ELKINS — Centers Against Violence is inviting Davis & Elkins College students and community members to wear purple and take part this week in a #PurpleThursday event in observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

The event, themed “Stop the Violence,” will take place at 11 a.m. Thursday outside of Albert Hall on D&E’s campus. Students and community members are invited to join Centers Against Violence by wearing purple and taking part in a photoshoot, as well as staying to learn more about domestic violence statistics and how they can help “stop the violence.”

“This is the first time that we’ve done this event,” Centers Against Violence Executive Director J.J. Johnson told The Inter-Mountain. “Typically, October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, so we do proclamations in each of our counties that we serve… and then different events throughout the month in each of the counties, but this event… is just a means of bringing about awareness… showing support for victims and their families and remembering those who have not survived domestic violence.”

Johnson explained that staff from Centers Against Violence will be present at Thursday’s event to talk with those who might have questions or need information about the organization’s services.

On Thursday, people are also encouraged to use the hashtags #PurpleThursday, #CentersAgainstViolence and #Every1KnowsSome1 to help spread awareness on social media.

“The main thing to recognize is that most violence in our nation does occur within the family and behind closed doors,” Ronda S. Engstrom, assistant professor of Criminology at D&E and Vice President of the Centers Against Violence board, told The Inter-Mountain. “So we’re taking October to recognize that this is a significant public health and crime problem that often goes unrecognized.”

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), on average, one in three women and one in four men have experienced violence by an intimate partner.

Engstrom explained that, in West Virginia, 41 individuals were killed in domestic violence-associated incidents in 2019. She added that, according to the West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence, “in one 24-hour period in September 2024,” the domestic violence hotline received 110 calls and 369 victims were served by 14 West Virginia domestic violence programs.

“Domestic violence happens to everybody. It’s not discriminatory,” Johnson said. “It doesn’t matter your age, your wealth, where you live, your ethnicity. It doesn’t matter. It impacts everyone, and Centers Against Violence is here if anyone needs assistance, has questions.”

Open 24 hours a day, every day of the year, Centers Against Violence covers Randolph, Barbour, Braxton, Tucker, Upshur and Webster counties. The organization provides advocacy services to adult and child victims of domestic and sexual violence and stalking, emergency transport and shelter, outreach services, legal assistance for domestic violence petitions, custody and divorce proceedings, prevention education programs and more.

To get in contact with Centers Against Violence, call the Randolph County headquarters at 304-636-8433. Other phone lines are also available in the covered counties:

Barbour County: 304-457-5020

Tucker County: 304-478-3338

Upshur County: 304-473-0070

Braxton County: 304-765-2848

Webster County: 304-636-8433

For those who live in Pocahontas County and need assistance, contact the Family Refuge Center at 304-645-6334.

Centers Against Violence accepts monetary and in-kind donations. Anyone interested in donating to the organization can call 304-636-8433.