The number of cases of domestic violence surpassed those of rapes on campus this past year.
Reacting to what she saw as general student apathy and ignorance, Sarah G. Murray '03 has spent the academic year taking on the issue from the helm of Dartmouth's Coalition Against Abusive Relationships Everywhere.
The aim of CARE seeks to promote awareness and education about domestic violence, which includes rape and sexual and emotional abuse, Murray said. The student-run organization, which Murray founded in the Fall-term, focuses on the population at Dartmouth and in Hanover.
Murray's interest in domestic violence began when she worked one summer at an organization in San Francisco. Upon returning to Dartmouth, she said she noticed a lack of understanding about the definition of an abusive relationship and realized there was no obvious resource to which victims could turn.
As president of CARE, Murray is preparing several events for this spring. On a yet-to-be-determined date in the middle of May, Murray will invite one third of the female population at Dartmouth to wear black in order to represent the one in three women that will be abused in her lifetime.
CARE also plans to have a free showing of "What's Love Got to Do with It?," a film about the stormy relationship between Ike and Tina Turner.
"Rather than show a documentary, we figured a pop culture film would have more of an interest value for students," Murray said.
She also mentioned a possible regional conference on the topic of abuse, potentially held at Dartmouth next year.
Currently, CARE meetings are held biweekly. At each meeting, attendees read and discuss pieces on domestic violence and choose a topic for the following meeting, based on what topics they would like to learn more about.
Sample topics include the effects of abusive relationships on friends, family and children, and an examination of the mind and motivation of a batterer.
Murray emphasized that CARE does not counsel victims, at least not at this point, but provides a forum to promote awareness of domestic violence. Students seeking help on an individual basis should contact the program's advisor, Abby Tassel, Coordinator of the Sexual Abuse Awareness Program, who meets with the group once a month.
Currently, Tassel is drafting a new law for the school that will make Dartmouth the first college in the nation to have a specific policy addressing relationship abuse.
CARE's next meeting will be held on May 1 in Collis 212.
