With October being Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Fresno State faculty spread awareness of resources and advice for students and loved ones experiencing domestic violence.
Survivor Advocacy Services is a Fresno State resource that supports students, staff and faculty who have experienced or are experiencing domestic violence. The resource is free and confidential and the resource’s advocates can help navigate the best resources.
“There’s a lot of victims that are often silenced and just put to the side, and I feel like by observing and bringing awareness to it, women and men are able to feel more confident in reaching out for help,” said Ashley Nayely, a freshman majoring in pre-health.
The Student and Health Counseling Center (SHCC) also provides services for students experiencing domestic violence. Services provided by the SHCC include physical exams, sexually transmitted infections testing and treatment and pregnancy prevention and testing.
Fresno County reported 21,395 cases of domestic violence so far in 2025, according to the Marjaree Mason Center, a survivor advocacy group based in Fresno County.
Some signs of abusive behavior in a partner include extreme jealousy, discouraging individuals from spending time with others and pressuring people into performing sexual acts they’re not comfortable with, according to Mindy Kates, a survivor advocate of the SHCC.
“Domestic violence is never an accident,” Kates said. “It is an intentional act in which the person doing the harm believes they have the right to harm others and not treat the other person with respect.”
The average person can help a loved one experiencing domestic violence by offering emotional support, such as validating the difficult situation they are in, not judging their decisions and reassuring them that the abuse is not their fault, according to Kates.
“I encourage people who are experiencing domestic violence to reach out for support,” Kates said. “Going through domestic violence can be isolating, so it is important that you don’t feel alone.”
Kates said connecting them to the domestic violence hotline, identifying resources like housing, food and healthcare and storing important documents are good avenues of support.
Kates also encourages others not to post information about themselves on social media because the posts can be used to easily identify them and where they spend their time.
Students can contact Survivor Advocacy Services by email, [email protected], for more information.
Domestic Violence Hotline: 1.800.799.7233
