Domestic abuse was the main topic at Wednesday’s YWCA meeting in the Gold Room of the Memorial Union.

Three panelists discussed the issues of women and violence, which stemmed into a group discussion.

Men and women in the audience expressed their opinions about subjects on rape, abuse, both physical and verbal, and domestic violence.

The primary focus of the meeting was violence against women, however violence against men was also discussed.

Linda Gaylon, chair of the Women’s Studies Program, talked about abuse in the context of literature.

“I am going to discuss the play about Othello, which deals with domestic violence. In some ways it is a dangerous play because it deals with domestic violence where women are murdered by their husbands,” Gaylon said.

Other speakers spoke about the ways individuals can obtain help for their domestic abuse problems.

DeNette Perry from Access, an Ames home for battered and abused women, gave statistics on the issue of rape, abuse and other types of assault.

“We had over 1,700 crisis calls last year, and between 150-200 calls were from Iowa State University,” Perry said.

“Look around the room and tell me who is being abused, the answer is you. Anyone can be a victim of abuse, usually well-educated women are abused. There is hope for those being abused. … let others that you know who are in this situation that they can seek help,” Perry said.

Perry said every nine seconds a woman is physically assaulted in her own home. Even if women leave, she said, it increases their chances of abuse or even death; some women are too scared to leave their homes in fear of their safety.

One of three women will be raped in their lifetimes and 80 percent of the victims know their assailants, said Lynette Hornung, sexual assault awareness coordinator for the Sloss Women’s Center.

“Most women don’t report sexual assault for a number of reasons. Testing for victims is free and victims have 72 hours to make up their minds about reporting the incident,” she said.

“Some victims may be drugged in the case of acquaintance rape, which is the most common form of rape, however there may be some solutions to decrease these statistics by better communication between males and females,” Hornung said.

There are institutions available to those who need help including Access, university counseling services and other organizations here on campus, she said.

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Wednesdays with the YWCA

All the events are held from noon-1:00 p.m. in the Memorial Union.

Wed. Feb. 12

A Woman’s Struggle: Violence Against Women

Denette Perry of ACCESS, and Lynette Homung, from the Women’s Center, discuss how women face violence daily. Gold Rm.

Wed. Feb. 19

Learn How Your Volunteer Work Makes a Difference

The YWCA, the YMCA and ISUVolunteers discuss how students can volunteer time and the resulting benefits. Gold Rm.

Wed. Feb. 26

What in the World is ISUDoing?

Students, faculty and staff share their global connections and services. Rm. 244/246

Wed. Mar. 5

Teach the Children Well

The Multicultural Non-Sexist Education Group from the College of Education leads the discussion about prejudice and diversity in elementary schools. Gold Rm.

Wed. Mar. 19

Success with a Disability

Joyce Packwood, advisor for the Club PUD (People Understanding Disabilities) and Coordinator for the Disability Resources at Student Services, talks about how a disability affects the flow of one’s career. Rm. 244/246

Wed. Mar. 26

Cross-Cultural Relations: How We and Others Cope

Join students from various cultures as they discuss adapting and accepting interracial and cross-cultural relationships. Gold Rm.