Chesterfield County’s Domestic and Sexual Violence Resource Center will present “The Mask We Live In, Part 2 – Profiling Abusive Behaviors and Societal Influences” on Friday, Feb. 19, 2 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. This town hall meeting will expose signs and symptoms of violent behavior and expose the negative societal messages that are influencing our youth, who are rapidly transitioning into adulthood. Speakers will be Dr. Shawn Utsey, professor of psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University, Robert Franklin, domestic and sexual violence prevention specialist at the Virginia Department of Health, and Sgt. Rodney Phillips, a community outreach officer with the Chesterfield County Police Department. This event will take place at Chester Library, 11800 Centre St.
“We are influenced by many things,by what we watch, by what we hear, and by the latest fashion trends,” said Patricia Jones Turner, Chesterfield County’s Domestic Violence coordinator. “Unfortunately, some of the influences society imposes on those in their developmental years can be extremely negative. Without proper parenting, guidance or mentors, our youth and young adults can be impacted negatively. This can lead to them becomingpeople who use violence as a means of expression and unhealthy behavior, which can be interpreted as love by those who seek to be in relationships with them.”
The Chesterfield Domestic and Sexual Violence Resource Center also is enlisting the help of the community through the awareness initiative, “See Something, Say Something, Do Something” in order to curtail violence in our community. Through this initiative, several town meetings have been hosted to enhance awareness about domestic and sexual violence, and stalking. In addition to education, these town meetings also engage participants in the decisions to make when confronted with instances of violence. Once aware, it is hoped that the participants willenlighten others and know what to do in critical situations involving individuals who are being abused.
For more information about the town hall meeting, contact Sominette Long at 318-8283 or [email protected].
