The Black Eye Campaign: Victim for a day

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Erin R. Babis
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  With a black eye visible on the right side of her face, Airman 1st Class Tiffany Laurie, 48th Communications Squadron client systems technician, entered Hangar 7 to resolve a computer issue.She was walking up the stairs as an Airmen she didn't know rushed to ask, "are you ok, do you need some help?"

Fortunately, Laurie's black eye was just make-up. Several Liberty Airmen volunteered to wear simulated black eyes Oct. 28, to raise domestic violence awareness.

Information from the black eye campaign will help the Family Advocacy Center to better educate Airmen about how to report and confront issues of domestic violence.

When confronted with signs of domestic abuse there were a wide range of reactions. Volunteers for the campaign said they noticed some people seemed uncomfortable when they noticed the bruises, while others immediately addressed the situation with concern and support.

"When I went into work today with my black eye, I received mixed responses," said Senior Airman Alisha Dorethy, 48th Equipment Maintenance Squadron aircraft structural maintainer and victim advocate. "One supervisor immediately asked me about it, while another technical sergeant passed by me numerous times without a word. I was surprised that some Airmen would act like they hadn't seen, but then give me weird looks."

Senior Airman Ashley Pike, 48th Medical Support Squadron medical logistics technician, described the reactions she received as overwhelmingly supportive.

"While the leadership members I passed did not immediately comment on my eye, they called me into their office to talk with me about the issue, or they would ensure I was alone to not embarrass me to address the situation," Pike said. "I was treated with care and dignity with the situation."

Many volunteers commented that the experience of playing the victim was eye-opening in regards to how uncomfortable it was to step in their shoes for a few hours.

"It was enlightening," explained Master Sgt. Angelique Jost, 48th Fighter Wing inspector general office. "I guess even though I was wearing make-up, I somehow felt shy and ashamed, and I didn't want anyone to approach me because it was awkward. Being the 'victim,' I felt uncomfortable and judged by strangers."

Even after portraying a victim of domestic abuse, the Airmen still understood how it might be difficult to approach someone with visible signs of potential abuse.

"If we were truly embracing and living the wingman concept, we'd feel comfortable asking our folks what is going on," Jost said. "The tricky part is approaching an Airman you don't know. Knowing people and tailoring your approach to them is the only way it would be effective."

Volunteers said the experience also gave them a new perspective on how they would react to signs of domestic violence in the future.

"There are still those few people that step up and make sure that you are genuinely ok," Dorethy said. "I know now that even if I don't know someone really well, if I see something wrong, I want to be the kind of person who steps up to ask."

Marie Moore and Jewel McJennett, family advocacy outreach managers, coordinated the black eye campaign at RAF Lakenheath to promote domestic violence awareness. To conclude the event, the program managers met with each volunteer to complete a debrief, to see how the experience of each Airman went.

"After debriefing with the victim advocates, we are then going to do a debrief with all the commanders of those particular squadrons, share with them the information that the victim advocates shared with us regarding how people responded and how they felt about the activity," Moore explained.

Moore said that she wants to get the word out and that, as with reporting sexual assault, victims of domestic abuse have the option to make restricted and unrestricted reports.

"Unrestricted reporting is when the chain of command is notified and involved, and restricted reporting means that the chain of command is not notified," Moore said. "However, to be eligible for restricted reporting, the disclosure has to be made to a medical provider. You can come to the hospital and receive services without it impacting your career or your spouse's career."

For more information on domestic violence or to make a report, call Family Advocacy at 01638-52-8070 or 226-8070.