Lincoln, Neb., Oct. 17, 2002--University of Nebraska-Lincoln officials have announced that a project to prevent violence against women on campus has received $200,000 in funding from the U.S. Department of Justice. The announcement came during the "Week Without Violence," a series of events sponsored by community and campus organizations including the UNL Women's Center, the YWCA and the Rape/Spouse Abuse Crisis Center.
The project establishes a community- and campus-based task force whose members are committed to the prevention of violence against women, and is part of the 2001 Community Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Plan for Lincoln and Lancaster County. Partners include eight community law enforcement and victims' services organizations, UNL administrators and several UNL offices, including the Women's Center, Student Involvement, University Police, Student Judicial Affairs, Health Center, Housing, Employee Assistance, Greek Affairs and ASUN student government, among others.
Despite efforts made since 1996 by the Lancaster County Domestic Abuse Project, domestic violence remains one of the most prevalent crimes in Lancaster County. A 1999 Gallup Organization survey of 500 adult residents in the county found that 53 percent had witnessed domestic violence.
The project will strengthen campus-based advocacy programs, victim services, and prevention programs by offering a coordinated comprehensive system connecting the efforts of individual departments.
"This project directly links the campus into the community's 24-hour crisis response and prevention activities in a way that has not been done any place else in the nation. The project will create lasting changes in the attitudes, policies and practices at UNL that will not end with the grant," said Jan Deeds, project coordinator and assistant director of gender programs in the Office of Student Involvement. "It's exciting to have the university partner with the community to end violence against women in Lincoln and Lancaster County."
Contacts: Jan Deeds, UNL Women's Center, (402) 472-2598 (jdeeds1@unl.edu) and
Marcee Metzger, Rape/Spouse Abuse Crisis Center, (402) 476-2110 (mmetzger@rsacc.org)
For questions regarding these releases, contact:
tsimons1@unl.edu
(402) 472-8514, Fax: (402) 472-7825