Leander Football Team to Raise Awareness for Domestic Violence

On the football field, violence is celebrated.

At times, huge hits get fans on their feet and cheering louder than they do for touchdowns.

But the Leander High School football team knows the difference between violence on the field and off the field. This month, they’re raising awareness against domestic violence, specifically teen-dating violence, during one of their home games, reported the Austin American-Statesman.

To show support, the team will be wearing the image of a purple ribbon — the national symbol for domestic violence awareness — on their helmets during their Oct. 30 home game. The plan was cemented during an Oct. 6 Williamson County Commissioners Court meeting, reported the American-Statesman.

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During the meeting, commissioners proclaimed October will be known as Domestic and Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month in Williamson County. Gayla R. Schwab, victim assistance coordinator at the county’s District Attorney’s Office, made a presentation during the meeting.

“We want [young people] to be aware of what relationships should be like,” Schwab said of the upcoming football-themed events. “The more education they have on what healthy relationships are, the more likely they will take that information with them as adults. Hopefully, we can educate them on being in healthy relationships.”

During the home game at Leander, volunteers will hand out informational packets on domestic abuse. Discreet fliers with information about domestic violence will also be placed in bathrooms in case someone is at the game with his or her abuser.

“We have a lot of domestic violence cases,” said Schwab as reported by the American-Statesman. “If we can bring awareness to these students, the more education we provide, the more likely it is the numbers will go down.”

Here are some statistics on domestic violence that Schwab used in her presentation:

• Last year Hope Alliance — a resource center for domestic violence and rape victims — provided face-to-face services to more than 2,070 local victims of domestic violence, providing 7,222 nights of safety.
• Nationally, domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women between the ages of 15 and 44 — more than car accidents, muggings and rapes combined.
  Roughly one in 10 high school students has been hit, slapped or physically hurt intentionally by a boyfriend or girlfriend.
• Among 15-year-old girls, nearly one in 10 disclosed experiencing physical dating violence. One in four disclosed they had experienced psychological abuse.
• More than one in four stalking victims reported some form of cyber-stalking was used against them. Electronic monitoring of some kind was used to stalk one in 13 victims.
• 40 percent of girls ages 14 to 17 report knowing someone their age who has been beaten or hit by a boyfriend.