Hays, KS — Recent tragedies in our own community remind us that domestic violence is not a private matter, it is a public crisis with profound impacts. As we approach October, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Jana’s Campaign is raising awareness about the critical, and often devasting, connection between domestic violence and officer-involved shootings. Domestic violence calls are among the most dangerous emergency responses for law enforcement officers, often escalating into lethal situations. These tragedies not only devastate the lives of victims and their families but also place first responders and entire communities at risk.

“We know the devastating impacts of domestic violence fatality as our organization was created
as a result of our own family tragedy,” said Dr. Curt Brungardt, Co-Founder of Jana’s Campaign.
“Every call for help represents not just a private dispute, but a potential life-or-death crisis that
can ripple outward and harm innocent people.”

Domestic violence can often be misunderstood as an issue contained to a couple’s private
relationship. In reality, the effects extend far beyond the immediate partners involved. Children who witness abuse can face long-term trauma. Families and friends lose loved ones. Co-
workers, neighbors, and bystanders can become unintended victims. Even first responders,
those who step in to protect, face life-threatening risks when responding to these calls.
​
According to national research, 13.9% of officer-involved shootings occur in response to
domestic violence incidents (wcadv.org, 2020). This stark reality underscores the urgent need for
prevention strategies and education at every level of the community.

“Our hearts are with all who have been impacted by the recent incidents here in our home
community of Hays,” Kaiti Blackburn, executive director of Jana’s Campaign added. “Incidents
like this remind us why prevention education is necessary.”

Jana’s Campaign calls on the community to recognize domestic violence not as a private matter,
but as a community crisis requiring collective action.

For more information about how you can support prevention efforts and access resources for
domestic violence, visit JanasCampaign.org or contact 785-656-0324.

If you are in immediate need of advocacy services, contact Options Domestic & Sexual Violence
Services at 800-794-4624, for statewide services, contact the Kansas SafeLine at 1-888-363-
2287.

​Hays, KS - 3/13/25 – Jana’s Campaign, a nationally recognized nonprofit dedicated to preventing relationship violence, is proud to announce a significant milestone: the organization has directly impacted over 100,000 K-12 students through its prevention education programming. This achievement reflects 15 years of dedicated work in secondary schools across Kansas and beyond, equipping young people with the knowledge and tools to develop healthy relationships and prevent violence before it starts.
 
Founded in honor of Jana Mackey, a passionate advocate for social justice who tragically lost her life to domestic violence perpetrated by an ex-boyfriend in 2008, Jana’s Campaign works to ensure her legacy lives on through education and prevention efforts. By partnering with schools, educators, and community leaders, the organization delivers age-appropriate programming focused on healthy relationship behaviors, warning signs of violence, and strategies for creating safe, healthy communities.
 
“This milestone is a testament to the power of education in preventing relationship violence,” said Kaiti Blackburn, Executive Director of Jana’s Campaign. “For over 15 years, we have worked tirelessly to empower students with the knowledge and skills to build safe, healthy relationships. Every student reached represents a potential life changed, a conversation sparked, and a step toward a future free from relationship violence.”
 
The impact of Jana’s Campaign extends beyond K-12 schools, influencing hundreds of thousands more students, educators, and community members through its work in higher education and community-based programming across 43 U.S. states. This milestone was made possible through the support of educators, community partners, and generous donors who share the vision of a world without relationship violence.
 
As part of the celebration of this achievement, Jana’s Campaign partnered with Dr. Hsin-Yen Yang’s senior-level Communications class at Fort Hays State University, where students created a series of videos and social media posts to highlight the organization’s impact. “We are incredibly grateful to Dr. Yang and her students for using their creativity and talent to help us share this milestone with a broader audience,” said Whitney Gerstner, Marketing & Engagement Specialsit.
Jana’s Campaign remains committed to expanding its reach, ensuring that students in Kansas and beyond continue to have access to life-saving relationship violence prevention education. The organization invites educators, community members, and supporters to join in this mission as it looks toward the next 100,000+ lives impacted.
 
For more information about Jana’s Campaign and its prevention education programs, visit www.JanasCampaign.org or follow @JanasCampaign on Facebook and Instagram.

Summer 2024 Newsletter - The Jana's Campaign Summer 2024 newsletter is now available here.

Winter 2023 Newsletter - The Jana's Campaign Winter 2023 newsletter is now available here. ​

(Hays, KS) –Every year in October, Jana’s Campaign joins with allies and supporters across the country to recognize and educate others about Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM).
DVAM evolved from the “Day of Unity” in October 1981 observed by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. The intent was to connect advocates across the nation who were working to end violence against women and their children. Now in its 42nd year, individuals and communities across our nation join together to raise awareness of domestic violence, take action to advocate for change, intervene to stop acts of domestic violence, and support those
who are impacted.

The theme for DVAM this year, #Every1KnowsSome1, was developed collaboratively by the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) and the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence (PCADV). Its aim is to emphasize the widespread nature of domestic violence, and its effects on many individuals. Nationally, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 10 men, have experienced domestic violence by an intimate partner or ex-intimate partner (CDC, 2020). From reports
submitted to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), 35 lives were lost due to domestic violence in 2022.

Domestic violence occurs in many forms- verbal, emotional, psychological, digital, sexual, and/or physical abuse. It can be extreme jealousy, possessiveness, unwanted touching, coercion, and excessive arguments. It is about power and control. Domestic violence can happen to anyone regardless of age, race or ethnicity, religion, employment or educational level, marital status, physical ability, sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation.

To prevent domestic violence, it's essential that each of us plays a role. An initial step that #Every1 can engage in is educating themselves and spreading awareness. This can involve organizing awareness events featuring purple ribbons and Silent Witness displays, as well as participating in nationally scheduled events.
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The Jana's Campaign 2022 Annual Report is now available here.

Hays, KS; Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (TDVAM) is dedicated to raising awareness about healthy-and-unhealthy relationships, common warning signs, and prevention efforts. According to data from the CDC’s 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, about 1 in 12 high school students experienced physical or sexual dating violence during the 12 months before the survey was administered. These pre-teen and teen years are the most crucial time for youth to begin learning the skills necessary to create and maintain healthy relationships (CDC, 2019).

We at Jana’s Campaign believe through primary prevention education programs we can change and improve attitudes, behaviors, interactions, and social norms for young people. Since 2013, our Violence Prevention Educators have worked with over 647 middle and high schools impacting almost 86,000 K-12 students in Kansas, Colorado, and Nebraska. We commend these schools for understanding the importance of talking to their students about healthy-and-unhealthy relationships.

Jana’s Campaign recognizes Teen Dating Violence (TDV) as a prevalent public health issue affecting millions of adolescents around the world. This not only affects youth mentally, emotionally, and physically; but their long-term health can be impacted. TDV creates a significantly increased risk of disordered eating, anxiety, stress symptoms and depression, suicidal ideation and/or attempts, smoking, alcohol and drug use, and an overall diminished emotional well-being.

Teen Dating Violence can include four main types of unhealthy behavior: 

• Physical violence is when a person hurts or tries to hurt a partner by hitting, kicking, shoving, slapping, spitting, and/or using another type of physical force or threat of force.
• Sexual violence is forcing or attempting to force a partner, acquaintance, or stranger to take part in a sex act, sexual touching, or a non-physical sexual event (e.g., sexting) when the victim does not or cannot consent.
  
• Psychological aggression is the use of verbal and non-verbal communication with the intent to harm another person mentally or emotionally and/or to exert control over another person.
  
• Stalking is a pattern of repeated, unwanted attention, and contact by a partner or ex-partner that causes fear or concern for one’s safety or the safety of someone close to the victim.
  

To do our part in raising awareness of TDV, Jana’s Campaign has developed a Teen Dating Violence Awareness Toolkit to help communities better understand, prevent, and respond to instances of TDV. The toolkit is free and can be found on the Jana’s Campaign website, www.janascampaign.org/awarenesstoolkits.html. Additionally, we will post facts and statistics about TDV on our social media accounts throughout February.

Although February is dedicated to TDV awareness, this issue does not contain itself to just one month. It continues to be a pervasive issue experienced by young people in every community. We all must do our part to educate ourselves and others about the realities of TDV and its widespread impact – not just today, but every day. 

​Please join us in our efforts to educate and raise awareness about the, sometimes hidden, social disease of gender and relationship violence. Learn more about TDV, our Awareness Toolkit, and Jana’s Campaign at www.janascampaign.org or by following us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you are interested in inviting Jana’s Campaign expert Prevention Educators to speak at your school or in your community, please contact us at [email protected] or call us at 785-656-0324.

(Hays, KS) - Early this month, Kaiti Blackburn, executive director of Jana’s Campaign, was selected as an inaugural honoree for her work in the nonprofit sector through the NextGen Under 30 program. This program’s mission is to identify and honor talented young adults and to encourage them to follow their lifetime family and career goals in Kansas. NextGen Under 30, a Kansas Department of Commerce program, recognizes and promotes the next generation of innovative, creative, and inspiring individuals who push the boundaries in various categories of endeavor. Out of over 600 nominations, 200 were selected across multiple sectors. Award winners were selected based on their participation and contribution to their communities.

Blackburn, a Dodge City, KS native, graduated from Fort Hays State University (FHSU) with a bachelor’s degree in leadership studies in 2015 and a master’s degree in professional studies with a concentration in organizational leadership in 2017. She began her career with Jana’s Campaign, a national education and violence prevention organization, in 2016 as an education and prevention specialist and, in 2019, was promoted to Executive Director.

Under Kaiti’s leadership, Jana’s Campaign’s reach through secondary education programming and higher education regional campus safety summits has grown to impact 43 states, over 630 middle and high schools, 538 colleges and universities, and more than 85,000 middle and high school students along with their faculty and staff. In addition to her work with Jana’s Campaign, Kaiti is a member of the Hays Young Professionals, served as an advisor for the Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority at FHSU from 2017-2022, and has served as a mentor to FHSU students in the Voss Advanced Leadership Undergraduate Experience (VALUE) program through the Leadership Studies Department for the past three years. She has completed the extensive leadership pathway training through the Kansas Leadership Center of Wichita and training through Non-Profit Connect of Kansas City.

​To learn more about the NextGen Under 30 program, visit nextgenunder30ks.com.