A Different View of Domestic Violence

“I wanted to show that domestic violence is not always just about a bruise,” Tamra Wroblesky ’10 said about her photo exhibit, which was produced as part of the “Many Faces of Domestic Violence” demonstration organized by the College’s Office of Anti-Violence Initiatives (OAVI). “There are also the psychological effects that domestic violence victims suffer,” but do not manifest themselves in visible form, Wroblesky said.

Wroblesky’s exhibit, which was on display in the library lobby throughout October, featured stark, black and white images of TCNJ students posed as victims of domestic abuse. The photos showed anguished faces, but few physical signs of abuse. In fact, of the 25 images on display, only five included victims with visible bruises. But each subject’s facial expression conveyed the emotional pain that domestic abuse victims suffer. To help convey those emotions, the victims also held signs indicating their thoughts and feelings. “Ask me what’s wrong,” read one sign. “Where can I feel safe?” read another. “I feel trapped,” read a third.

Each photograph was accompanied by a placard that offered insights into the minds of domestic violence victims and survivors, provided resources for victims, or statistics about prevalence. Jackie Deitch-Stackhouse, coordinator of OAVI, and Michelle Gervasi ’08, program assistant in the office, provided Wroblesky with the facts and statistics for the placards.

“Out of respect for the many victims and survivors on our campus and in the community, it was really important to us that people who viewed the photo exhibit walked away with a deeper understanding about the issue and a new perspective on the strength it takes to survive an abusive relationship,” said Deitch-Stackhouse.

“The first time we saw Tamra’s photos, we got goose-bumps. The photos truly captured the breadth of domestic violence and its impact. It is our hope that the combination of informative placards and photos raised awareness about a very important social problem and begins to motivate people to stop the violence. It is too big of a problem to walk away and do nothing,” Deitch-Stackhouse added.

This is the second year that Wroblesky—a history/women’s and gender studies double major and amateur photographer—completed a photo project as part of OAVI’s “Many Faces of Domestic Violence” demonstration. Although not directly involved with the office or its Student Anti-Violence Education (SAVE) Program, Wroblesky said that domestic violence awareness is a cause she is “very passionate about.” She volunteered to do the project because she saw it as a way to “step forward” and help raise awareness.

Wroblesky hoped that the display would accomplish two things: first, that it might inspire victims of domestic violence “to come forward and not be afraid anymore,” and second, that it would raise awareness among those not directly affected by domestic violence that the issue is “not always black and white.”

“When it comes to issues like this, if [my exhibit] changes just one person, I think it’s a success,” Wroblesky said. “Because…if [that person] hears someone make a joke about domestic violence…they will now spread this knowledge. It’s kind of like a web effect.”

For more information on this and other OAVI initiatives, visit http://www.tcnj.edu/~sa/antiviolence/index.html.

All images below courtesy of Tamra Wroblesky. Click on any image to view it larger.