On Monday, the Feminist Collective staged a die-in on the Pickens Street bridge. The event was designed to draw attention to domestic violence in the state. South Carolina has the highest rate of women killed by men in the nation. One of the most public cases of domestic violence nationwide took place on university grounds this February, when USC professor Raja Fayad was murdered in his office by his ex-wife.
The protest disrupted routines and made standard commutes across the bridge inconvenient.
But given how little attention the issue gets, that’s a good thing. The state’s quiet epidemic should make people uncomfortable. It certainly affects some lives more than a delay on the way to or from class.
This is particularly helpful because of confusion over what constitutes domestic violence and dismissal of its severity by the populace and official institutions.
As the largest public school in South Carolina, we feel as if the university has a particular obligation to make sure their students are aware of how to notice, prevent and respond to domestic violence in order that they can be responsible citizens. The Haven program that is required for incoming freshman to take is a good start.
However, the knowledge gained there can be quickly forgotten. We believe that requiring recertification every year or so would be a better solution for educating the student body. Giving the issue time in University 101 would also help combat it.
While we understand that this would seem arduous and annoying for many students, the benefits of increased awareness and, in turn, better outcomes in some cases will more than outweigh it.