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A campus initiative sponsored by the Columbus Coalition Against Family Violence and The Ohio State University   

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Is it real?

The Movement • Is it real? • It's all about respect. • Who's got our back? Help a Friend • Want to hear more?

There’s no doubt that relationship abuse is real, especially for college students.

Consider the facts:

• 1 in 4 women in the United States will experience some form of physical abuse by a spouse, former spouse, cohabitating partner or date at some point in their lives.(1)
  
  
• 32% of college students report they have experienced dating violence by a former partner; 21% report they have experienced dating violence by a current partner.(2)
  
  
• Women ages 16 to 24 experience the highest per capita rate of intimate violence.(3)
  
  

What about here? Why is this campaign being launched at Ohio State?

• In a recent Internet survey of more than 6,700 OSU students:(4)
  • 44% of students (and 52% of female students) report being concerned or very concerned about abuse or violence in relationships.
  • 43% of students consider abuse or violence in relationships a problem in the campus community.
  • 33% report experiencing abusive behaviors in a relationship of their own.
  • 73% report knowing someone who has experienced abusive behaviors in a relationship.

It’s important to remember that relationship abuse can be physical, but it also can be verbal or emotional. Examples of nonviolent relationship abuse experienced by OSU students who participated in the recent Internet survey include being humiliated, ridiculed, degraded, put downs, insulted intentionally, routinely ignored or feelings not taken seriously, extreme jealousy, isolated from friends and family.

What are the sources of these statistics and information?

1. Tjaden, Patricia and Thoennes, Nancy. National Institute of Justice and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Extent, Nature, and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence." (2000)

2. C. Sellers and M. Bromley, "Violent Behavior in College Student Dating Relationships," Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice (1996). Retrieved from the National Center for Victims of Crimes, Campus Dating Violence Fact Sheet, www.ncvc.org.

3. Bureau of Justice Statistics. Special Report Intimate Partner Violence and Age of Victim, 1993-1999. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office (2001).

4. Columbus Coalition Against Family Violence and The Ohio State University. Spring 2006 Relationship Abuse Survey. Columbus: 2006.