Domestic violence is pervasive nationwide, yet its victims are among the most hidden of any crime. Bruises can be disguised, verbal and emotional abuse veiled.

Thus Georgetown has an extensive support system in place that helps employees and students in abusive situations as well as those who suspect abuse among colleagues or students.

October marks the 20th anniversary of National Domestic Violence Awareness month, with on-campus resources and programming available to help students, faculty and staff thwart abusive relationships and assist victims in need of help.

It is impossible to know how many abuse victims work and attend school at Georgetown, said Eileen Fenrich, director of the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (FSAP). But FSAP constantly works to draw out such individuals and help them.

"We do know that abuse has no limitations. It crosses every race, ethnicity and class," noted Nicole Cornthwaite, an FSAP counselor.

FSAP is the primary office faculty and staff may use to help extract themselves from abusive relationships or obtain a restraining order, crisis counseling, aid in finding a shelter and other such services. Services are confidential and not indicated on an employee's record.

While FSAP sees a larger number of women suffering abuse, men are targets as well, Fenrich said. The office also sees victims in both heterosexual and same-sex couples.

It is hard to estimate how many assault and abuse victims are in the Georgetown community because both crimes are vastly underreported, said Jennifer Schweer, the sexual assault and health issues coordinator for students.

Nationwide, one in four women will be sexually assaulted during her lifetime, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 5.3 million incidents of "intimate partner violence" occur annually among adult females and 3.2 million occur among men.

"People can be very scared and ashamed about what's happening. We're here to help them," Cornthwaite said. "We're obligated to make sure the person will be safe."

Sometimes that means emergency care to place victims and their children in a shelter. Other times it is holding an employee's hand as he or she applies in court for a restraining order against the perpetrator.

Stalking is a prime component of domestic violence, but working with FSAP and the Department of Public Safety may help victims feel safe on campus.

"We'll escort them to DPS and meet with an officer to go over the situation. If there is a restraining order in place, [the victim] can provide a photo of [the abuser] and information about where [that person] works and what the situation is," Cornthwaite said. "Then if that person ever is on campus, DPS would know the details of the situation and can help enforce the restraining order."

Even without an order in place, DPS works to keep stalkers away from campus if informed of a bad situation. Officers are available to escort people to their cars or public transportation after dark to protect them from stalkers.
FSAP also helps people think more clearly about abuse.

"Some people come in with depression or they've been having trouble sleeping," Fenrich said. "When we talk to them, we find out every morning they're hearing, ‘Good morning, you're worthless.' Who wouldn't be depressed from that constant exposure to verbal abuse?"

Identifying colleagues or students who need help is not always easy, Cornthwaite said. Signs may include depression, absenteeism, unexplained injuries, trouble concentrating or extreme privacy. All of these symptoms can be signs of other problems, however, so abuse is not always the root cause.

Faculty and staff working closely with students sometimes hear about abusive relationships or sexual assault. There are student-specific resources that employees may contact to get students help, including Health Education Services and the Counseling and Psychiatric Service, known as CAPS.

"It's not unusual for me to get a call from faculty, staff or academic deans," Schweer said. "They find out from discussions or a paper and come to us to provide the next step in addressing the problem."

For both employee and student abuse survivors, counselors have found that once the victims have referral information for on-campus help, many will seek it out. But because Schweer's office, like FSAP, is confidential, employees will not know if students come in for help -- and that may extend the reach of the abuse's effects.

"It's a helpless feeling when you know someone has been assaulted or abused. You want more than anything for this not to have happened to them," Schweer said. "Anything short of that isn't enough and makes you feel helpless."

FSAP helps employees handle those emotions. In the meantime, Schweer recommends just listening to student and colleague abuse victims.

"By believing them, listening to them and referring them to service, you've done a huge thing," she said. "Survivors need to know someone believes them so they can start the healing process."

-- By Lauren Burgoon, Blue & Gray Assistant Editor

(October 9, 2007)