Cameron Arksey (BA’11) thinks it’s time to ‘break the cycle’ when it comes to the issue of violence against women. And the Western graduate is behind a grassroots effort to get the message out to all in-residence and off-campus university and college students not only in London, but around the country.
Break the Cycle is a short video, and accompanying resource kit, aiming to educate on the issue of violence against women. It specifically urges potential university-age aggressors to ‘break the cycle’ of violence once and for all.
Having worked as a residence advisor at Western for nearly four years, Arksey encountered numerous instances of mental health problems, substance abuse and unhealthy relationships. But while London is the starting point, it is far from the destination.
“It’s not like this is something that just needs to be addressed at Western; it’s something that needed to be explored more everywhere,” said the 23-year-old. “Part of the issue is that relationship violence, or violence against women, comes in so many variations it can be so subtle. If they are constantly checking your phone or keeping tabs on you every hour, and they think that’s normal. It’s not. It’s not always the obvious physical violence.”
Arksey is the managing director of WARPAINT Media, a creative services agency he launched while still working on his Psychology/French degree at Western. He has written the screenplay for the video and is seeking funding, be it financial or offered services, to cover the close to $18,000 cost associated with the production, printed materials and online resources.
He hopes the project will be an effective learning tool because it can be infinitely shared by viewers through their social networks.
The message behind the video is that university-aged students have a window of opportunity, wherein they may be introduced to a new living and learning environment, new people and newfound independence.
“It is in this pivotal moment that strong and progressive messages, such as ending relationship violence, are most necessary and most effective,” Arksey said. “A resource like Break the Cycle could help guide that formative process and give young adults the tools to unlearn the cycle of violence influenced by our culture and modern media.
“I want the conversation to get started, because whether it helps one person in one relationship, or a thousand, it’s worth it.”