Working to end domestic violence and sexual assault in South Central Indiana by educating the public.

The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men experience domestic violence in their lifetimes. In spite of its prevalence, domestic violence is still poorly understood by most of the population. Many of us, including those who experience domestic violence themselves, blame the victims. We ask “Why don’t they just leave?” or assume that the abused partner “Must have made some bad choices to end up in that situation.” The reality of domestic violence is much more complicated than that.

Domestic violence is a pattern of behaviors, including name-calling and mind games, isolation from family and friends, economic control, threats of physical harm, and physical or sexual violence, that one person in a relationship uses to control their partner. Abusers learn these behaviors from examples in their families and broader communities as well as from depictions of relationships in various forms of media. Domestic violence occurs in heterosexual relationships as well as gay and lesbian relationships, and both men and women can be victims of domestic violence. People from all races and social classes can be abusers or victims of abuse. To outsiders it may seem easy to leave an abusive partner, but because of economic circumstances, the mind games that abusers play, cultural pressure to keep the family together, and other factors, it is often very difficult to leave an abuser for good. Leaving a violent partner can also be very dangerous. Last year in Indiana alone, 15 women and 3 men were murdered by abusive partners they were trying to leave or had already left.

Pages for Change seeks to educate the public about the realities of domestic violence and sexual assault and provide important resources for victims of abuse who are thinking of leaving their partners or are trying to stay safe and heal after living through domestic violence or sexual assault. Many people experiencing domestic violence or sexual abuse do not know where to turn for help and information. The goal of Pages for Change is to make sure that every public and college library in our region (Monroe, Greene, Lawrence, Owen, Morgan, and Martin Counties) has adequate information on domestic violence and sexual assault, as well as information on where survivors can get help.

We have identified 20 books that provide vital information about the tactics abusers use, why abusers behave the way they do, how to safely leave a violent or controlling relationship, how to recover from the mental and emotional injuries of domestic violence and sexual assault, and how to support a loved one who is a survivor of domestic violence or sexual assault. These books are aimed at survivors of physical and emotional abuse from a variety of cultural and ethnic groups as well as friends and family members who want to help them. Of the 19 libraries in our region, 5 libraries do not have any of these books, and 11 more libraries have fewer than 4 of the 20 books.

Pages for Change seeks to remedy this problem by providing each of these 19 libraries with one circulating copy and one non-circulating copy of the 20 books that we have selected. We will add a book plate to each book that gives the contact information of the nearest domestic violence shelter and rape crisis center, as well as a list of the non-residential services that each program provides.