During the past month, you have probably discovered - if you didn't already know - that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And, yes, breast cancer is a serious problem, all pointless Facebook status updates about women's favorite purse storage location aside: The National Cancer Institute estimates that one out of every eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their life.  Statistically speaking, that means that thirty-three women in this year's 1L class will have breast  cancer during their lifetimes. But October is also Domestic Violence Awareness Month, although you might never know it by all the pink ribbons, "sassy" t-shirts about "Saving the Boobies," and rose-hued kitchen utensils for sale at Target.

In fact, domestic violence is a crisis as prevalent - if not more so - than breast cancer. Although estimates vary to some extent, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute of Justice released a study in 2000 that indicated that one in four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime, a figure also cited by the National Coalition for the Homeless, the National Center for Victims of Crime, and a study conducted by the Council of Europe in 2002. To put that in perspective, those estimates would account for about sixty-five women in this year's 1L class. In fact, some statistics seem to suggest that women can significantly reduce their risk of being murdered by not dating or marrying men: according to the Violence Policy Center, in 2002, "the number of females shot and killed by their husband or intimate partner was more than three times higher than the total number murdered by male strangers using all weapons combined in single victim/single offender incidents." Of course, this isn't helpful advice for most heterosexual women, but it does underscore the magnitude of the problem.

We may not have gigantic marathons or product tie-ins benefitting domestic violence shelters, but you can still help domestic violence victims in our community. In 2009, the rate of domestic violence homicides in the District of Columbia increased five percent, and the Metropolitan Police Department received over 31,000 domestic-related calls. Helping the District women, children, and men affected by domestic violence can take many forms - legal or non-legal - depending on whether you're tired of "extra" law school activities yet. The D.C. Coalition Against Domestic Violence seeks volunteers for a variety of initiatives related to policy, grassroots activism, and fundraising, as does the National Network to End Domestic Violence. If you aren't tired of thinking about the law, there are several organizations in the D.C. area that provide legal services to victims and survivors of domestic violence; in addition, the law school offers the Domestic Violence Project, which allows students to intern with organizations involved in domestic violence policy and advocacy while taking a related seminar.

It's not just important to think about helping those affected by domestic violence in the broader community; it is also important to stay alert for signs that you or your friends are in abusive relationships or are perhaps exhibiting abusive behaviors towards a loved one. Aside from often having physical injuries, abused individuals often are increasingly isolated from their friends, easily startled, depressed, and experience decreased self-esteem. Their partners are often jealous, possessive, or overly critical. A detailed list of abusive behaviors - including some that probably don't immediately come to mind - can be found by Googling (or Bing-ing, if that's your thing) "Domestic Violence Power and Control Wheel."

If you believe that a friend of yours is experiencing domestic violence, you can help by not being a toolbag. Talk to her honestly and tell her that you're concerned for her safety. It often takes some time for a woman to recognize that she's being abused, especially if the abuse is emotional, financial, or involves isolation or coercion. If she makes decisions that you don't think are best for her, remember: you don't know what's best for her. Don't judge her for those decisions, and remember the abuse is never the victim's fault. Support her and attempt to build her self-confidence; remember how incredibly strong she has to be to deal with such a difficult situation.

Finally, if you believe that one of your friends is being abusive towards their partner, no matter how difficult it is, you should let him know that his behavior is not okay. Don't reinforce abusive behavior or jokes by laughing, minimizing, or ignoring the behavior. Don't offer to mediate for the couple - it isn't her problem, it's his problem, and he's the one who needs to work on changing his behavior. Encourage him to go seek counseling, and be supportive. Abusive behavior is a choice, so praise your friend's good behaviors and positive development. If you lose a friend over your unwillingness to condone his behavior, so be it.

And now that I've written over 650 words on an incredibly heart-wrenching issue, I'll just tell you to have an awesome Halloween and suggest that it would be a great idea to donate the money you're saving from having an open bar from nine to midnight (like you were only going to spend $25 if there wasn't an open bar) at the Halloween party to one of the many fantastic organizations doing domestic violence work in D.C..

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* You may have noticed that I used female pronouns when referring to victims of domestic violence and male pronouns when referring to abusers. It should go without saying that men are also abused, but when eighty-five percent of domestic violence victims are women, it's pretty clear which pronoun is most appropriate to use. Remember: if it isn't about you, don't make it about you. (Statistic from the Bureau of Justice).

** Hannah Geyer is also on the Law Students for Reproductive Justice Executive Board. LSRJ teamed up with Feminist Forum this week to hold a series of Domestic Violence Awareness events. She hopes you got a chance to go to some of them.