'Week Without Violence' to be observed Oct. 9-14

Statistics show that one in three college women experience sexual assault, and up to 60 percent of students experience an abusive dating relationship by high school graduation. These forms of violence and what can be done to reduce their occurrence are the focus Oct. 9-14 of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Week Without Violence.

The UNL Women's Center has coordinated Week Without Violence events for more than 10 years, and collaborates with other UNL and Lincoln groups to raise awareness about the impact of violence on all, and to empower the community to create a safer environment for everyone.

"This week provides a focus on issues that affect us all year round, and brings the campus together to commit ourselves to ending violence," said Jan Deeds, assistant director of gender programs for the Office of Student Involvement and director of the Women's Center.

All events are free and open to the public.

Events begin Oct. 9 with "Self-defense for Women" from 7 to 9 p.m. in the ballroom of the Nebraska Union, 1400 R St. "Self-defense for Everyone" will be Oct. 11 in the Nebraska Union ballroom and is open to anyone who wants to develop his or her mental and physical tools to safely end a hostile situation. Practical self-defense techniques will be taught by Ben Coleman, who has 17 years of experience in the martial arts and holds black belts in tae kwon do, jujitsu and aikido. He will be assisted by Erica Wright, who has trained with him for four years.

The UNL community comes together at the "Speak Out Against Violence" from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 11 in the Union Square area of the Nebraska Union. Members of the UNL and Lincoln communities are invited to take a stand against all forms of violence at this event. Individuals can speak, read a poem or prose, or sing a song expressing their concerns about violence at UNL and in the world. Call the Women's Center at (402) 472-2597 to sign up as a speaker.

A weekly film discussion will also be held on Tuesdays in October (except Oct. 17). Sessions are 4 to 5:30 p.m. in Room 338 of the Nebraska Union. "Sex, Slashers, and Self-Defense: Gender and Violence in the Modern Horror Film" will take a look at how women and violence are represented in popular culture, particularly horror films. Facilitated by Erica Wright, the discussion will focus on the horror genre's early endorsement of second-wave feminist ideas, inversion of traditional gender roles, and representations of sexuality. Movie clips and passages from Carol J Clover's groundbreaking book "Men, Women, and Chainsaw" will be discussed.

The Women's Center is also co-sponsoring the Rape/Spouse Abuse Crisis Center open house and candlelight vigil Oct. 18. The events take place at 2545 N St., with the open house from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., followed at 7:30 by a candlelight vigil to commemorate the lives lost through relationship violence.

Week Without Violence is an event that was started by the National YWCA to coincide with October's Domestic Violence Awareness month. The YWCA Week without Violence occurs Oct. 16-20 with additional events throughout the Lincoln community.

For more information on UNL's Week without Violence events, please visit http://womenscenter.unl.edu.

CONTACT: Jan Deeds, Director, Women's Center, (402) 472-2598