WVU Parkersburg criminal justice program marks Domestic Violence Awareness Month with clothesline project, community speaker series

Parkersburg, W.Va. (October 27, 2026) — In recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, WVU Parkersburg’s Criminal Justice program hosted the Clothesline Project and Behind the Response: A Community Justice Speaker Series on campus Oct. 12-15.

The Clothesline Project began in 1990 as a display of T-shirts decorated by survivors of domestic violence and by those honoring someone affected by violence. Each shirt on display was created locally by someone whose life has been touched by violence. The Criminal Justice program partners with the Family Crisis Intervention Center (FCIC) to host the display each March and October.

“The Clothesline Project is a way for us to bring awareness to domestic violence and sexual assault,” said Amy Strong, Criminal Justice program coordinator. “We wanted to take it a step further this year, and thought pairing it with a speaker series would allow students and the community to learn more about these issues from the people who work with survivors and their families every day.”

Behind the Response brought professionals from local criminal justice and community agencies to the College Theater during Engagement Hour to share their work and the resources available in the community. The presentations were open to students, faculty, staff and community members.

• Oct. 13: Family advocates and forensic interviewers from North Star Child Advocacy Center discussed the role of a child advocacy center and how professionals from different agencies work together to support children and families.
• Oct. 14: Emily Larkins, executive director of FCIC, spoke about the center’s services for individuals and families affected by domestic violence, including advocacy and community resources.
• Oct. 15: Taylor Anderson and Tonya Fought, victim advocates with the Wood County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, explained how they assist victims as cases move through the court process and connect them with information and support.

“Hearing directly from professionals who work with victims and survivors gives students a perspective that we can’t always provide through a textbook or classroom lecture,” Strong said. “It helps them understand what survivors may be going through, the challenges they face and why the way we respond to them matters.”

Strong said the week was also meant to show students the different career paths available with a criminal justice degree and the many ways they can make a difference in the lives of victims and survivors.

“I hope the week helped students and the community better understand how individuals and families can be affected by violence and that these issues affect people living in our communities,” Strong said. “Even if someone never works in the criminal justice field, I think it’s important to recognize the signs of abuse, know where someone can turn for help and understand how important it is to support people who have experienced violence.”

Throughout the week, the program also collected items to support FCIC and the individuals and families it serves, including toiletries, paper products and trash bags.

To learn more about WVU Parkersburg’s Criminal Justice program, visit wvup.edu/academics/programs/criminal-justice/.