Exercises in empathy let domestic violence advocates step into a survivor’s situation and experience the unexpected trials that victims face, according to a Branches Domestic Violence Shelter director. 

The “In Their Shoes” event, hosted last week by Branches Domestic Violence Shelter and Marshall University’s Violence Prevention and Response Program, gave others a chance to learn about the lives of domestic violence victims through a simulation in which participants walked through a scenario of an actual victim. 

“We call this an exercise in empathy because it really is so powerful and perspective-changing,” Sara Blevins, the Branches director of development, said. “We tend to have an idea of what we think domestic violence is and keep it in that very structured box. But actually, as all these scenarios demonstrate, you can experience domestic violence in a variety of ways.” 

Participants received a scenario and moved through stations that demonstrated different options or institutions victims may have to use, such as welfare or legal services. This simulation emphasized the economic toll on victims and the struggle to keep their children physically safe. 

Domestic violence is often referred to as gender-based violence as it disproportionately happens to women, with women between the ages of 18 and 32 at the highest risk, according to Blevins.

University students are not exempt from these statistics,however, making the involvement of programs like the Violence Prevention Office and events like “In Their Shoes” vital to students caught up in violent situations, Program Coordinator Alyssa Hager said.

“I always just want to remind students that they have resources,” Hager said. “We can help students navigate through all kinds of situations whether it be sexual violence, interpersonal violence or domestic violence. I think the most important thing is that students know we are a resource for survivors on campus ,and they are not alone.”