Florida Atlantic University has been lighting up the Boca Raton campus this October in purple, the nationally recognized color for Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

This month is dedicated to offering resources and education to prevent domestic violence, which is an abusive behavior that typically occurs within families or relationships, as defined by Katherine Cascio.

Cascio, the associate director for clinical services at FAU’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), emphasized there are several types of domestic abuse, not just one. She identified these types of abuse as emotional, physical, sexual, financial and spiritual.

“So there are lots of different kinds of abuse… No one is the worst; sometimes people think if it’s not physical, it’s not that bad,” Cascio said. “But we know that emotional abuse or verbal abuse can be just as damaging, even if it doesn’t leave physical wounds.”

She mentioned that anyone experiencing domestic violence should reach out to the CAPS offices, which offer free and confidential counseling services. Additionally, FAU’s Student Health Services provides medical care, and Victim Services is available to help individuals reporting domestic violence cases. 

Associate Director of FAU’s Victim Services, Candace Harrinarine, stated that the department also offers resources such as safety planning for individuals going through abuse.

“One of the biggest things that I think that we focus on is that safety planning component because leaving is hard,” said Harrinarine. “Leaving is usually the most dangerous time, so you want to prepare for the ‘during,’ the ‘after’ and any of those components.”

Most people can’t identify if they’re in an abusive situation, shared Harrinarine, as the abuse can be normalized or comfortable for them. She added that an individual may recognize that what they are tolerating is “not okay.” 

However, she stated that they may not be able to “define it” and seek help while they are in the midst of the abuse.

“You don’t have to do it alone, and we don’t want you to do it alone, so we’re here to partner with you and help you,” said Harrinarine, noting that she assists individuals at every step of the process of leaving an abusive situation which can sometimes take years.

Joan Dominguez is the lead education and prevention specialist at Women In Distress, a domestic violence resource center in Broward County. She pointed out that many abusers use manipulation to ensure their partner stays in the relationship.

“A lot of times too, abusive people use different tactics to manipulate their partners to make them feel like what they are experiencing is ‘normal’ or that they deserve what they’re going through. When really, abuse is never the victim’s fault,” said Dominguez.

Dominguez encourages individuals who notice red flags and concerning behaviors indicating abuse to speak up and initiate a conversation. By doing so, they can offer resources and support to help someone address the situation.

“I know it can be an uncomfortable topic a lot of times when we talk about relationships, specifically abuse,” said Dominguez. “But the more that we talk about it, the easier it is for people to have just the knowledge to be able to recognize it.”

Michael Cook is the News Editor for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email michael17cook@gmail.com.