Each day the news is filled with stories of people being brutalized, hurt, and abused—often at the hands of a loved one. Every nine seconds, a woman in the United States is assaulted. One in five women has been raped in their lifetime and one in four men has been the victim of physical violence by an intimate partner. These sobering facts prompted Southwest resident Dr. L. J. Samuel, a seasoned criminologist and author, to create Cupid’s Sting, an interpersonal violence reduction program.
“I was tired of seeing the gruesome treatment of people and knew something more had to be done,” Samuel explains. It is Cupid’s Sting’s mission to give people the tools they need to reduce their victimization. Proactive in its orientation, Cupid’s Sting provides education in the form of workshops on dating abuse, interpersonal violence, domestic violence, and sexual harassment. A key component of Cupid’s Sting is teaching life-saving skills in self-defense classes. Interpersonal violence is an issue that affects us all, and no one is immune regardless of race, sex, gender, religion, or socio-economic status.
On Wednesday, March 14 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., a launch event for the Cupid’s Sting nonprofit organization will be held at the Southwest Business Improvement District’s office, located at 420 4th St. SW. Come out and learn more about Cupid’s Sting, its offerings, and take part in the discussion on interpersonal violence. Together we can keep our friends, family members, and neighbors safe.
If you are interested in making a donation or to learn more, please email Cupid’s Sting at info@cupidssting.org, or you may call the office at (202) 425-3105.