Domestic violence affects millions of every race, religion, culture and status. With stay-at-home orders enacted to practice physical distancing amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, domestic violence rates have been on the rise. Isolation puts survivors at risk for increased abuse. The Center for Student Wellness is here to raise awareness through the efforts of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, also known as DVAM.

The Center for Student Wellness leads this annual campus-wide campaign in an effort to promote awareness, address prevention, and prompt response around domestic violence. Throughout the month of October, we will host a variety of events ranging from our own workshops on Bystander Intervention and Healthy Relationships, as well as events in partnership with ASUU, the Department of Safety, the Gender-Based Violence Consortium and our campus’ newly launched Center for Violence Prevention.

We invite you to stand in solidarity with those who have experienced interpersonal violence and join us in our effort this year. For updates, follow @uofuwellness or visit our website at wellness.utah.edu/DVAM.

All events will be held via Zoom. Click here to register. All events times listed are MT.

Sept. 28 @ 11:30 a.m. | DVAM Kickoff Information Session

Oct. 1 @ 1 p.m. | DVAM Kickoff Information Session

Student co-chairs Sam Zizumbo and Tayler Bseiso will discuss the history of DVAM, anticipated events and ways you can get involved as a student, faculty, staff, organization, office, department, or on campus. Both sessions will cover the same material.

Oct. 14 @ 4:30 p.m. | Healthy Relationships Workshop

Come follow a relationship, any relationship, through its natural trajectory. Whether it be a casual hook-up, a blossoming friendship, a spicy pleasure-affair, or a committed partnership, we will identify what makes a relationship “healthy.” This includes what you want out of your relationships and the important role self-care, pleasure, communication and consent plays in all relationships.

Oct. 15 @ 4:30 p.m. | Check on U-Tah: Building Community through Bystander Intervention

Check on U-Tah empowers students to check on their community members and prevent harm from occurring. This workshop will discuss how biases, social norms and everyday barriers (e.g., technology, distractions) perpetuate harm and prevent community support. Through dialogue, interactive practice and self-reflection, participants will leave the workshop with increased abilities in being a good community member, noticing harm and holding one another accountable.

Oct. 22 @ 11:30 a.m. | Harm Reduction Student Leader Panel

This panel is a discussion-based webinar featuring student leaders from many areas on campus. This includes ASUU, Greek Life and our own ACES Peer Health Educators. Student leaders will share their own personal experiences of how biases, social, norms and everyday barriers have impacted them in relation to noticing harm. They will cover how to identify if you yourself are causing harm, how to call in someone if you see they are causing harm and how to build a stronger community upon the values of respect, healthy communication, etc. 

Oct. 29 @ 11:30 a.m. | Victim-Survivor Advocacy Resources Panel

This event will highlight safety resources on campus. Representatives from Victim-Survivor Advocacy focused offices will cover the available wellness and support resources available for survivors of interpersonal violence. This event is intended to provide students with a better understanding of these available services and how to navigate the process of seeking support from advocates. From where to begin, the process in its entirety and addressing healing, we hope to provide a better understanding of these resources and answer questions those in our community may have.