Planning the perfect Valentine’s Day often feels like an impossible task. Whether students on campus found themselves in a committed relationship or flying solo this year, multiple clubs on campus held festive activities to celebrate.
To commemorate this year’s Valentine’s Day, SLU-Madrid’s Feminist Club hosted a Valentine’s Day workshop and discussion to provide students with a safe environment to discuss heavy topics that arise around this time of year, such as dating violence. During the workshops, students also crafted Valentine’s themed cards while jamming out to Bad Bunny’s album Un Verano Sin Ti, among other love themed songs.
“We often have to deal with topics that are incredibly upsetting or heavy,” says Hannah Goodwin, the president of the club. “By mixing in something fun, we hoped to alleviate the stress or negative emotions that can be often associated with discussions on gender violence or oppression.”
February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, but Goodwin stresses the fact that there should be no age where recognizing the signs of dating violence becomes a less frequent discussion. According to the National Institutes of Health, just over two-thirds of college students reported experiencing dating violence at some point in their lives.
Dating violence is an issue that affects both men and women, but continues to disproportionately affect women according to Goodwin.
“I wouldn’t say there’s any way to prevent something like dating violence, but there are ways to protect yourself,” says Goodwin. “When you’re in a relationship, it’s easy to get blinded by your love for your partner. When something strange or questionable happens, try to talk to others to have a second opinion.”
As awareness of dating violence becomes more prevalent throughout discussions in the modern age, it is important to remind others about the potential roots of where the problem comes from and how it can possibly be combated.
“Dating violence against women often arises from a place of hate or misogyny,” says Goodwin. “By teaching feminism and gender equality early [in a person’s life] by encouraging everyone to treat others with love and respect, dating violence can be reduced.”
