and relationship violence.
Emily Lloyd, engagement manager for the One Love Foundation, will spend three days with students, faculty and staff conducting a series of workshops that focus on prevention of intimate partner violence, recognizing signs of abuse, and how to give support to someone who is being abused.
Lloyd said the workshops can be powerful experiences.
“The workshops are very interactive,” Lloyd said. “We start with a film, and then break up into groups to have discussions. There’s not really any preparation a participant needs to do. The film sparks thoughts in people and they’re often ready and want to share those thoughts during the conversations after the film.”
Lloyd will lead a training for workshop facilitators Sept. 18, and then work with those facilitators to lead the campus workshops Sept. 19 and 20. Trained facilitators will also be able to give workshops in the future, Lloyd said.
“We rely on our volunteer facilitators to help deliver our mission and we have 21,000 volunteer facilitators nationwide now,” Lloyd said.
The One Love Foundation was founded by the family of Yeardley Love, a University of Virginia student who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in May 2010. Its mission is to teach young people about healthy and unhealthy relationships, empowering them to identify and avoid abuse, and learn how to love better.
Lloyd also attended the University of Virginia, and the tragedy helped push her into a career of advocacy.
“I didn’t know Yeardley directly, but we had mutual friends,” Lloyd said. “It made a big impact on me.”
Following her graduation in 2014, Lloyd worked in two women’s shelters. After those experiences, Lloyd wanted to work on the other side of the issue — prevention.
“I was hearing the same stories over and over again, of how this abuse started, and I realized the behaviors are the same no matter the age, gender or race,” she said. “I decided I wanted to work on preventing this violence and One Love is focused on prevention, and getting to the root of these issues.”
Lloyd encouraged everyone to attend the 10 Signs workshop, which will be held for the entire campus community at 11 a.m. Sept. 19 in the Nebraska Union, Regency Suite.
“The 10 Signs workshop is our base training,” Lloyd said. “Every single one of us has experienced one of these behaviors or acted in this way.
“That doesn’t mean we’re inherently bad people. We just want everyone to be aware and ask ourselves ‘how can I respond in a healthier way?’ If we do that, we’ll all build healthy relationships, and if we are in a relationship where these behaviors are happening frequently, there is a good chance that behavior will escalate to abuse.”
The One Love workshop schedule is:
Sept. 18, 2-4 p.m. — Escalation Training for Facilitators, Unity Room 212, Jackie Gaughan Multicultural Center, Unity 212. In this workshop, students and staff will receive training to facilitate the 45-minute small group discussions after the “Escalation” film. The training will walk through tips and tricks to facilitate difficult discussions, logistics of the workshop, and how to talk about the scenes in the film. One Love’s research-based discussion manual helps guide conversations. Participants will receive certification to facilitate Escalation workshops and access to all materials necessary. Register here.
Sept. 19, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. — 10 Signs of a Healthy Relationship workshop for campus community, Nebraska Union, Regency Suite. This workshop will walk through definitions and examples of each sign, then view One Love’s eight-minute “Behind the Post” video followed by a discussion of the signs shown and how to help a friend who is exhibiting or experiencing unhealthy behaviors. Participants will walk away with a foundational understanding of the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationship behaviors and the knowledge of what to do when they see them. No registration required.
Sept. 19, 5:30-7 p.m. — Escalation workshop for student leaders, coaches, ambassadors, Greek safety officers and campus leaders, Cather Hall, Red Cloud A. This workshop is a 90-minute film-based experience to educate about the warning signs of an abusive relationship. Utilizing peer-facilitators trained by One Love staff, Escalation provides young people with the framework they need to identify the warning signs and the tools to help a friend who may be in an abusive situation. Register here.
Sept. 20, noon to 2 p.m. — 10 Signs of a Healthy Relationship workshop for graduate and professional students, Cather Hall, Red Cloud A. This workshop will walk through definitions and examples of each sign, then view One Love’s 8-minute Behind the Post video followed by a discussion of the signs shown and how to help a friend who is exhibiting or experiencing unhealthy behaviors. Participants will walk away with a foundational understanding of the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationship behaviors and the knowledge of what to do when they see them. Register here.
