How One Frat Took a Stand Against Abuse on Campus.
It took a lot of courage for Deborah Monroe to return to ECU (East Carolina University) campus. As a student of ECU her boyfriend had beaten her, thrown her out of a moving car, and threatened her with a loaded gun.
Deborah Monroe is an American novelist, short story writer, poet, and essayist. Seven years later, Monroe is now an author, advocate and speaker on intimate partner abuse. She was invited back to campus last fall by Alpha Phi Alpha, a ECU fraternity that co-sponsors “Black & Blue,” an annual event that raises awareness about domestic violence.For Monroe, returning to campus was particularly fraught — her abuser had been a member of Alpha Phi Alpha.
SOMETIMES STORIES OF ABUSE ARE SWEPT UNDER THE RUG
For Montford-Brown, hearing the stories of other people who grew up abused or with abusers was a revelation. “We don’t always know people’s true stories,” he said. “When I was growing up, my dad would put his hands on my mom. I used sports as a reason not to be in the house. I went to after-school tutoring. Who wants to go to after-school tutoring? I just didn’t want to be home. But I learned that you don’t have to accept abuse or let it control your life.”
When she came to campus for “Black & Blue,” Monroe shared her own story. She also talked about a funeral she attended while a student there – for the mother of an Alpha Phi member, who had been murdered by her husband.
ECU is the third-largest university in North Carolina and hosts over 25,000 students. Although there are few reported instances of abuse or rape at ECU, Sue Molhan, the ECU Office of Victim Services spokesperson, believes there are a substantial number of unreported cases. “Students don’t report it because it’s usually an acquaintance,” Molhan told the Greenville Reflector, referring to the “silent epidemic.” “People also are not sure sometimes if what happened to them would count as a crime.”
Lt. Amy Davis, the Division Commander of ECU’s Crime Prevention/Community Affairs, calls sexual assault “the most underreported crime in our society.” And, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, females ages 20-24 are at the greatest risk of intimate partner violence. One survey on college women found that about 3 percent had been victims of rape or attempted rape in a single academic term. At a campus the size of ECU this translates to over 350 attacks per year — 100 times the reported number.
Click here to read more on what the Alpha Phi brothers did to help and take a stand!
If you or someone you know has been the victim of sexual assault, domestic abuse, or child abuse, and needs help please use one of the numbers on this list!
National Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-SAFE (7233) / www.thehotline.org
National Sexual Assault Hotline
Loveisrespect: Teen Dating Violence Hotline
1-866-331-9474 / text ‘loveis’ to 22522 / chat at www.loveisrespect.org
1in6: Resources for Male Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse
www.1in6.org / Online SupportLine at 1in6.org/men/get-help
Safe Helpline: Sexual Assault Support for the Department of Defense (DoD) Community
877-995-5247/ Online Helpline at safehelpline.org/about-dod-safe-helpline
It's time to say NO MORE.
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