Say something! This is the message being sent out by the Red Flag Campaign that encourages students to speak up when they witness a “red flag” or violence in a friend or fellow schoolmate’s dating relationship.
According to the Red Flag Campaign’s website, violence is present in 21 percent of college dating relationships. The Red Flag Campaign is a project created by college students, personnel, and victim advocates to raise awareness of the violence in college relationships.
Gina Campbell is the president of the Red Flag campaign on University of Tampa’s (UT) campus. “Hopefully this will decrease the vast amount of victims who are currently suffering in silence,” she said.
Campbell wanted to put a twist on the Red Flag Campaign and make it more personal to the UT campus. She went to many of the organizations on campus to educate them about the violence that exists in 1 out of 5 college dating relationships.
She got organizations on campus to take pictures holding red flags. “Instead of just signing a pledge I felt that taking a picture holding the red flag was a more creative way to show support for the campaign,” Campbell said. UT’s campaign launched on February 14, 2011, and has been non-stop ever since. Throughout the spring semester the Red Flag Campaign at UT hosted 2 major events as well as many “tabling events,” to raise awareness of the Red Flag Campaign and help those in violent relationships.
This fall, the Red Flag Campaign continued its efforts with the “Red Flag’s Red Carpet” event. The Red Flag Campaign rolled out a red carpet for students to have their pictures taken, and female students were treated to free pedicures and manicures. At all of their events there is always a positive voice present to talk with the students from UT professors to representatives from the Spring of Tampa Bay, a safe haven for those in violent relationships.
The Red Flag Campaign’s website focuses on all types of violence in relationeships. The violence is not limited to physical abuse, but also includes other types of violence such as mental abuse or complete control of a relationship. Anyone can visit the site for information on a healthy relationship and how to spot a “red flag.” The front page of the site has a picture of a woman with her face covered with a red flag. On the red flag is the statement “He said if I really loved him, I’d have sex with him.”
Campbell made the Red Flag Campaign on the UT campus more personal by making posters with pictures of UT organizations holding red flags, rather than using only the posters provided by the Red Flag Campaign itself.
Campbell has organized a more personal event to wrap up the fall semester. On November 22, 2011, the Red Flag Campaign on campus will host “Sharing Our Stories” (SOS). Students are invited to share stories related to relationship violence. “There will be sketchers present to sketch images that come to mind while the person is sharing the story,” Campbell said. “We want this to be a beautiful ceremony of hope.”
Kelly St. Onge can be reached at kst.onge@spartans.ut.edu.