The Collaborative Commission on Domestic Violence will continue with Day 2 of the inaugural Domestic Violence Awareness Symposium 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Oct. 30 on Zoom.
Texas A&M University-San Antonio is a co-sponsor of the free, virtual event. Attendees must register at surveymonkey.com/r/ccdvsymposium to receive the Zoom link.
The symposium kicked off Oct. 29 with San Antonio Spurs player Patty Mills as the opening speaker followed by professionals discussing domestic violence awareness.
“Patty Mills was chosen as the welcoming speaker because not only is he a recognizable figure in San Antonio but also because Patty Mills and his wife have done a fundraiser for the Battered Women and Children’s Shelter in San Antonio and it is important to also hear a male’s perspective on this issue,” said Susy Romero, management analyst for the city of San Antonio.
The symposium will cover various topics during the two-day event:
Romero said 50% of people who have registered for the symposium are college students.
- What is domestic violence?
- What is the impact of domestic violence on families?
- Civil law track
- Criminal law track
- Community track
- Improving accessibility in domestic violence services
- Texas Legislature 2021 policy preview
A&M San Antonio was chosen as a co-host because CCDV wanted to reach out to different communities and spread the word about the symposium.
Romero said 50% of people who have registered for the symposium are college students.
“We can’t ignore domestic violence because it either affects yourself or someone you know, and everyone should be invested in finding solutions for domestic violence,” Romero said.
This is the first domestic violence symposium hosted by CCDV and they are planning to continue the annual event to keep the conversation going on domestic violence.
“We know the community is going to be very involved and we are very excited about that. We want anyone attending the symposium to walk away feeling empowered, informed and to continue the conversation,” Romero said.
It is important for college students to attend because “we all start dating young and it is important to have resources to discuss and get educated on signs of domestic violence,” said Molly Voyles, public policy manager of the Texas Council on Family Violence.
“We know in Texas family violence affects one in three Texans, so our target audience is every Texan,” Voyles said.
The symposium is important for community advocates, lawmakers and those who want to take a stand against domestic violence, said Krista Del Gallo, public policy manager of the Texas Council on Family Violence.
“For some people it’s community policy you can advocate for, for some it’s legislative, for some it is a call to action,” Del Gallo said.
For more information, visit https://jagsync.tamusa.edu/organization/studentaffairs or email dos@tamusa.edu.
Victims of domestic violence can find help by visiting the National Domestic Violence Hotline’s website at http://thehotline.org or calling 1-800-799-7233.
