The Arkansas Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ACADV) hosted an interactive presentation to discuss domestic violence and how to recognize signs of it.  

Brandy Dailey, community response facilitator at ACADV, led the seminar. The event was sponsored by the Office of Title IX and Institutional Equity for Domestic Violence Awareness Month. 

Dailey defined domestic violence as a person in a domestic setting using methods to gain and maintain power and control over another person. In these relationships, the abuser made all the rules of the relationship to maintain control. 

“What we don’t really think about is that if you have two roommates who are fighting, you might think of physical violence and that could definitely happen,” Dailey said. “But think about crossing boundaries, stealing your roommate’s stuff, their food, their cleaning supplies, inviting guests unexpectedly into the room, making the other (roommate) really feel unsafe. That’s considered domestic violence because it’s a shared domestic setting.”

Dailey emphasized conflict is needed for a healthy relationship. They said conflict is necessary to understand what’s going on in a relationship. Domestic violence is a pattern.

“It’s a slow escalation of targets with a clear intent to control,” Dailey said.

To prevent domestic violence, Dailey discussed setting boundaries, including emotional, physical and digital. 

“We are evolving into a world where technology is everywhere,” Dailey said. “An abusive partner will monitor their person’s activity. I’ve seen it in action. A lot of females will get really upset that their partner might be liking other girls’ Instagrams. They might access their partner’s phone and go through all their text messages and Facebook passwords, which is a problem.”

To set digital boundaries, Dailey recommended if one is going to send nude images, to keep identifying marks off the photos. If an abusive partner has access to those photos and decides to blackmail the person, Arkansas doesn’t have a lot of legal protections in place for the victim.

Dailey also discussed dating violence, focusing on stalking and reproductive coercion. The speaker said the most dangerous time for anyone in an abusive relationship is after separation and 30 days afterward because the survivor has challenged the abuser’s authority.  

Reproductive coercion is the intentional effort to control the outcomes of a pregnancy. Dailey said both men and women can be victims of this.

For men, this can involve a partner lying about being on birth control, poking holes in condoms, or getting pregnant through someone else and then lying about the real father.

For women, this might involve a partner refusing to wear a condom, removing birth control medications, sexual assault or death.

To help those experiencing reproductive coercion, Dailey recommended using emergency contraceptives, such as Plan B. These pills work by preventing or delaying ovulation. The speaker also recommended using an IUD, as it lasts five to seven years and can be removed by a doctor.

Dailey said students should listen to their friends if they disclose they are experiencing domestic violence, or listen to how they talk about their partner. 

Mason Cruse, a first-year criminology major from Mountain Home, Arkansas, attended the seminar. 

“The biggest takeaway for me was the cause for an abuser isn’t substance abuse or PTSD or any of those factors. It’s the want for power,” Cruse said. “I’ve personally experienced a little of that and seeing that it’s not a person’s abuse issues or religion or anything like that, because if that was the case, we’d have a lot more abuses. But that’s really good to hear and kind of validate for myself.”

Stacy Dewald, assistant professor of criminology, said she wanted her students to come to the event.

“It’s important for them to learn about domestic violence. Some of them want to work in the field as an advocate. So it’s an opportunity to network and learn about things here in the community,” Dewald said.

Students in a domestic violence situation can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or visit hotline.org. They can also visit the NEA Family Crisis Center.

Caroline Averitt, life editor, contributed to this report.

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