To raise awareness of domestic violence, Florida State University will host a screening of a film centered on the issue, followed by a Q&A session with survivors.
The event is a collaboration between the Domestic Violence Coordinating Council (DVCC) and the Institute for Family Violence Studies at FSU’s College of Social Work.
The film “No Ordinary Love” was produced by a survivor of an abusive marriage and released in 2021. Along with the Q&A session, organizers will address the common question “Why don’t they just leave?” and explore the complexities behind why people do not, or cannot, leave abusive relationships.
The event will take place at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023, at the FSU Askew Student Life Center.
“Domestic violence, also called intimate partner violence, can occur within a multitude of relationship types, including dating relationships,” said Kelly O’Rourke, DVCC director and program director of research dissemination for the Institute for Family Violence Studies. “Regardless of the label, the impacts of domestic violence can be deadly,” ‘No Ordinary Love’ is a film that illustrates that even relationships that seem ‘perfect’ can be grounds for violence and abuse.”
The discussion will include domestic violence survivors Iris Davis Pendelton and Kara Holbert along with other local experts.
“I just want people to know it’s never too late to leave,” Pendelton said. “I want them to know there is a better life on the other side of the abuse. Sometimes people get convinced it’s too hard to start over. I’ve seen the other side and I know it can be better.”
The event coincides with both Black History Month and Teen Dating Abuse Awareness Month, two populations that can be disproportionately affected by intimate partner violence.
For more information, visit fla.st/G1QDRE5M.