The Roots of Domestic Violence

Caleigh Montoya, Staff Writer

Domestic violence roots itself in wanting power and control over your partner. Insecurity, childhood trauma, and / or economic hardship are all possible grounds for domestic violence to begin. Signs of abuse include jealousy, cruelty to animals or children, verbal abuse, intense and sudden mood swings, threats of physical punishment, and unrealistic expectations. Warning signs of someone who may become abusive are tight relationship roles, controlling money or housing, verbal abuse, and arguments escalating intensely. 

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Abortion Pill Makes It to the Supreme Court

By Caleigh Montoya, Staff Writer 

The battle over the abortion pill has finally reached the Supreme Court. The FDA made the abortion pill more accessible as medicated abortions were spiking and now the Supreme Court is investigating whether or not the FDA made the right decision. The pill allows for more comfort and less embarrassment as well when a woman chooses an abortion. The abortion pill is nearly 10 times more accessible than a traditional procedure, and helps those who are in states where abortion has now become illegal. The good thing is that most people across all political parties back the abortion pill.

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It’s A Man’s World, yet Women are Paying for It – The Controversy and Debate Surrounding the Pink Tax

By Austin Price, Staff Writer

Women have always been underestimated and devalued. When we do succeed and beat the odds, we are harassed or ridiculed. Because of this, I sadly say that this world is indeed a man’s world. One of the main things that makes our world a man’s world and not an equal human world is the blatant disregard for women’s personal needs in both a physical and mental sense.

There’s a lot of contributing factors leading to the inequality of women, but one of the main ones is demonstrated in commercialized retail items made in bulk, specifically targeting towards women. By rejecting women’s needs and increasing stress on their personal financial struggles, large corporations are bleeding women dry. This phenomenon is known as the pink tax.

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Red Flag Campaign and Women's Issues

By: Hannah Ury, Staff Writer

On Sept. 23rd, the Office of Victim Advocacy and Violence Prevention set up a display on the quad with a sign that read, “Say something when you see warning signs (red flags) for sexual assault, dating violence, or stalking. Put a flag in the ground…

On Sept. 23rd, the Office of Victim Advocacy and Violence Prevention set up a display on the quad with a sign that read, “Say something when you see warning signs (red flags) for sexual assault, dating violence, or stalking. Put a flag in the ground to show your support!”

Photo by Morgan Jacobus

Last week, the Red Flag Campaign was featured on campus outside of the Student Center. They hosted a Zoom discussion regarding relationship violence and sexual assault, but aside from that it did not receive a whole lot of attention on campus. The Red Flag Campaign is a part of the Intimate Partner Violence/Sexual Assault Research Development Group in the Institute for Women’s Health at Virginia Commonwealth University, designed to bring awareness to the issues of relationship violence that can be prevalent on college campuses and beyond. While it can feel like the topic gets beat to death, it is ultimately more important now than ever to bring attention to women’s issues. 

With the recent Supreme Court nomination of Amy Coney Barrett, it is clear that women’s rights are under attack, and if Barrett is approved, they could be for decades. Not only would she restrict a woman’s right to safe abortion, including cases of rape, she would also restrict access to helpful organizations like Planned Parenthood. While the Red Flag Campaign is doing incredibly important work, it is ultimately a team effort that will achieve the necessary results for women in America. 

Already President Trump has taken significant action against sexual assault survivors on college campuses. Title IX, a rule concerning sex-based discrimination and sexual assault on college campuses, has been severely limited by his administration. While the goal of the Red Flag Campaign and other survivor advocacy groups is to make it as easy as possible for survivors to report instances of sexual misconduct, the Trump administration has done its best to ensure survivors do not report what happens to them. What had previously been a broad definition intended to allow for ease of reporting has now been narrowed to “severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive” actions of sexual misconduct, according to his new version of Title IX. This definition is extremely harmful to survivors trying to report sexual misconduct because it is entirely subjective. As a result of the subjectivity of the rule, administrations who want to lower their school’s sexual misconduct statistics can simply decide that instances of clear misconduct were not actually severe enough to justify investigation. Rather than giving power to victims who simply want to see some sort of justice, President Trump has given power to the abusers and college administrations. 

While attacks such as these can make college students feel powerless, it is important to remember why an extremely conservative Supreme Court nominee is being pushed through at the last hour. Conservatives know the power young people hold. Young people have the ability to sway elections, and for the first time we can have more impact on this election than the Baby Boomer generation. Sexual assault survivors are counting on us to preserve their rights, and for that reason along with a billion others, voting is more important now than ever. The Red Flag Campaign is an example of what survivors of relationship violence and sexual misconduct deserve: someone to stand in their corner. Vote this November and do your part in standing with survivors.