The biggest misconceptions surrounding domestic violence are that the abuse has to be physical and that it is between husband and wife. October is domestic violence awareness month and the goal behind this is to end the stigma surrounding different types of domestic abuse.
Coming into college opens a lot of new doors for many people. Students are finally experiencing independence and can let that newfound sense of self cloud their judgment. Brianna Ianonne ‘26, president of It’s on Us, believes this is one of the main reasons domestic violence and sexual assault cases happen on college campuses.
“Domestic violence is actually very prevalent in young adults. People forget that because when they hear domestic, they think of a husband and wife living together but that same kind of violence can happen in any relationship,” Iannone said.
Because college campuses have students experiencing alcohol and sex and drugs for the first time, we run into a lot of those situations where people find themselves being taken advantage of … there’s so many brand-new factors that are accumulating on a college campus.”
Because domestic violence is typically associated with married couples, it can be hard to see and recognize the signs for yourself or those around you. This is why Iannone stresses that awareness of these kinds of issues is important.
“Awareness is needed because if you don’t know the signs of [abuse], you won’t be able to recognize it. In relationships you can be blinded by love,” Iannone said. “Domestic violence is not just physical violence … It can look a lot different than how it’s shown in the movies … Domestic violence can also be when they’re not hitting you, when they’re hitting things around you, throwing things or getting physically aggressive with things that aren’t you.”
Iannone launched It’s on Us last spring to provide comfort and support to victims and foster tough conversations about violence and assault on campus. As the president of this club, she enjoys being someone that people can look to in their darkest hours.
“It’s On Us’ goal is to engage as many students as possible, not just women, into this conversation about domestic violence and sexual assault so we can prevent it from happening [further] on campus. We can help survivors,” Iannone said.
As for assault on Wofford’s campus, Iannone believes Wofford students can be scared to speak out in fear of repercussions. She wants to end the stigma around victim blaming and create safe spaces on campus.
“Wofford’s culture does not have a good history with responding well to sexual assault and other allegations. … A lot of times, victims feel scared to speak out, but if we create a culture that is aware of the real issues that are happening … people will feel more comfortable seeking the help that they need,” Iannone said.
While running It’s on Us, Iannone also spends time working at Project REST, a domestic violence and sexual assault resource center.
“They have an emergency shelter, therapy and counseling, educational services and community outreach. Their goal is to help the Spartanburg, Union and Cherokee counties,” Iannone said. “I started working at Project REST because of sexual assault … and there’s a lot of overlap. Sexual violence and sexual assault specifically in relationships is a subset of domestic violence”
It’s On Us has been working closely with organizations on campus to try and get the resources that victims need and to ensure people feel comfortable speaking out.
“We’ve been working with Title IX really closely … and the Wellness Center … to improve our own Title IX [and counseling] system so they know what we need. It’s a collaborative effort between our resources, students on campus and our campus culture,” Iannone said.
While she encourages everyone to tell their story when they are ready, Iannone recognizes this is not always attainable because of who victims speak to. She urges anyone seeking a resource to look into mandated reporters versus non mandated reporters.
A mandated reporter is someone who has to go to higher ups to report the assault while non-mandated reporters do not. Iannone recognizes that everyone has their own timeline and will report when and if they are ready.
Resources on campus for more information or support include It’s on Us, the Title IX office, counseling services, residence life, Reverend Ron, professors and peers.
