Published October 15, 2014

Taylor Young – Managing Editor 

Shame. Brokenness. Weakness. Feelings unspoken.

Domestic violence is real. In light of recent cases, including the publicity of Ray Rice’s personal matter, domestic violence has once again become a topic of discussion.

On Saturday, Oct. 11 the junior and senior members of the Royal Court in conjunction with the Sigma Kappa Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. held a walk on the campus of Bennett College for domestic violence.

The walk was titled “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes,” the international men’s march to stop rape, sexual assault and gender violence.

The walk has been done all over the country. It is a different way for men to raise awareness in their community about the seriousness of this issue.

Like the old saying goes, “You can’t really understand another person’s experience until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.” During the walk men are encouraged to walk in a woman’s shoes—literally.

During the walk men are highly encouraged to walk in a pair of heels.

Although, though there were about 170 people at the walk, majority men, not one decided to walk in heels.

Ashley Jones, chairperson of the event, expressed how heterosexual men did not want to wear heels during the walk, but she was glad that they attended.

More men participated this year than they did in the last three years.

The walk was short but meaningful. After the walk, a Greensboro police officer and a counselor at Bennett College spoke about domestic violence and how it affects both men and women.

This helped open up the conversation that so many were unwilling to discuss amongst the crowd.

Jamal Averett, mister junior, one of the hosts of the event had a lot to say regarding this issue because he grew up around domestic violence.

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, nearly 20 people per minute are victims of physical violence by an intimate partner in the United States. Throughout a year’s time more than 10 million women and men are affected.

The statistics are alarming when broken down further.

1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced physical violence during a relationship in their lifetime.

1 in 5 women and 1 in 7 men have experienced severe physical violence by a partner in their lifetime.

On a typical day, there are more than 20,000 phone calls placed to the domestic violence hotline nationwide.

Intimate partner violence is most common among women between the ages of 18-24. The ages of 18-24 is the average college aged student.

Violence in a relationship is usually partnered with emotional abuse and controlling behavior. That is only a portion of a systematic pattern of dominance and control.

“Any person in a relationship where there is domestic violence should seek help for the sake of the relationship, or just get out of the relationship altogether,” said Averett.  “If there are children, in the family, where there is domestic violence, it might affect them later on in their own lives, as they become adults.”

During the event Greensboro Police advised that if you see domestic violence first hand in public or even hear it through the walls of your apartment or house, call the police.

The Greensboro Police Department does not advise anyone to jump in the middle of a situation because you do not know the full story. The reality is if you help, you can be charged for assault. Help at your own risk but make sure you call the police first.

—Email Taylor at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @sweeteey94