Show Support Against Violence tomorrow!

Thanks so much Beckie Brown for passing along this information to us!!You are the best!!!!!!!!


Don purple, show support against violence
By MARY ANN GREIER, Staff Writer
POSTED: October 19, 2009


LISBON - Area residents can show their support against violence in any form by donning the color purple all day Tuesday.

That's the color the YWCA adopted as a way to signify the fight without banners or badges because it's a way everyone in the community can participate by wearing something purple, even if it's just a purple pin on a lapel.

"The idea is making people aware," Salem YWCA Executive Director Susan Hays said.

The Columbiana County Commissioners designated this week as YWCA Week Without Violence, described as a national public awareness campaign which "provides a series of national and local forums that focuses on building practical and sustainable alternatives to violence," according to the proclamation.

The weeklong observance also challenges "all Americans to spend seven days without committing, condoning or contributing to violence," the proclamation said.

Hays spoke with commissioners recently about the YWCA and its efforts to stem violence, both at home and in the workplace.

In May, an orientation session was offered for businesses regarding violence in the workplace and "we were quite pleased that we had 14 companies represented," she said. The session was co-sponsored by the Salem YWCA, the Tri-County Family Violence Prevention Coalition and the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce.

Training sessions were then held in June for companies who wanted additional information and six companies took part.

According to a workplace violence fact sheet she presented, "workplace homicide is the number one cause of death for women in the workplace in America. Women are also at a higher risk of being stalked and harassed." The fact sheet also said workplace violence was the second leading cause of death for men in the workplace.

Of the people committing the acts of violence in the workplace, 80 percent were male, with 66 percent strangers such as customers or clients, 20 percent current employees and 3 percent former employees, the fact sheet said. The violence can include threats or intimidation.

She said a new law passed in September requires some businesses to post telephone numbers regarding family violence protection. The Salem YWCA received a grant from the Pearce Foundation to make posters listing telephone numbers for places where people can get help in domestic violence situations.

Hays noted the Columbiana County had 137 domestic violence incidents reported to police agencies in 2007, with 83 never going forward with charges.

"When the economy is tight, incidents of domestic violence go up," she said.

She also said it's not exclusive to any one type of person or class. She said there's a stigma that people affected by domestic violence are poor or low-class, but that's not the case. Professionals can be affected, too, at both ends of domestic violence, as victim or perpetrator.

"Family violence, domestic violence can affect anyone," Hays said.

The Salem YWCA can be reached at 330-332-9944.

Mary Ann Greier can be reached at mgreier@salemnews.net