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Fraternities help raise awareness about sexual and domestic violence

In light of recent domestic violence incidents involving NFL players, a local organization is using college fraternity members to help raise awareness about sexual assault and domestic violence.

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RALEIGH, N.C. — In light of recent domestic violence incidents involving NFL players, a local organization is using college fraternity members to help raise awareness about sexual assault and domestic violence.

“There's nothing more powerful than having your friend or another man say to you, ‘this is not acceptable behavior,’” said Jake LaRoe, president of the interfraternity council at N.C. State University. “Nothing is more impactful than that.”

Fraternities4Families, with the help of Greeks at N.C. State and other schools, has donated money and supplies to the Durham Crisis Response Center, which helps survivors of sexual and domestic abuse.

Tammy Donald, the center’s director of marketing and project development, said the ongoing national conversation about domestic violence has made it safer for survivors to come forward.

“We're finding now people are reaching out to us in a variety of ways, everything from Facebook to email to the website, to our crisis line,” she said. “We have our 24-hour crisis line as well and so the call volume has gone up.”

Charles Ullman, an attorney who started Fraternities4Families in the Triangle, said his goal is to have young men talking about sexual and domestic violence and educating them about it before it happens.

Ullman, with more than 20 years practicing domestic law, said he has had clients die from domestic violence.

“I thought if I can get to a male group, like fraternities, at the colleges was really a natural place to reach people that would be in my office 20 years later,” he said.

eNOugh domestic violence: eNOughNC

WRAL and our parent company, Capitol Broadcasting Company, are partners in an effort to prevent and end domestic violence called eNOughNC. On eNOughNC.org, victims and batterers can find resources to break the cycle of violence, and members of the community can find ways to help.

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