SCRANTON, Pa. — Each year, the Women’s Resource Center helps educate more than 1,000 students in those Lackawanna and Susquehanna Counties, teaching them about safe relationships, how to protect themselves, and ask for help when it comes to domestic violence and sexual abuse.
"We know that interpersonal violence doesn’t stop because of a pandemic, and in some cases, it’s even exacerbated, so this work is still really important. It’s really important for students to know how to prevent dating violence in their lives and help their friends, should their friends need help," said Sarah Dawgert of the Women's Resource Center.
This year, programs like that are not really happening in person at schools.
Over the last few months, staff members at the Women's Resource Center of NEPA worked on virtual programming so they can reach those students even if they are learning from home.
"We’ve been working all summer on research, attending webinars to moving our work from being in class, and very interactive to being interactive virtually."
The Women's Resource Center is also offering virtual training and classes for school staff and teachers so they can spot signs of trauma even through a computer screen and learn how to care for themselves during this tough time.
"When teachers and school professionals are able to take care of themselves, they can better take care of their students. All of our coping mechanisms look different right now, and things that worked in the past may not work now for us."
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the staff at the Women's Resource Center said it is a good time to consider that with so many people home together for longer periods of time, domestic and sexual violence may increase.
"We can do this virtually, and we worked really hard to be able to offer it that way, it’s a matter for getting the schools to sign on again and have confidence in us that we can do this and we can work together."
For more information on training and online programs, click here.