By Kortney Rohrback, Staff Writer
Have you ever been abused in a relationship, whether it was physical or verbal? If so, you are one of 32 million people who are abused every day. Before you go to bed tonight, 3 women will be murdered. 22 percent of college students are affected by abuse. It can happened to anyone; all demographics, all social statuses, and all races. Dee Dee Cooper, a speaker who visited Saint Leo University on Sept. 29, is a lucky survivor of domestic abuse who will be sharing her story to different colleges to help raise awareness.
As the speaker for this event, called “Hit By Love,” Dee Dee Cooper has personal experience with domestic abuse. She said, “It [domestic abuse]is everywhere, and you don’t even know it.”
Cooper began the event by sharing her domestic abuse story with her audience. She began by telling how she started her freshman year of college extremely happy. Not long after she began, however, her grandfather saved her grandmother in a fire and, in the process, was burned to death. She returned to school and not long after, her two brothers informed her that her father had passed away in his sleep. The misfortune continued as a few weeks later, a friend called to let her know that two of her closest friends died in a car accident.
At this point, Cooper was overwhelmed, depressed, and dreading the holidays. She transferred schools so she could be close to home. Soon after, the quarterback from her high school asked Cooper for her phone number – a potential escape from reality for Cooper.
They began dating and the first year became a positive aspect in Cooper’s life, but slowly, her boyfriend showed his true colors to her. She soon realized that she was in an unhealthy, abusive relationship; when she tried to leave, however, her boyfriend threatened to kill himself. Stuck in this relationship, things continued to spiral out of control. Cooper said, “I hoped that he would change but that wasn’t enough.”
According to Cooper, abuse varies in how it shows itself. The signs of an abusive relationship include being put down or controlled by your partner, having your money taken from you by your partner, feeling isolated from or unimportant to your partner, or pretending to ignore different types of abuse from the partner, such as the destruction of the victim’s property a threat of suicide.
Cooper says that it is hard for anyone to get out of these relationships. For her, she managed to garner the strength to escape, however, after being beaten one night and after realizing the terrified state of her pet dog.
According to Dee Dee Cooper, the first thing anyone in this situation should do is call 911. In addition to this, it is also recommended to call other outlets such as the National Domestic Violence Hotline, a trusted friend, teacher, parent, RA, or roommate for help.
If someone you know might be getting abused, don’t be afraid to let them know that you are concerned. You should acknowledge the situation supportively but never judgingly. Always be supportive and help them develop a safety plan. According to Cooper, no matter what, you, on your own, cannot rescue them; only the can chose to do so.
