Violence against women is an issue that affects not only students but also the entire world beyond classrooms and dorm rooms. UB takes an active part in minimizing the potential damage through the Men's Group, an on-campus organization comprised of male students who are looking to make a change.
The goal of the UB Men's Group is to end male violence against women. The group organizes events, such as These Hands Don't Hurt, as a way to raise awareness about the issue, according to Steve Glamcevski, a senior health and wellness coaching major and the Men's Group leader.
"Basically, the event was a pledge. By painting your hand and placing it on the paper, you're saying that your hands don't hurt others," Glamcevski said. "It's a way for guys and girls to pledge their support against violence against women."
For Glamcevski, the subject of violence against women causes a wide variety of emotions to surface.
The sensitivity of the topic may make students hesitant to speak up, but events such as These Hands Don't Hurt allow for the concerned to show support while keeping personal feelings private. Some people have shown that they are more comfortable being supportive physically rather than vocally.
"I think it's important that people know that the majority of students are against violence against women," said Andy Evans, a junior exercise science major and men's group leader. "Students shouldn't feel embarrassed or nervous to speak out about it and take a stand."
Violence against women occurs more often than many students realize. According to the National Organization for Women Web site, the National Crime Victimization Survey in 2006 found 232,960 women in the U.S. were raped or sexually assaulted. Another study performed by the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control released information stating that about 4.8 million women are affected by intimate partner-related violence every year.
"[The] majority of men are good guys and it's only a small amount of men that are really violent against women," Glamcevski said. "They commit these crimes [sexual assault, rape and battery] on average five to six times per year."
Last week, many students on campus decided to paint their hands in the Student Union and pledge for These Hands Don't Hurt. According to Ashley Bennett, a junior psychology major, pledging is a good way to show others that everyone deserves respect.
"I've pledged before and I pledge every time," Bennett said. "It's a reminder to treat everyone with respect."
Raising awareness is the first step in causing a change to occur, said Jamie Bergeron, a student in the graduate School of Education. Generating thoughts about an issue can be a good way to work toward modifying the negative aspects.
"Bringing up the issue gets people thinking, and change only happens after you've thought about it," Bergeron said. "Thinking about [violence against women] will get people to change their behavior if they are committing acts of violence."
The UB violence prevention program chooses to direct attention toward the behavior of men as a way to prevent violence from occurring. For the group, it is vital to train men on things such as altering social norms and being an active citizen, not just a bystander.
"I think it's time students got involved with anything to make the world a better place. Social change used to come from college campuses," Bennett said.
Students interested in learning more about April as Violence Prevention Month or activities on campus supporting the cause can visit Wellness Education Services in 114 Student Union.
