A couple of weeks ago, the Community Action Team (CAT), a volunteer team with Betty Griffin House, did a presentation for three Cultural Anthropology classes at Flagler College, located in St. Augustine, FL. Professor Veronica Marconi welcomed us into her classroom.
Betty Griffin House is a community based, private, non-profit organization that provides numerous services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, ranging from shelter services to confidential counseling to legal advocacy with many other support services available. Betty Griffin House is located in St Augustine and serves all of St Johns County, FL residents.
Faith Joyner, a Counselor & Sexual Assault Coordinator for Betty Griffin House, led the team. We presented on various topics, including: the CAT mission, Betty Griffin House services, the Power and Control Wheel, and a powerful, short video on consent by Laci Green.
I’ve had time to reflect on the experience and think about what I learned. Each class was asked probing questions regarding sexual assault, dating violence, consent, stalking and victimization. Many of the students were active in the discussion. I could see facial expressions change as certain topics were discussed. Some yielded a shocked expression while others cast a look of understanding. A couple of topics started a healthy flow of comments and questions and we delved into the subjects further.
I realized how important it is to educate young men and women about dating violence and sexual assault. I saw genuine compassion among the students regarding the issues. The topics discussed aren’t something the students think about daily, but rather occasionally. I hope if they are ever in an abuse or assault situation or are witnessing one, they will remember the tools CAT taught them.
Thank you Flagler College for inviting us!
If you’re being abused or know someone who is, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline for help. 1-800-799-7233.
Remember, if we can help just one victim, we’ve done our job.
Katelin Maloney