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A Note from the Director of Dura Mater

First of all, let me begin by thanking you for coming to our show.  So many incredible individuals went through a lot of hard work and planning to put this show together, and we are so thankful that you are here to support them today.  Dura Mater, with some events reflecting those of the author’s personal life, was a story that I knew our community/college campus needed to hear. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence offers these statistics:

• “1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men experience severe intimate partner physical violence, intimate partner contact sexual violence, and/or intimate partner stalking with impacts such as injury, fearfulness, post-traumatic stress disorder, use of victim services, contraction of sexually transmitted diseases, etc.”
• “Domestic victimization is correlated with a higher rate of depression and suicidal behavior.”
• “Only 34% of people who are injured by intimate partners receive medical care for their injuries.”
• “1 in 15 children are exposed to intimate partner violence each year, and 90% of these children are eyewitnesses to this violence.”
• “Victims of domestic violence are also at higher risk for developing addictions to alcohol, tobacco, or drugs.”

Domestic Violence is an epidemic of behavior that impacts so many people.  Sadly, it can be invisible to those around you, and sometimes even to the victim themselves who do not recognize the danger of the verbal or physical violence.  If you are in need of help, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline (Confidential, 24/7) at: 1-800-799-7233 (Safe) or 1-800-787-3227 (TTY).  If you are in immediate danger, please call 9-1-1 immediately. 

I hope today’s show either gives you hope, a character to relate to, knowledge, ways to be more encouraging or empathetic to those you know who may be dealing with similar issues or educate you and encourage you to become an advocate for safety for others who are impacted by Domestic Violence.  Thank you, again, for coming, and I hope you enjoy the show!