One in three women and one in four men will experience relationship violence in their lifetime.

People are three times more at risk for abusive relationships in the age range of eighteen to twenty-four.

One in seven women and one in eighteen men have been stalked by a current or ex-partner.

One in three females and one in twenty male murder victims are killed by intimate partners.

These are just a few of the appalling facts surrounding domestic violence in the US. Domestic violence is defined by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) as “The willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior as part of a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner against another.” This is something that is far too often looked past.

When coming to college there are discussions of sexual assault, drugs and alcohol, but students entering this new chapter sometimes will lack education regarding relationship abuse. There are many ways to get involved in the conversation and it can make a big difference towards awareness of these instances.

The One Love Foundation was established to help educate people and work towards putting an end to domestic violence. One Love was founded in honor of Yeardley Love back in 2010. Yeardley was a senior at The University of Virginia and was just two weeks away from graduation when she was beaten to death by her boyfriend. Since this horrific event, One Love has traveled across the country hosting workshops in schools, universities, offices and for the general public to help raise awareness and help educate those across the country.

One Love’s mission statement says the following:

“The statistics around relationship abuse are daunting, but we believe they can be changed. By educating ourselves and starting the conversation in our communities about the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships, we are changing and saving lives. The topic of abuse and violence is one that has for too long been in the dark, and the topic of healthy and unhealthy relationships is one we don’t teach our young people in any systematic way. At One Love, we believe that the more we can identify and navigate healthy and unhealthy relationship behaviors, the less likely we will end up in an unhealthy or abusive relationship. Knowing that knowledge is key to avoiding tragedies, we empower people to understand that one conversation, one action and one person can make a difference and even save a life.”

Foundations like One Love teach and advocate for awareness of domestic abuse. If these lessons are listened to, people will learn the difference between a healthy relationship versus an abusive one.

To learn more and become part of the discussion, go and visit https://www.joinonelove.org.

If you or a loved one is experiencing domestic abuse, call the hotline 1−800−799−7233.