“SPOT”

Experiencing interpersonal, or relationship, violence can be a traumatic, isolating and shaming experience. Understanding that no one deserves abuse or violence of any kind is an important first step toward stomping out stigma surrounding survivorship and mental health, and offering hope to those who experience violence.

Building a Stomper

Juniata students came together to build “SPOT” and learn about relationship violence and healthy relationships through discussion and activities. We learned that power imbalances in society can be reflected in our personal relationships and that one person should never have power over another. Through writing and conversation, we identified when we were treated badly in relationships, what we actually deserved and verbalized our “heart’s desire” from our relationships.

This Stomper reminds us to have compassion for ourselves and others who may be struggling in a violent relationship or its after-effects, and to find hope and healing in healthy loving connections with others.

Funding Source

This project was supported by Grant No. 2015-WA-AX-0025 awarded by the Office of Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.

Interpersonal violence, often referred to as intimate partner violence, domestic violence or battering, is a pattern of behavior used to establish power and control over another person through fear and intimidation, often including the threat or use of violence. The abuse could be physical, emotional, sexual, or economic, as well as threats, stalking, isolation, and intimidation.  

In an depth look at power:

It is helpful when thinking about our interpersonal relationships to understand how power works on at a societal level. Being able to recognize power imbalances and being able to speak to that, for that, and through that are important pieces in the process of being able to speak up for ourselves in our personal relationships.

Affects on our personal relationships:

Additionally, power imbalances at the societal level can be played out in our personal relationships (for example male/female roles) and keep us from having equity in our relationships and really living through our own personal power. 

Inequity in our relationships (and in society) can also have mental health consequences. For example, if we are not heard, or treated as not as important, or our bodies are not respected, or we are living in fear, all of those will have mental health consequences that can keep us from being able to live laugh love and play fully. 

Power and Control Wheel:

The Power and Control Wheel was developed by the Domestic Abuse Intervention Project in Duluth, MN. This framework is often used to describe abuse. The inside of the wheel is made up of subtle, continual behaviors over time, while the outer ring represents physical and sexual violence.

This project was supported by Grant No. 2015-WA-AX-0025 awarded by the Office of Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women. 

Our Artists: Chris Bittner, Marisa Vicere, Nancy Vicere

Curriculum Development: Becky Misangyi

Our Partners: Jennifer Pencek, Juniata College PRISM, Juniata College It’s On Us, Naomi Radio, and  all the amazing students and faculty at Juniata College.