What is PurpleOne™?

PurpleOne is an evidence-based intimate partner violence community impact initiative. It’s built on the principle known as collective impact, where groups in a designated community work together to confront a critical issue.

PurpleOne directly addresses 6 of the 7 World Health Organization’s evidence-based recommendations for combating violence against women:

All but poverty are directly addressed through PurpleOne; however, it is often addressed as a result of women accessing services.

Recognitions

PurpleOne also has earned national recognition. DomesticShelters.org and Theresa’s Fund selected PurpleOne as a 2021 Purple Ribbon Award gold medalist for Outstanding Awareness Campaign in the $500,001-$2M budget category. The success of PurpleOne helped pave the way for Safe Journey Executive Director Lori Palisin to be honored as a national Purple Ribbon Award gold medalist in 2023 as a Shelter Executive of the Year

Background

PurpleOne was created by domestic violence agency staff at Safe Journey located in Union City, Pa. who have combined decades of experience with Ph.D.-level experts in specialized fields, including a Penn State University researcher – Dr. Melanie Hetzel-Riggin – whose life work is violence, trauma and domestic violence.

Dr. Hetzel-Riggin, Ph.D., professor of psychology and school of humanities and social sciences director at Penn State Behrend, conducted research on the value of the PurpleOne Training for the university’s Susan Hirt Hagen Center for Community Outreach, Research, and Evaluation.

According to Dr. Hetzel-Riggin, “The evaluation produced one of the most significant analyses I have seen in her 25 years of research. The Program has been successful in significantly engaging the community in training, changing beliefs about intimate partner violence and the efficacy of positive bystander intervention, and increasing community referrals and survivor access to and use of services.”

Results of the evaluation included:

• Improved participants’ knowledge about intimate partner violence.

• Decreased intimate partner violence myth acceptance — people were more likely to reject intimate partner violence myths.

• Improved participants’ beliefs that bystander intervention is an effective way to reduce intimate partner violence.

• Increased participants’ confidence in their own ability to successfully intervene as a bystander.

• Identified more benefits than risks in acting as a supportive bystander when witnessing a potential intimate partner violence situation.

• Reported higher behavioral intentions or said they would be more likely to act as a supportive bystander in specific intimate partner violence situations.

Outcomes

Since launching in 2019, PurpleOne also has produced measurable results in the number of victims seeking services from Safe Journey. Monthly referrals for their services have increased from 3 to 25. Survivors are being referred. They have had such success from not only the victim outreach perspective but also the community impact. Safe Journey stated, “Today, organizations and our community know about Safe Journey, they are having conversations about intimate partner violence and want to support the efforts in any way they can.”

Safe Journey hotline calls have increased from a monthly average of 50 to 150. During COVID, Safe Journey alone saw a 200% increase in victim calls.

PurpleOne continues to make a measurable impact. After five years, training sessions in Erie County, Pa. still attract a minimum of 30 people, and a number of agencies and organizations have found the training to be so useful that they're sending multiple individuals to become PurpleOne trained. To date, Safe Journey is quickly approaching 120 organizations approved as Safe Places for Domestic Violence Victims. These Safe Places are businesses throughout the community – banks, township buildings, law offices, fire and police stations, hair salons, hospitals, doctor offices, grocery stores – ordinary locations that survivors can enter and receive information discreetly about domestic violence and their local domestic violence agency. Safe Journey directly attributes these increases to the implementation of the PurpleOne Program.