Cape Fear Community College hosts domestic violence forum

CASTLE HAYNE (WWAY)–Staff and students at Cape Fear Community College are trying to put an end to domestic violence one public forum at a time.

Thursday the college’s social and behavioral sciences department hosted a lecture and open forum on ways to end domestic violence in the region.

Sociology Instructor Bethaney Ferguson, says it’s important to understand that addressing domestic violence means helping victims and the abusers. “It’s reaching out to males, its reaching out to females whether its heterosexual relationships, homosexual relationships whatever,” Ferguson said. “So people have the appropriate anger management skills, the communication skills to finally stop the cycle.”

In 2013, New Hanover County law enforcement agencies responded to more than 7,000 domestic violence calls, 380 involved weapons.

Ferguson says these statistics make forums like these even more important.