February 12, 2020

Love Shouldn’t Hurt: Wayne State launches domestic abuse campaign

Wayne State University Public Health and College of Nursing students partnered with the Campus Health Center and Title IX office to launch health programming tables across campus this Winter semester.

Wayne State University is taking steps to address domestic violence through a new campuswide initiative.

“In an effort to increase knowledge about healthy relationships, signs of abuse and available resources for domestic abuse, we have implemented the ‘Love Shouldn’t Hurt’ campuswide domestic abuse prevention program,” said Karen Huyghe, marketing and outreach manager for the Campus Health Center (CHC). “This includes signage and resource cards placed in strategic locations across campus, a domestic abuse health education program, outreach activities, and resources on our Warrior Life and Wellness webpage.”

Using funds from the Chris Labyk Award for Promising Student Health Initiatives through the Mid-America College Health Association, the CHC and the university’s Title IX office partnered with Counseling and Psychological Services — which focuses on student welfare — and the Dean of Students Office to create and launch the public health campaign.

The kickoff for Love Shouldn’t Hurt was held Feb. 11 in the Student Center Building. Fourteen health education events are planned across campus throughout the winter semester, with a plan for continued education in upcoming academic years.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of four women and one out of 10 men experience some sort of domestic abuse throughout their lifetime. Traumatic in the moment, domestic abuse can also lead to many long-lasting physical and mental health issues. The CHC wants to ensure that the campus community has access to local resources and an understanding of the signs of domestic abuse so they can seek help if needed.

“Partners in a relationship deserve to be respected, to feel safe, and to be valued and accepted for who they are,” said Brandy Banks, Wayne State’s Title IX director. “We know that every relationship is different, but we want students to understand they have rights in a relationship.”

To learn more about domestic abuse prevention and the Love Shouldn’t Hurt campaign, visit warriorlife.wayne.edu/relationships.