After weeks of speaking with doctors and undergoing physical therapy, Mabrey finally felt she was ready to look at her injuries. What she saw in the mirror wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 the same woman she knew, one who had won beauty pageants as a child. Instead she was looking at what she describes as a horror-film monster like Freddy Krueger. More than 80 percent of her body had been burned. In that moment a flood of memories from the attack came over her.

麻豆精品 S淸My now ex-husband] might have robbed me physically, but I refused to allow him to rob me mentally, emotionally or spiritually. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Audrey Mabrey

麻豆精品 S淚 could see that butcher knife held to my throat as he attempted to rape me, 麻豆精品 S� Mabrey says. 麻豆精品 S淚 could feel him bludgeoning me in the head over and over. I could taste the gasoline in my mouth. I could smell my burning flesh and I could hear my neighbor screaming as she rushed to my aid. 麻豆精品 S�

Although it was overwhelming, Mabrey made a choice as she stared at her reflection to hold onto hope.

麻豆精品 S淢y thought process in that moment was [my now ex-husband] might have robbed me physically, but I refused to allow him to rob me mentally, emotionally or spiritually, 麻豆精品 S� Mabrey says.

Three years later Mabrey 麻豆精品 S檚 abuser was sentenced to serve life in prison and in the nine years since the attack she 麻豆精品 S檚 undergone many plastic surgeries to restore her former appearance as much as possible. She 麻豆精品 S檚 also kept her determined, positive spirit alive by traveling the country to spread awareness on domestic violence, an issue that affected more than 12 million men and women in the United States last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Confidential Campus Support聽

One of her recent speaking engagements took place earlier this month at the annual Light Up the Night event, which is held every October in recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month and is put together by . The organization provides crisis intervention, safety and security for anyone in the UCF community that 麻豆精品 S檚 been impacted by crime, violence and abuse.

麻豆精品 S淲e give [victims] their options 麻豆精品 S� the good, the bad and the ugly 麻豆精品 S� ask them 麻豆精品 S榃hat do you want to do? 麻豆精品 S� and listen to them, 麻豆精品 S� says Lauren Portal 麻豆精品 S�11, who began working as an advocate for Victim Services in 2014. 麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檙e completely confidential, which is extremely important. We don 麻豆精品 S檛 call the police over if [victims] don 麻豆精品 S檛 want us to, we don 麻豆精品 S檛 report incidences to Title IX and things of that nature. 麻豆精品 S�

On college campuses, 43 percent of women who date report experiencing some sort of violent or abusive dating behavior, with more than half of students finding it difficult to identify these problems at all, according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

麻豆精品 S淎busers are very good at presenting things in a way like they 麻豆精品 S檙e loving and caring about their partner. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S撀�Christine Mouton 麻豆精品 S�02MS,

麻豆精品 S淭he problem is those things happen over a long period of time and people don 麻豆精品 S檛 recognize them as the signs they are because they 麻豆精品 S檙e so incremental, 麻豆精品 S� says Christine Mouton 麻豆精品 S�02MS, director of Victim Services. 麻豆精品 S淎busers are very good at presenting things in a way like they 麻豆精品 S檙e loving and caring about their partner, so their partner doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 initially perceive it as a controlling behavior. 麻豆精品 S�

Changes in behavior and clothing, not wanting to hang out often and always checking in with their partner are some of the signs Mouton says to look for if you suspect someone is experiencing domestic violence.

Challenges With Coming Forward聽

Victim Services has provided help to 600-800 people affected by a range of crimes each year for the past three years.

Although recent movements like #MeToo and events such as the Brett Kavanaugh investigation before his Supreme Court confirmation have increased the national conversation around sexual harassment and violence, Mouton says she hasn 麻豆精品 S檛 found any indicators of increased cases reported at UCF.

Men, particularly, have a hard time reporting abuse, she says. It can often feel emasculating for them to admit a woman is their abuser, although there are now more than ever before. Often the abuse takes the form of scratching, screaming and other demeaning behavior.

麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檙e seeing this on both sides, in all types of relationships, 麻豆精品 S� Mouton says.

How to Get Help聽

Anyone seeking help from Victim Services can call the 24/7 hotline at 407-823-1200 or text 407-823-6868. They can speak with an advocate, who has at least a bachelor 麻豆精品 S檚 degree in a relevant field, has completed 40 hours of victim-designation training, and regularly attends conferences and workshops to advance their training. From there, the caller will be provided with campus and community resources to find the right support for them.

麻豆精品 S淎 lot of times victims won 麻豆精品 S檛 like to talk about it because it makes it more real, but we 麻豆精品 S檙e literally an ear. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Lauren Portal 麻豆精品 S�11

麻豆精品 S淲e have a relationship assessment that we give [victims when they contact us] and it goes from less serious to really serious behavior, 麻豆精品 S� Mouton says. 麻豆精品 S淲hen you put a list in front of them, once they see all those checks, it 麻豆精品 S檚 a reality check for them. 麻豆精品 S�

The advocates will also talk through a list of reporting options with the victim, such as filing a police report, injunction or order of protection, but will never try to persuade someone to do so if they aren 麻豆精品 S檛 comfortable.

麻豆精品 S淎 lot of times victims won 麻豆精品 S檛 like to talk about it because it makes it more real, but we 麻豆精品 S檙e literally an ear, 麻豆精品 S� Portal says. 麻豆精品 S淲e want to listen to you. We 麻豆精品 S檙e not going to force you to do anything you don 麻豆精品 S檛 want to do. 麻豆精品 S�

For more information about Victim Services, visit . You can also visit their main office in Suite 450 of the on Research Parkway or their on-campus locations on the second floor of the and the Green Dot office in the .

That 麻豆精品 S檚 extra impressive since the program, called Green Dot, was first introduced to the campus community in September. Since then, more than 4,500 students and faculty and staff members have been exposed to Green Dot.

麻豆精品 S淕reen Dot is a bystander intervention program to help reduce power-based personal violence, which includes stalking, sexual assault, domestic violence and dating violence, 麻豆精品 S� said Green Dot Strategy Coordinator Sam Vega, a first-generation college student who earned a master 麻豆精品 S檚 degree in Higher Education and Policy Studies from UCF in 2016.

麻豆精品 S淭he premise is that small actions lead to one big impact, 麻豆精品 S� she said.

Green Dot training includes becoming familiar with the 麻豆精品 S渢hree Ds 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� direct, delegate, and distract.

麻豆精品 S淒irect is going into the situation and saying, 麻豆精品 S楬ey, that 麻豆精品 S檚 not cool what you 麻豆精品 S檙e doing, just stop, 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� explained Vega. 麻豆精品 S淒elegate would be calling UCFPD or calling someone that 麻豆精品 S檚 in the area – a bouncer, a bartender – anybody who can step in. Distract speaks for itself. 麻豆精品 S�

Nearly 300 colleges and universities across the country have implemented the program, including six in Florida.

UCF is on top of the leaderboard for the 2016-2017 school year, with more than 25 students, faculty, and staff members fully trained in the program. This allows them to give the speeches that train others and keep Green Dot growing.

Campus areas such as Fraternity and Sorority Life are among those embracing Green Dot. For example, four Greek organizations now require that every member be trained.

Vega says that Green Dot helps to make 麻豆精品 S渄oing the right thing 麻豆精品 S� more accessible.

麻豆精品 S淎 lot of time we have bystanders who just don 麻豆精品 S檛 know what to do because they are emotionally shocked by what 麻豆精品 S檚 going on, 麻豆精品 S� Vega said. 麻豆精品 S淲hat we try to do is ensure them that they can work through those barriers and actually intervene in a realistic way that 麻豆精品 S檚 also comfortable for them. 麻豆精品 S�

The new Green Dot office will officially open its doors to the public with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 3 p.m. Thursday, March 23.

Green Dot UCF is located in the John T. Washington Center Breezeway across from the book store, and it will be open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.

With Spring Break fast approaching, Safe Knight Week, which runs March 6-10, is an opportunity to learn about self-care, violence prevention and emergency preparedness.

The week will kick off with the Safe Knight Week carnival, which will showcase the safety and wellness services at UCF and throughout the community. The carnival will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday at Memory Mall.

Tuesday 麻豆精品 S檚 theme is violence prevention, and highlights include an It 麻豆精品 S檚 On Us walk that will leave from Ferrell Commons at noon and a self-defense class that will start at 6 p.m. at Global UCF.

Wednesday 麻豆精品 S檚 events will focus on physical and mental well-being, with HIV testing at the Recreation and Wellness Center and an evening healthy cooking competition. Thursday and Friday 麻豆精品 S檚 events will focus on alcohol and high-risk behaviors.

Safe Knight Week is sponsored by the following offices within the Division of Student Development and Enrollment Services: Wellness and Health Promotion Services, Student Health Services, Student Care Services, the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities, Student Government Association, Counseling and Psychological Services and Recreation and Wellness Center. Co-sponsors of this year 麻豆精品 S檚 Safe Knight Week are: the Department of Security and Emergency Management; UCF Police Department; Green Dot; and Environmental Health and Safety.

Green Dot is a national curriculum that teaches people how to safely intervene in dangerous situations. The program was launched at UCF last week with a party in front of the Student Union, where an SUV wrapped in Green Dot logos and messaging also was unveiled.

Sunday, Sept. 18, is National Green Dot Day of Action, and UCF will observe the day by hosting two training courses.

In its pilot year at UCF, Green Dot is training student-leaders from Fraternity & Sorority Life, Student Government Association and LEAD Scholars to deliver the Green Dot message to other students.

Sunday 麻豆精品 S檚 training will be a deeper dive into Green Dot for these students. Over time, the program will branch out to additional peer influencers.

Samantha Vega, the Green Dot coordinator at UCF, has been working behind the scenes on Green Dot for the last several months and is happy to see the program being implemented.

麻豆精品 S淚t is exciting to know there are so many students, faculty and staff members excited about the program, 麻豆精品 S� Vega said. 麻豆精品 S淚 think it makes UCF feel safer and allows for Knights to feel like someone in their community will intervene should they ever be in dangerous situation. 麻豆精品 S�

Green Dot teaches people how to safely step in using the three D 麻豆精品 S檚: Direct for directly approaching the situation, Delegate for calling for help, and Distract for taking attention away from a potentially dangerous situation.

The program has been implemented at high school and college campuses across the country to create a culture change and reduce acts of violence.

麻豆精品 S淢y hope is that people begin to realize the power they have to help a fellow Knight, 麻豆精品 S� Vega said. 麻豆精品 S淲e often fall into the bystander effect, where we assume someone else will jump in and in reality that someone is us. Giving students, staff, and faculty this power will only make our community safer. 麻豆精品 S�

To learn more about Green Dot, go to .

The dots aren 麻豆精品 S檛 an illness or fancy new plants. Instead, the green dots represent individual acts of bystander intervention, when somebody recognized the signs of interpersonal violence and stepped in.

More green dots mean an aware community that 麻豆精品 S檚 empowered to intervene 麻豆精品 S攁nd that 麻豆精品 S檚 UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 goal.

Green Dot UCF officially launches Thursday, Sept. 8, with a block party outside of the Student Union. Games, activities and speakers will go from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Green Dot 麻豆精品 S檚 nationally-utilized bystander intervention curriculum will be presented to students and faculty and staff members over the next 5 years at least thanks to a grant from Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 Department of Health.

Green Dot has been implemented at high school and college campuses across the country to create a culture change and reduce acts of violence.

Although a gut instinct that tells people to intervene when they see an act of violence may kick in, often people don 麻豆精品 S檛 know how to step in safely.

That 麻豆精品 S檚 where Green Dot comes in.

Green Dot relies on peer-to-peer training to educate about the three D 麻豆精品 S檚 on violence prevention: Direct for directly approaching the situation, Delegate for calling for help, and Distract by taking attention away from a potentially dangerous situation.

In its pilot year at UCF, Green Dot is focused on training student-leaders from Fraternity & Sorority Life, Student Government Association and LEAD Scholars to deliver the Green Dot message to other students. Additional peer influencers will receive Green Dot training over time.

To learn more about Green Dot, go to . Click to watch a video previewing Thursday’s launch.