IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – Public libraries in eight Iowa counties are helping spread awareness about domestic violence issues as well as resources available to the people who may need them the most.
“Public awareness is absolutely paramount to prevention education,” said Alta Medea, the Director of Community Engagement for Domestic Violence Intervention Program (DVIP).
During Domestic Violence Awareness Month, DVIP partners with libraries throughout its service area to offer resources that teach people about domestic violence, including what it can look like.
“Intimate partner violence can be manipulation, coercive control, and economic. So restricting how dollars are spent, if you can have access to medication, if you have access to transportation,” said Medea.
The resources on offer aren’t just reference guides or workbooks; they’re stories—even young adult novels—that people of all ages could relate to their own lives.
“I was interested to find several young adult fiction titles that …