Community Corner

Yorktown Girl Raises Awareness About Domestic Abuse

Lauren Gorstein earns Gold Leadership Award; reminds the community about the dangers of domestic violence

Lauren Gorstein, a 16-year-old student, remembers doing a research paper for her social studies class about human trafficking/sex slavery and she said it bothered her to think that people could be abused and taken advantage of.

"Although the abuse wasn’t by the people that supposedly 'love them,' it still alarmed me to think that people can be so inhumane to one another," she said. 

As a member of the Girl Scout Troop 1477, Lauren has earned the highest Girl Scout award, the Gold Leadership Award. She had decided to focus on a topic that would increase awareness about domestic violence. To earn the honor, her project requires to fulfill a need in her community and leave a lasting impression.

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Lauren said she believes her project will help people avoid abusive relationships, get out of abusive relationships, and help others who are struggling with abuse.

"This isn’t an issue that can just be 'swept under the rug' and avoided," she said. "It is a huge problem and can happen to anyone; it happens more often than you think."

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Her three-part project includes creating a DVD for her high school health teacher to use in class, as well as a banner for the Putnam Northern Westchester Women's Resource Center that will be displayed every February (during Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month) reminding the community about the dangers of domestic violence.

To create the DVD, Lauren said she interviewed Ann Ellsworth and Megan McCarthy, from the Putnam/Northern Westchester Women’s Resource Center and asked them questions about domestic violence and teen dating violence. 

To create the street banner, she worked with the Yorktown Athletic Program (YAC), specifically with coaches Jeff Wilson and Lou Salveggi, to sell food and refreshments at softball tournaments. After raising money from the concession stands and receiving generous donations from some parents, she was able to purchase a street banner for the Putnam/Northern Westchester Women’s Resource Center. 

"Kids my age need to know that no one ever deserves to suffer any kind of abuse," Lauren said. "If anyone is in an abusive relationship, is suffering from domestic violence, or knows someone who is in one of these situations, I strongly encourage you to contact a hotline or speak to someone you trust. Calling a hotline is completely anonymous and can offer help to anyone – regardless of gender, age or situation. Whether it is physical, sexual or emotional abuse, no one has the right to make anyone else feel inferior."

Lauren said she knows a couple of people affected by domestic violence, including a few kids her age who had been in an abusive relationship.

The high school student began working on her Gold Award in early March, and put her project into action in May, continued working on it through the summer and fall, and eventually finished it mid-December, she said. 

The lasting effects of her project will be through the DVD and the street banner. The health teachers at Yorktown High School have agreed to show segments of the DVD every year as they cover the topic of domestic violence/relationship violence.

Health is a required subject for kids at Yorktown High School and Lauren said she think her DVD has the potential to reach many students – both male and female.

"The banner also contributes to the lasting effect of my project because it’s a visual for teens and their families," she said. 

Lauren has been involved with the Girl Scouts since kindergarten, which her mother Angela Gorstein, who is the troop's leader, said it has provided with opportunities to understand and appreciate all the important things, such as a loving family, a roof over her head and the importance of helping those in need.

"I am passionate about my friends, family and softball," Lauren said. "These are the things that are most important to me and are things I value greatly. I always try to make sure my friends and family are happy, and I always work hard when it comes to softball. I am very fortunate to have these things in my life. It is important to me to know that I can do something to help those less fortunate. That is why this project felt right. It didn’t even feel like work a majority of the time."

Lauren said she hopes to reach out to as many age groups as possible to help them recognize the signs of an abusive relationship.

"I think the greatest lasting effect of my project will be the information that has been publicized about this issue and how that information will be put to use," she said. 

Lauren's mother said she has watched her daughter immerse herself in this project with compassion, self discipline and leadership.

"She has accomplished a great deal for others in her quiet ways and has demonstrated true leadership," she said. "When most of us watch TV and learn about the many cases of domestic violence that make the news, it's upsetting to us as we feel helpless. It's a great feeling to know that my 16-year-old daughter is doing something about it."

Besides Girl Scouts and softball, Lauren has been involved in a number of clubs at her high school. She is a member of the Science Olympiad as well as Soupstone, the school’s art and literary magazine, and I am currently a member of another club at my school, Science Olympiad. Lauren's family has also participated in the puppy socialization program with .

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