In an effort to squarely face the challenges of sexual and family violence, El Paso Community College (EPCC), in partnership with the Center Against Sexual and Family Violence (CASFV), hosted a 'Mentors in Violence Prevention' webinar series. The sessions, which were held virtually over two days, aimed to equip participants with the skills to become active bystanders and effectively support survivors of abuse. 54 individuals who completed the series were recognized in an awards certificate ceremony on Tuesday, as detailed by EPCC News.
The webinars, which were designed to be accessible for anyone 18 years or older, aimed to boldly break down complex topics through interactive scenarios and group discussions. EPCC Professor of Criminal Justice Dr. Michelle Mench, as obtained by EPCC News, expressed that the sessions brought twofold benefits. "It creates a support system here at the College for students, faculty and staff, who are now better trained to be able to deal with someone who is in crisis related to domestic violence and sexual assault," Dr. Mench said. She further noted, "and two, it gives comfort to people who had experienced family violence and sexual assault in their lives, and the issue is not what's wrong with them, it's what's wrong with someone else."
EPCC's announcement underpins the significance of these educational efforts, against a somber backdrop of statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stating that one in four women and one in seven men will encounter intimate partner violence at some point. The college's Criminal Justice program and Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) collaborated with CASVF to make this event a reality.
