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Date: 11/3/2022
SPRINGFIELD – The Hampden District Attorney’s Office introduced a new program called 1 and 11: Preventing Dating Violence, educating high school and college students the warning signs of an abusive relationship.
Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni stated, “1 and 11 represents the statistic that a teenage girl at some point in her teenage years will be a victim of physical dating violence.” Dating violence can take on many forms such as physical violence, coercion, threats, intimidation, isolation, emotional and sexual abuse. According to a 2022 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, over 71 percent of women and over 55 percent of men first experienced intimate partner violence – sexual or physical violence, and/or stalking – under the age of 25. One in four women first experienced intimate partner violence prior to the age of 18.
Gulluni told Reminder Publishing dating violence is up among young people, and it came into sharp focus after the murder of Kathryn Rose Mauke, who was murdered in February 2015 by her ex-boyfriend in her family’s Springfield home. Mauke was 17-years-old and heading off to American International College. She had broken off the relationship that lasted a few years. Her ex-boyfriend arrived at her house one morning and murdered her. Gulluni’s office handled that prosecution, and the ex-boyfriend is in prison for the rest of his life.
Around that tragedy and how it can be prevented in the future, Gulluni and his office, which includes his Community Outreach Unit and Domestic and Sexual Violence Unit, decided to work specifically on the issue of dating violence among teenagers, especially in light of social media and how that can often fuel these kinds of situations – making circumstances worse and more difficult to control for parents and for school administrators. They are hopeful that this program will shine a brighter light on these issues and for those to understand that dating violence is more prevalent than ever.
The Hampden County District Attorney’s Office presented the program at an event on Oct. 25 at American International College to teachers, guidance counselors, coaches, law enforcement and others who are around young people on a daily basis. The family of Mauke was also in attendance at the event. The office’s goal is for these groups to partner with the district attorney’s office to bring the program to various schools and organizations.
The centerpiece of the program was a 30-minute video that features Mauke and her story, as well as speaking with experts in the field around dating violence, identifying dating violence in other people to see when these things might be happening, provide resources to those going through it and for the people who are bystanders who could serve to prevent the violence from continuing.
“This is a kick-off to take this program to teen audiences, to audiences of young people and speak with them directly,” Gulluni said. “We provided the audience with a flyer and little plaquer that involve a QR code to take folks right to resources for confidential hotlines and places they can speak with people who are experts in domestic violence to ensure that people are kept safe.”
The district attorney’s office is looking to cover the 23 cities in Gulluni’s county and provide these resources even more broadly if possible. They’re hopeful to have representation from various school departments and districts. They believe this program is relevant and appropriate for every place in Hampden County and beyond.
“Our goal is to never have another domestic violence murder, especially with young people involved,” Gulluni responded. “We want to empower and educate those to know how to stand up for themselves, to know how to get out of instances and relationships that involve any sort of violence, whether it’s physical or not, and to empower our school systems and parents understand how to deal with these situations.”
He continued, “Ultimately, our goal is to prevent dating and domestic violence in our young people across this county.”
To schedule an event at your school, campus, or organization, contact the Hampden District Attorney’s Office’s Community Safety & Outreach Unit at Gina.Anselmo@mass.gov.