- Email: [email protected]
Narratives about violence: The words of college students
The Social Science Journal 44 (2007) 367–373
Narratives about violence: The words of college students Brian K. Payne a,∗ , Rebecca Fogerty b a
Department of Criminal Justice, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, United States b Seawall-Belmont House and Museum, Washington DC, United States
Abstract The Clothesline Project was created in 1990 to give women a creative outlet for describing their experiences with violence. Survivors of violence print messages on t-shirts which are displayed for the public during different events such as Victims’ Rights Week and Sexual Assault Awareness Week. Approximately 300 different projects are held each year in various locations across the world. In the current study, we examined the kinds of messages printed on the t-shirts by 48 participants in a Clothesline Project held on a college campus. The following five themes were uncovered: (1) messages to survivors, (2) messages to potential offenders, (3) love themes, (4) prevention themes, and (5) awareness-based themes. Implications are provided. © 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
1. Introduction The Centers for Disease Control (2003) estimates that 4.5 million women are victims of violent acts each year. Two-thirds of those violent incidents are committed by aggressors who have some relationship with the victims. Compared to men, women are six times more likely to be victimized by known offenders and 10 times more likely to be victims of sexual assault. These offenses occur in all settings, including college campuses. In fact, some researchers suggest that some forms of violence, namely date rape, are higher in college settings. Indeed, estimates suggest that one-fourth of women in college have been victimized by some form of sexual assault (Lee, Caruso, Goins, & Southerland, 2003). A number of prevention programs are used to reduce the risks of violence against women. Most of these programs focus on increasing awareness among members of the public about violence. In college settings, awareness programs are often provided to incoming students en masse. Students are told during orientation what forms of violence occur on college campuses ∗ Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 757 683 3935; fax: +1 757 683 5634. E-mail address: [email protected] (B.K. Payne).
0362-3319/$ – see front matter © 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.soscij.2007.03.005
368
B.K. Payne, R. Fogerty / The Social Science Journal 44 (2007) 367–373
and how they can reduce their risks of being victimized. The ability of such measures in increasing awareness and preventing violence has never been established. Throughout the academic year, specific programs may be provided for high-risk groups and potential offenders such as members or sororities, or male athletes. The idea underlying these programs is that increasing awareness among especially vulnerable groups may have preventive qualities. The success of these sorts of efforts is not clear. Another strategy used on college campuses involves public awareness campaigns at different points during the academic year. These efforts usually target all students and coincide with some national event such as Domestic Violence Month, National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, or Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Guest lectures, open forums, and candlelight vigils are just a few strategies used during these public awareness campaigns. Growing in use over the past 15 years, the Clothesline Project is an additional strategy to raise awareness about violence. The Clothesline Project entails having survivors of violence put messages and drawings on t-shirts which are designed to “honor, respect, and recognize . . . courage in facing experiences of violence–rape, incest, abuse, harassment, murder, intimidation and/or torture in a medium that provides public exposure while guaranteeing distance and safety” (Lempert & Skorge, 2002, p. 19).
2. The Clothesline Project The first Clothesline Project was held in Hyannis, Massachusetts in 1990. In all, 31 t-shirts depicting narratives and drawings from female victims of violence were on display as part of the Take Back the Night March and Rally. The shirts used in the original Project are color-coded and reflect the type of violence suffered by the woman—yellow represents women who have been battered, while red, pink or orange are for rape/sexual assault survivors, for example. The idea for the project came from visual artist Rachel Carey-Harper, who was inspired by the Aids Quilt. In the last 15 years, Clothesline Projects have been developed in 41 states and five different countries. It is estimated that between 35,000 and 50,000 t-shirts are on display each year (Clothesline Project, 2004). The Clothesline Project meets three overlapping purposes: (1) awareness, (2) education, and (3) healing (Lee et al., 2003; Ruby, 1998). Awareness and education may appear to be the same thing, but one important difference between the two ideals exists. Specifically, awareness implies that individuals have no understanding of a topic whereas education assumes that individuals were at least aware of a topic. Essentially, awareness comes before education. Those who are unaware about issues of violence will also lack education in this area. Those who are aware about violence may not be fully educated about the issues. In terms of healing, when survivors of violence participate in the project, it is believed that the process may be therapeutic. Most projects will ensure that a counselor is available to assist survivors or loved ones with the process. Those who have had loved ones murdered, for instance, have reported a great deal of comfort in participating in the Clothesline Project (Cassidy, 1999). Survivors of violence report the same kind of comfort. As Ostrowski (1996, p .37) tells us, “In the Western Culture the use of personal narratives as a means of coping with negative or traumatic experiences has been institutionalized.” However,
B.K. Payne, R. Fogerty / The Social Science Journal 44 (2007) 367–373
369
Ostrowki also notes that these narratives do not receive a great deal of empirical attention from researchers. The current study addresses this void by examining how students at our university participated in a Clothesline Project held as part of one university’s recognition of two events raising awareness about violence against women: National Crime Victims’ Rights’ Week (19–22 Apri 2004) and National Domestic Violence Awareness Month (October 5–7, 2004). Based on the belief that such projects allow students to (1) show their creativity, (2) have their voices heard, and (3) be empowered, other universities have held Clothesline Projects on their campuses (Lempert, 2003). Our project was modified from the National Project and from other campus projects slightly. For our campus project, all of our t-shirts were white—the t-shirts were not color coded to describe the form of violence (white represents women who have died because of violence in the National Project). All students, whether they were victims of violence or not, were encouraged to participate in the project, and supplies were available during each event week in an office at the Student Center. Once a participant completed their shirt, it was hung on a clothesline in the Student Center. In this study, we address the following two broadly defined research questions: (1) what themes characterize the messages individuals placed on the t-shirts?; (2) who do the messages seem to target?
3. Methods Content analysis was performed on t-shirts included in a Clothesline Project at a large university in an urban area located on the East Coast. In all, 48 participants painted on t-shirts as part of the Clothesline Project at this university. The display was part of the National Crime Victims’ Rights Week events, reaching 192 students, in April 2004 and as part of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month events, reaching 302 students, in October 2004. While we were unable to monitor how many students saw the display, it is worth noting that the tshirts were placed in a popular section of the student union building, with hundreds of students passing by the area each day.
4. Findings Five themes were uncovered from the analysis: (1) messages to survivors, (2) messages to potential offenders, (3) love themes, (4) awareness-based themes, and (5) prevention. Each of these themes are discussed below. Throughout the discussion, phrases students wrote on the shirts are included to illustrate the nature of each theme. If students used all capital letters in their messages, we acknowledge that by also maintaining the same font when we quote them. 4.1. Messages to survivors Many participants wrote messages on their t-shirts that we characterized as messages to survivors. A few of these messages suggested that victims should heed certain warnings to
370
B.K. Payne, R. Fogerty / The Social Science Journal 44 (2007) 367–373
protect themselves. For example, on one shirt, a participant wrote, “Be in control.” On another shirt, a female student advised, “No It’s Not Okay. Know Your Rights (www.vadv.org).” The vast majority of messages to victims encouraged victims to report their abuse. One student, for instance, wrote, “REMEMBER YOU’RE NOT ALONE! IT HURT, SPEAK UP!” Another student was even more direct in her appeal for victims to report as she included a hotline number for reporting abuse. She wrote, “HAVE YOU BEEN ABUSED? Call 1-800-838-8238.” Some students seemed to indicate that reporting violence is a step towards surviving. She said, “Don’t be a victim. Break the Silence.” Drawing flowers on a t-shirt, another student echoed this dynamic stating, “I’m a survivor. Let your voice be heard.” The following comments printed on four different t-shirts also suggest students’ beliefs regarding the importance of reporting abuse: “Love is blind but abuse isn’t. So Report it.” “Silence is never ok.” “Be Strong Speak Out.” “Make your feelings clear!” The irony underlying these messages is that, in some cases, survivors were able to use the t-shirts to speak out themselves. Ironically, for some survivors the healing purpose of the Clothesline Project appears to be implicitly fulfilled through “speaking out about the importance of speaking out.” 4.2. Messages to potential offenders Just as common as messages to victims were messages to potential offenders. These messages often sounded as if the participant were providing males with advice about how to interact in intimate relationships. One female student who included the letters of her sorority on the t-shirt advised, “No Means No.” Another participant wrote on her shirt, “Share my Beauty, Don’t Steal It.” Displaying a similar pattern, another student wrote, “Think before you act.” Still another participant commented in bold letters, “Domestic Violence is Never the Answer.” Other messages to potential offenders were based on what the participants (often male students) viewed as appropriate gender roles. For instance, one male student advised readers to “Respect All Women.” Another male wrote, “A real man does not hit.” Along a similar line, a third participant commented on assumptions about gender roles and relationships and stated the following: “Domestic Violence Myth: When a date says no, she really doesn’t mean no. Myth: I bought her dinner – she owes me sex.” Note one similarity among each of these comments – they suggest that blame rests with the aggressor. 4.3. Love themes Love themes were also uncovered through our analysis. With regard to this theme, some students included ideas about love (or hate) in their messages. Note that these themes were sometimes combined with messages to either victims or offenders. Consider the following comments made by one male student: “VISION GOT LOVE AND RESPECT 4 ALL WOMEN SO FASTEN YOUR SEATBELTS WHEN DRIVING HINT HINT WELL NO MEANS NO.” Another student advised, “LOVE YOURSELF.” It was not clear whether this message was meant for victims, potential offenders, or both groups. A third student’s message was clearly intended for both groups. She wrote, “RESPECT AND LOVE EACH OTHER.”
B.K. Payne, R. Fogerty / The Social Science Journal 44 (2007) 367–373
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Some students wrote about love and hate and in their messages. Here are a few quotes from the t-shirts depicting this pattern: “1 Love Stop the Hate.” “Violence is not a display of love, but of self-hate.” “Love Don’t Hurt, Why Should I?” Other students simply used the word hate or described love in such a way as to imply hate. In huge letters with paint smeared all over the shirt to resemble a bloody shirt, for example, one student wrote, “No Hate.” Displaying a similar level of creativity, another student wrote, “Shattered by an unreal love!” and included red paint simulating blood dropping from each letter. What’s most telling about these love themes is that they seem to suggest that students recognize the emotional consequences of violence as being more important than the physical consequences of violence. 4.4. Prevention themes Prevention themes were also found in the messages written on the t-shirts. As an illustration, one student wrote, “Stand Up Against Violence The Senioritas Support U.” Other comments demonstrating this theme included the following statements: “E.Z. NSU STOP THE VIOLENCE.” “Stop Domestic Violence. Increase the Peace.” “Erase the hate. Put an End to Domestic Violence.” Whereas some of the messages described above were clearly directed towards victims, potential offenders, or both groups, the prevention messages seemed to be directed towards all members of the public. 4.5. Awareness-based themes The final theme we uncovered may be characterized as awareness-based themes. T-shirts that included general messages about either the individual’s experiences or facts about violence fit into this category. As an example, one t-shirt with pictures of five houses drawn in rainbow colors had the message, “We had to move a whole bunch,” printed across the front of the shirt. Another student wrote, “Domestic Violence Affects the Entire Family.” These messages provide readers with insight into the breadth of abuse as well as the process victims go through in trying to escape abuse. These two examples of messages were created by actual survivors of domestic violence—these came from a student and her child, who were living at a domestic violence shelter during the April events. The awareness-based themes also focused on the balance between different types of abuse. In the words of one student, “Abuse is not only physical.” Participants also recognized that victims can become survivors. Said one participant survivor, “Someone can hurt my body, but not my soul!”
5. Discussion A number of implications arise based on our experiences with the Clothesline Project and our interpretation of these findings. First, our findings suggest that violence is a real issue in students’ lives. It is imperative that those working with college students recognize this fact. As noted earlier, at least one-fourth of students will have been victims of sexual assault alone, and
372
B.K. Payne, R. Fogerty / The Social Science Journal 44 (2007) 367–373
one-fifth have been victims of relationship violence. A majority of students will know someone who has been victimized by violence. Recognizing the importance of violence in students’ histories will allow campus officials to be in a position to assist students in developing their roles as survivors of violence. Second, it is important to note that everyone is involved in the response to violence. This is not just an issue that affects victims; rather, it is an issue that inevitably affects everyone. That this Clothesline Project was opened up for all students to participate, and the fact that many students who apparently did not have histories of victimization did participate, shows that members of the public are available and willing to assist in supporting survivors of violence. Encouraging faculty and staff from the university to make their own messages would also help form a community supportive of ending violence against women. What this means is that the Clothesline Project should (1) counter rape/relationship violence myths and (2) show why it is inappropriate to blame victims for their experiences with violence. Third, to increase the likelihood that students will participate in the process, efforts in similar projects in the future should focus on trying to involve all students in undertaking and viewing the project. College students should be encouraged through different strategies (extra credit options, class assignments, etc.) to read the messages provided on the shirts. Programs can potentially decrease “college students’ nonsupportive attitudes towards sexual assault” (Lee et al., 2003, p. 15). Efforts should be taken to advertise the event to all instructors, especially those who might be willing to require, or strongly encourage, their students to participate. Fourth, while we reviewed just a small number of messages, it is likely that similar themes would be uncovered from other Clothesline Projects. Indeed, messages to potential offenders have been found in Clothesline Projects internationally. One participant in South Africa wrote, for instance, “Ndoda Ndini Ungeva Kanjani Inguwe lo Udlewenguliweyo (translation—How would you men feel if you were raped?)” (Lempert & Skorge, 2002, p. 9). A desire to help prevent future victimization is a common consequence experienced by survivors of violence (Doerner & Lab, 2003). The Clothesline Project allows survivors to fulfill this desire. Perhaps the strongest quality of the Clothesline Project is that it is a moving, visual display of survivors’ strengths, and it empowers participants to speak out and take a stand to end violence against women. This empowerment and activism has resulted in the Clothesline Project being touted as a “huge success” for the Women’s Movement (Abb, 1995). The movement to turn private (dirty laundry) women’s issues into public, political, and human issues is what the Women’s Movement ultimately strives to achieve. By facilitating the Clothesline Project on a university campus, students will be better prepared as activists—a laudable goal given the typical lack of participation by young people in the political arena.
References Abb, R. (1995). First national display of Clothesline Project a huge success. National N.O.W. Times, 27(4), 2–3. Centers for Disease Control. (2003). Chronic Disease Prevention. Available online at http://www.cdc. gov/nccdphp/cdnr/cdnr winter0305.htm.
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Doerner, W. & Lab, S. (2003). Victimology (3rd ed.). Cincinnati: Anderson. Cassidy, M. (1999). Nina Leibman and the clothesline project. Journal of Film and Video, 51(3/4), 3–4. Lee, R., Caruso, M., Goins, S., & Southerland, J. P. (2003). Addressing sexual assault on college campuses. Journal of College Counseling, 6(1), 14–24. Lempert, L. (2003). The Clothesline Project as student production: creativity, voice, and action. Teaching Sociology, 31(4), 478–485. Lempert, L., & Skorge, S. (2002). Silent no more, we’re hanging out our dirty laundry. Women in Action, 19–22. Ostrowski, C. J. (1996). The Clothesline Project: Women’s stories of gender-related violence. Women and Language, 19(1), 37–41. Ruby, J. (1998). Airing Society’s Dirty Laundry. Off Our Backs, 28(11), 4. The Clothesline Project. (2004). Available online at http://clotheslineproject.org.
Narratives about violence: The words of college students Brian K. Payne a,∗ , Rebecca Fogerty b a
Department of Criminal Justice, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, United States b Seawall-Belmont House and Museum, Washington DC, United States
Abstract The Clothesline Project was created in 1990 to give women a creative outlet for describing their experiences with violence. Survivors of violence print messages on t-shirts which are displayed for the public during different events such as Victims’ Rights Week and Sexual Assault Awareness Week. Approximately 300 different projects are held each year in various locations across the world. In the current study, we examined the kinds of messages printed on the t-shirts by 48 participants in a Clothesline Project held on a college campus. The following five themes were uncovered: (1) messages to survivors, (2) messages to potential offenders, (3) love themes, (4) prevention themes, and (5) awareness-based themes. Implications are provided. © 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
1. Introduction The Centers for Disease Control (2003) estimates that 4.5 million women are victims of violent acts each year. Two-thirds of those violent incidents are committed by aggressors who have some relationship with the victims. Compared to men, women are six times more likely to be victimized by known offenders and 10 times more likely to be victims of sexual assault. These offenses occur in all settings, including college campuses. In fact, some researchers suggest that some forms of violence, namely date rape, are higher in college settings. Indeed, estimates suggest that one-fourth of women in college have been victimized by some form of sexual assault (Lee, Caruso, Goins, & Southerland, 2003). A number of prevention programs are used to reduce the risks of violence against women. Most of these programs focus on increasing awareness among members of the public about violence. In college settings, awareness programs are often provided to incoming students en masse. Students are told during orientation what forms of violence occur on college campuses ∗ Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 757 683 3935; fax: +1 757 683 5634. E-mail address: [email protected] (B.K. Payne).
0362-3319/$ – see front matter © 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.soscij.2007.03.005
368
B.K. Payne, R. Fogerty / The Social Science Journal 44 (2007) 367–373
and how they can reduce their risks of being victimized. The ability of such measures in increasing awareness and preventing violence has never been established. Throughout the academic year, specific programs may be provided for high-risk groups and potential offenders such as members or sororities, or male athletes. The idea underlying these programs is that increasing awareness among especially vulnerable groups may have preventive qualities. The success of these sorts of efforts is not clear. Another strategy used on college campuses involves public awareness campaigns at different points during the academic year. These efforts usually target all students and coincide with some national event such as Domestic Violence Month, National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, or Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Guest lectures, open forums, and candlelight vigils are just a few strategies used during these public awareness campaigns. Growing in use over the past 15 years, the Clothesline Project is an additional strategy to raise awareness about violence. The Clothesline Project entails having survivors of violence put messages and drawings on t-shirts which are designed to “honor, respect, and recognize . . . courage in facing experiences of violence–rape, incest, abuse, harassment, murder, intimidation and/or torture in a medium that provides public exposure while guaranteeing distance and safety” (Lempert & Skorge, 2002, p. 19).
2. The Clothesline Project The first Clothesline Project was held in Hyannis, Massachusetts in 1990. In all, 31 t-shirts depicting narratives and drawings from female victims of violence were on display as part of the Take Back the Night March and Rally. The shirts used in the original Project are color-coded and reflect the type of violence suffered by the woman—yellow represents women who have been battered, while red, pink or orange are for rape/sexual assault survivors, for example. The idea for the project came from visual artist Rachel Carey-Harper, who was inspired by the Aids Quilt. In the last 15 years, Clothesline Projects have been developed in 41 states and five different countries. It is estimated that between 35,000 and 50,000 t-shirts are on display each year (Clothesline Project, 2004). The Clothesline Project meets three overlapping purposes: (1) awareness, (2) education, and (3) healing (Lee et al., 2003; Ruby, 1998). Awareness and education may appear to be the same thing, but one important difference between the two ideals exists. Specifically, awareness implies that individuals have no understanding of a topic whereas education assumes that individuals were at least aware of a topic. Essentially, awareness comes before education. Those who are unaware about issues of violence will also lack education in this area. Those who are aware about violence may not be fully educated about the issues. In terms of healing, when survivors of violence participate in the project, it is believed that the process may be therapeutic. Most projects will ensure that a counselor is available to assist survivors or loved ones with the process. Those who have had loved ones murdered, for instance, have reported a great deal of comfort in participating in the Clothesline Project (Cassidy, 1999). Survivors of violence report the same kind of comfort. As Ostrowski (1996, p .37) tells us, “In the Western Culture the use of personal narratives as a means of coping with negative or traumatic experiences has been institutionalized.” However,
B.K. Payne, R. Fogerty / The Social Science Journal 44 (2007) 367–373
369
Ostrowki also notes that these narratives do not receive a great deal of empirical attention from researchers. The current study addresses this void by examining how students at our university participated in a Clothesline Project held as part of one university’s recognition of two events raising awareness about violence against women: National Crime Victims’ Rights’ Week (19–22 Apri 2004) and National Domestic Violence Awareness Month (October 5–7, 2004). Based on the belief that such projects allow students to (1) show their creativity, (2) have their voices heard, and (3) be empowered, other universities have held Clothesline Projects on their campuses (Lempert, 2003). Our project was modified from the National Project and from other campus projects slightly. For our campus project, all of our t-shirts were white—the t-shirts were not color coded to describe the form of violence (white represents women who have died because of violence in the National Project). All students, whether they were victims of violence or not, were encouraged to participate in the project, and supplies were available during each event week in an office at the Student Center. Once a participant completed their shirt, it was hung on a clothesline in the Student Center. In this study, we address the following two broadly defined research questions: (1) what themes characterize the messages individuals placed on the t-shirts?; (2) who do the messages seem to target?
3. Methods Content analysis was performed on t-shirts included in a Clothesline Project at a large university in an urban area located on the East Coast. In all, 48 participants painted on t-shirts as part of the Clothesline Project at this university. The display was part of the National Crime Victims’ Rights Week events, reaching 192 students, in April 2004 and as part of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month events, reaching 302 students, in October 2004. While we were unable to monitor how many students saw the display, it is worth noting that the tshirts were placed in a popular section of the student union building, with hundreds of students passing by the area each day.
4. Findings Five themes were uncovered from the analysis: (1) messages to survivors, (2) messages to potential offenders, (3) love themes, (4) awareness-based themes, and (5) prevention. Each of these themes are discussed below. Throughout the discussion, phrases students wrote on the shirts are included to illustrate the nature of each theme. If students used all capital letters in their messages, we acknowledge that by also maintaining the same font when we quote them. 4.1. Messages to survivors Many participants wrote messages on their t-shirts that we characterized as messages to survivors. A few of these messages suggested that victims should heed certain warnings to
370
B.K. Payne, R. Fogerty / The Social Science Journal 44 (2007) 367–373
protect themselves. For example, on one shirt, a participant wrote, “Be in control.” On another shirt, a female student advised, “No It’s Not Okay. Know Your Rights (www.vadv.org).” The vast majority of messages to victims encouraged victims to report their abuse. One student, for instance, wrote, “REMEMBER YOU’RE NOT ALONE! IT HURT, SPEAK UP!” Another student was even more direct in her appeal for victims to report as she included a hotline number for reporting abuse. She wrote, “HAVE YOU BEEN ABUSED? Call 1-800-838-8238.” Some students seemed to indicate that reporting violence is a step towards surviving. She said, “Don’t be a victim. Break the Silence.” Drawing flowers on a t-shirt, another student echoed this dynamic stating, “I’m a survivor. Let your voice be heard.” The following comments printed on four different t-shirts also suggest students’ beliefs regarding the importance of reporting abuse: “Love is blind but abuse isn’t. So Report it.” “Silence is never ok.” “Be Strong Speak Out.” “Make your feelings clear!” The irony underlying these messages is that, in some cases, survivors were able to use the t-shirts to speak out themselves. Ironically, for some survivors the healing purpose of the Clothesline Project appears to be implicitly fulfilled through “speaking out about the importance of speaking out.” 4.2. Messages to potential offenders Just as common as messages to victims were messages to potential offenders. These messages often sounded as if the participant were providing males with advice about how to interact in intimate relationships. One female student who included the letters of her sorority on the t-shirt advised, “No Means No.” Another participant wrote on her shirt, “Share my Beauty, Don’t Steal It.” Displaying a similar pattern, another student wrote, “Think before you act.” Still another participant commented in bold letters, “Domestic Violence is Never the Answer.” Other messages to potential offenders were based on what the participants (often male students) viewed as appropriate gender roles. For instance, one male student advised readers to “Respect All Women.” Another male wrote, “A real man does not hit.” Along a similar line, a third participant commented on assumptions about gender roles and relationships and stated the following: “Domestic Violence Myth: When a date says no, she really doesn’t mean no. Myth: I bought her dinner – she owes me sex.” Note one similarity among each of these comments – they suggest that blame rests with the aggressor. 4.3. Love themes Love themes were also uncovered through our analysis. With regard to this theme, some students included ideas about love (or hate) in their messages. Note that these themes were sometimes combined with messages to either victims or offenders. Consider the following comments made by one male student: “VISION GOT LOVE AND RESPECT 4 ALL WOMEN SO FASTEN YOUR SEATBELTS WHEN DRIVING HINT HINT WELL NO MEANS NO.” Another student advised, “LOVE YOURSELF.” It was not clear whether this message was meant for victims, potential offenders, or both groups. A third student’s message was clearly intended for both groups. She wrote, “RESPECT AND LOVE EACH OTHER.”
B.K. Payne, R. Fogerty / The Social Science Journal 44 (2007) 367–373
371
Some students wrote about love and hate and in their messages. Here are a few quotes from the t-shirts depicting this pattern: “1 Love Stop the Hate.” “Violence is not a display of love, but of self-hate.” “Love Don’t Hurt, Why Should I?” Other students simply used the word hate or described love in such a way as to imply hate. In huge letters with paint smeared all over the shirt to resemble a bloody shirt, for example, one student wrote, “No Hate.” Displaying a similar level of creativity, another student wrote, “Shattered by an unreal love!” and included red paint simulating blood dropping from each letter. What’s most telling about these love themes is that they seem to suggest that students recognize the emotional consequences of violence as being more important than the physical consequences of violence. 4.4. Prevention themes Prevention themes were also found in the messages written on the t-shirts. As an illustration, one student wrote, “Stand Up Against Violence The Senioritas Support U.” Other comments demonstrating this theme included the following statements: “E.Z. NSU STOP THE VIOLENCE.” “Stop Domestic Violence. Increase the Peace.” “Erase the hate. Put an End to Domestic Violence.” Whereas some of the messages described above were clearly directed towards victims, potential offenders, or both groups, the prevention messages seemed to be directed towards all members of the public. 4.5. Awareness-based themes The final theme we uncovered may be characterized as awareness-based themes. T-shirts that included general messages about either the individual’s experiences or facts about violence fit into this category. As an example, one t-shirt with pictures of five houses drawn in rainbow colors had the message, “We had to move a whole bunch,” printed across the front of the shirt. Another student wrote, “Domestic Violence Affects the Entire Family.” These messages provide readers with insight into the breadth of abuse as well as the process victims go through in trying to escape abuse. These two examples of messages were created by actual survivors of domestic violence—these came from a student and her child, who were living at a domestic violence shelter during the April events. The awareness-based themes also focused on the balance between different types of abuse. In the words of one student, “Abuse is not only physical.” Participants also recognized that victims can become survivors. Said one participant survivor, “Someone can hurt my body, but not my soul!”
5. Discussion A number of implications arise based on our experiences with the Clothesline Project and our interpretation of these findings. First, our findings suggest that violence is a real issue in students’ lives. It is imperative that those working with college students recognize this fact. As noted earlier, at least one-fourth of students will have been victims of sexual assault alone, and
372
B.K. Payne, R. Fogerty / The Social Science Journal 44 (2007) 367–373
one-fifth have been victims of relationship violence. A majority of students will know someone who has been victimized by violence. Recognizing the importance of violence in students’ histories will allow campus officials to be in a position to assist students in developing their roles as survivors of violence. Second, it is important to note that everyone is involved in the response to violence. This is not just an issue that affects victims; rather, it is an issue that inevitably affects everyone. That this Clothesline Project was opened up for all students to participate, and the fact that many students who apparently did not have histories of victimization did participate, shows that members of the public are available and willing to assist in supporting survivors of violence. Encouraging faculty and staff from the university to make their own messages would also help form a community supportive of ending violence against women. What this means is that the Clothesline Project should (1) counter rape/relationship violence myths and (2) show why it is inappropriate to blame victims for their experiences with violence. Third, to increase the likelihood that students will participate in the process, efforts in similar projects in the future should focus on trying to involve all students in undertaking and viewing the project. College students should be encouraged through different strategies (extra credit options, class assignments, etc.) to read the messages provided on the shirts. Programs can potentially decrease “college students’ nonsupportive attitudes towards sexual assault” (Lee et al., 2003, p. 15). Efforts should be taken to advertise the event to all instructors, especially those who might be willing to require, or strongly encourage, their students to participate. Fourth, while we reviewed just a small number of messages, it is likely that similar themes would be uncovered from other Clothesline Projects. Indeed, messages to potential offenders have been found in Clothesline Projects internationally. One participant in South Africa wrote, for instance, “Ndoda Ndini Ungeva Kanjani Inguwe lo Udlewenguliweyo (translation—How would you men feel if you were raped?)” (Lempert & Skorge, 2002, p. 9). A desire to help prevent future victimization is a common consequence experienced by survivors of violence (Doerner & Lab, 2003). The Clothesline Project allows survivors to fulfill this desire. Perhaps the strongest quality of the Clothesline Project is that it is a moving, visual display of survivors’ strengths, and it empowers participants to speak out and take a stand to end violence against women. This empowerment and activism has resulted in the Clothesline Project being touted as a “huge success” for the Women’s Movement (Abb, 1995). The movement to turn private (dirty laundry) women’s issues into public, political, and human issues is what the Women’s Movement ultimately strives to achieve. By facilitating the Clothesline Project on a university campus, students will be better prepared as activists—a laudable goal given the typical lack of participation by young people in the political arena.
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