> [CAPTIONING MADE POSSIBLE BY CONSTELLATION ENERGY GROUP] JASON: HELLO, EVERYONE. WELCOME TO 11 TV HILL. OCTOBER HAS BECOME FOCUSED ON HEALTH AND SAFETY, FROM BREAST CANCER TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS. THAT IS WHERE WE BEGIN, THE MYSTIC INCIDENTS ON LOCAL COLLEGE CAMPUSES. A REPORTED -- DOMESTIC INCIDENTS ON LOCAL COLLEGE CAMPUSES. A REPORTED INCIDENT TOOK PLACE AT THE DELTA FIRE FRATERNITY HOUSE THIS WEEK THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND COLLEGE PARK STUDENT REPORTED BEING GRABBED INAPPROPRIATELY ON CAMPUS THERE. THEN ON TO THE NAVAL ACADEMY. A MIDSHIPMAN IS ACCUSED OF SEXUALLY ASSAULTING FEMALE MIDS AS THEY SLEPT IN THEIR DORM ROOMS, AT LEAST FOUR INCIDENTS REPORTED FROM FEBRUARY 2018 UNTIL MAY OF THIS YEAR. JOIN US NOW, TWO STUDENT LEADERS FROM MORGAN COME HELPING TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT SEXUAL ASSAULT AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. SHAINA DIGGS AND EMMANUELA KODJO . THANK YOU BOTH FOR COMING BY. >> THANK YOU. JASON: WHEN WE GO THROUGH THE NUMBERS, 33% OF TEENS IN A VIOLENT RELATIONSHIP, AND THEY NEVER TOLD ANYONE ABOUT IT. IS THAT THE NUMBER ONE PROBLEM THAT YOU SEE, OR AT LEAST WANT TO HELP COMBAT ON CAMPUS? PERSONAL EXPERIENCE IS, THAT IS A MAIN ISSUE BECAUSE A LOT OF FEMALES ARE EMBARRASSED TO SPEAK UP. THEY FEEL LIKE IF THEY SPEAK OUT AND TELL THEIR STORY, PEOPLE EITHER WILL NOT BELIEVE THEM, AND NOT TAKE THEM SERIOUSLY, OR THEIR ATTACKER MIGHT CONTINUE THE ABUSE. SO IT IS A LOT OF FEAR AS TO WHY WOMEN COME ESPECIALLY ON CAMPUS, WILL NOT SPEAK UP? JASON: CEMEX’S FOR YOU? EMMANUELA: THERE IS A LOT OF STIGMA AROUND VIOLENCE. TEENAGERS FEEL THEY DO NOT HAVE THE SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED TO ACTUALLY SPEAK UP OR THE ENVIRONMENT THAT THEY NEED TO SPEAK UP. THAT IS WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO BUILD, AN ENVIRONMENT THAT THEY FEEL OPERABLE ENOUGH TO SPEAK UP IN. JASON: TELL ME SOME OF THE STRATEGIES. WHAT CAN WE DO SO THAT THE FEAR IS NOT THERE. SAYING SOMETHING ISN’T RIGHT. SHAINA: I FEEL LIKE WE CAN IMPLEMENT MORE OUTREACH PROGRAMS, SO FOR EXAMPLE, AT MORGAN, I AM IN THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF NEAR WOMEN SO WE HAVE EVENTS PERTAINING TO THE TOPIC OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. WE HAD AN EVENT IN OCTOBER CALLED VICTIMS OF SURVIVAL. THE EVENT WAS A CHANCE FOR YOU TO COME OUT WHETHER YOU ARE A VICTIM OR A SUPPORTER OF THE ISSUE OR YOU GOT TO SHARE YOUR STORIES, EXPRESSED PEOPLE THAT YOU KNOW PERSONALLY, THAT YOU PERSONALLY WENT THROUGH IT. I HAD AN EXPERIENCE WHERE I PERSONALLY DEALT WITH IT, SO BEING THERE, IT MADE IT MORE COMFORTABLE TO SPEAK UP. EVEN AFTER THE EVENT, THERE WAS A YOUNG LADY WHO DID SPEAK UP. IT WILL HELP SOME BUT I GET THE HELP THAT THEY NEED. JASON: AND I AM SURE THERE ARE FRIENDS OUT THERE, IT DOES NOT INVOLVE ME, BUT THAT ATTITUDE HAS TO CHANGE JUST AS MUCH. EMMANUELA: BECAUSE IF YOU CHOOSE NOT TO SAY ANYTHING, YOU’RE CHOOSING THE SIDE OF THE AGGRESSOR. JASON: WHEN YOU RUN INTO PEOPLE AND DO HAVE FRIENDS, WHAT IS THE FIRST STEP THAT YOUNG PEOPLE SHOULD BE TAKING? SHOULD THEY BE CALLING POLICE, A FRIEND? WHERE DO WE GO? WHAT IS THE FIRST STEP? SHAINA: I THINK PERSONALLY YOU SHOULD ALWAYS SEE WHAT THE SURVIVOR WOULD LIKE TO DO. YOU DO NOT ALWAYS WANT THEM TO MAKE THE CALL WHEN THEY ARE NOT READY. THAT IS NOT FAIR, SO I WOULD TALK TO THEM FIRST, AND LET’S SAY THEY DO NOT HAVE THE VOICE TO PER YOU CAN BE THEIR VOICE. ONCE THEY GIVE YOU THE GO AHEAD, YOU GO AHEAD AND MAKE THE CALL, GO TO THE POLICE, THE PARENTS, THE SCHOOL, TO TAKE THE STEPS TO GET THEM THE HELP THEY NEED. SHAINA: IT IS ALSO -- EMMANUELA: IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO HAVE SOMEBODY YOU TRUST ON CAMPUS, SOMEBODY YOU SPEAK TO THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY THE POLICE. JASON: ANOTHER THING I WAS READING EARLIER TODAY, SOME FOLKS FEEL LIKE THEY ARE IN THESE RELATIONSHIPS AND DO NOT REALIZE WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THEM. HE LOVES ME, SHE LOVES ME, EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE. I THINK PEOPLE GET INTO THAT CYCLE AS WELL. IS THAT SOMETHING YOU HAVE SEEN OR HEARD? EMMANUELA: BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW THE RED FLAGS, AND WE HEAR ABOUT THEM A LOT, BUT WE DON’T THINK, THIS IS REALLY HAPPENING TO ME, LIKE THAT IS WHAT I AM GOING THROUGH. IT IS IMPORTANT TO BE OPEN ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE GOING THROUGH, AND IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP, TALKING TO OTHER PEOPLE, NOT JUST BEING ISOLATED. SHAINA: AND I FEEL LIKE PERSONALLY THAT COMES FROM SOMETIMES CHILDHOOD TRAUMA. YOU ARE RAISED A CERTAIN WAY. FOR EXAMPLE, MY MOM MIGHT HAVE DEALT WITH IT. ANOTHER THING, LIKE YOU SAID, YOU THINK IT WILL NOT HAPPEN TO YOU, SO WHEN IT DOES, YOU ARE LIKE IN A STATE OF SHOCK. YOU DON’T KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH IT NOW, SO YOU STAY SILENT. A LOT OF TIMES THAT COMES WITH CHILDHOOD TRAUMA. JASON: BECAUSE FOR A TEENAGER, YOU MIGHT THINK THIS IS AN ADULT ISSUE. WE ARE JUST DATING IN COLLEGE, BUT IT IS JUST AS REAL, CORRECT? EMMANUELA: THAT IS ANOTHER THING WE ARE TRYING TO DO WITH PROJECT STEP, TO HAVE PEOPLE AVAILABLE TO TALK TO. SO WE HAVE MEDITATION SEMINARS, OPEN DISCUSSIONS, SO WE HAVE AN EVENT LATER TODAY AT 7:00 P.M. WHERE WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT SEXUAL ASSAULT ON CAMPUS. AND -- SORRY -- JASON: TELL ME THIS AS YOU GET YOUR THOUGHTS TOGETHER BECAUSE WE HAVE RATTLED THROUGH A COUPLE INCIDENTS AND IT DID NOT MATTER WHERE THE CAMPUS WAS, URBAN OR SUBURBAN. DO YOU FIND PEOPLE NOW ARE MORE ATTUNED TO THIS? ARE PEOPLE NOW SAYING THIS IS REAL, COMPARED TO OTHER YEARS? ARE THEY TURNING UP FOR EVENTS? SHAINA: I DEFINITELY FEEL LIKE WE ARE -- LIKE THEY ARE BECAUSE WE ARE IN AN ERA WHEN IT IS ABOUT WOMEN EMPOWERMENT AND WE ARE IN THAT PHASE WITH THE PHASE -- THE FEMINIST MOVEMENT AND EVERYTHING. PEOPLE ARE UPSET, PEOPLE WANT CHANGE, PEOPLE WANT TO FEEL BETTER, NOT DEALING WITH THE SAME STUFF ANYMORE. SO WHEN THINGS HAPPEN, YOU GET CELEBRITIES AND PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY LOCALLY SPEAKING OUT AND DOING THESE MARCHES. FOR EXAMPLE, THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF NEAR WOMEN, WE HAVE A NATIONAL COUNCIL OF SEXUAL ASSAULT COMMITTEE. WE HAVE AN EVENT COMING UP CALLED SURVIVOR DAY. WE ARE PAYING HOMAGE AND STANDING IN SOLIDARITY WITH SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT. SO IT ONLY TAKES ONE PERSON, IN MY OPINION. IT STARTS WITH YOU, AND THAT IS WITH ANYTHING. JASON: I APPRECIATE THE GUYS