By Matthew Watson

University of Maryland students discussed power dynamics in relationships at a Campus Advocates Respond and Educate (CARE) to Stop Violence event titled “Power in Relationships” on Tuesday.

Relationship power dynamics served as the theme for the most recent CARE in Conversations, a monthly event during which students share their thoughts on sensitive topics such as stalking, relationship violence and sexual harrassment.

Power dynamics encompass a wide variety of spheres, including politics, university life and our own relationships, according to Charlotte Sheffield, assistant coordinator at CARE.

“There are power dynamics that exist in all of our interactions, and sometimes that means that there is an imbalance,” said Sheffield, a UMD alumna. “People have different access to having their needs met, to feeling comfortable saying ‘no,’ to feeling comfortable saying ‘yes,’ to feeling comfortable just having boundaries.”

Students discussed their own definitions of this type of imbalance that can exist in a relationship and where they can stem from, including age difference and emotional maturity between partners.

Angelica Galvan, a first year bioengineering graduate student, appreciated how natural the conversation felt at the event, especially when students shared their own experiences with power dynamics and setting boundaries for themselves. 

“I really liked when people gave me advice and reaffirmed my thoughts,” Galvan said. “It gave me the confidence to know that I was doing the right things for myself.”

One student attendee, who chose to remain anonymous, first heard about the event through a newsletter from Fostering Terp Success, a campus-wide program for students “who have a history of foster care involvement, are experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity, and lack a supportive family system,” according to their website.

“I mostly came to be able to easily visualize that I’m not alone in caring about the formation of healthy relationships … and making sure people are educated in how to do so,” the student said.

At the end of the dialogue, participants reviewed a Tweet about how assenting is not the same as fully consenting, bringing back the initial discussion of power dynamics as an imbalance of power.

“Power dynamics shouldn’t be invisible,” said Sheffield. “They should be discussed, and reflected upon, and named.”

For students affected by sexual violence, the University of Maryland’s CARE to Stop Violence 24/7 crisis line can be reached at 301-741-3442.

Featured image: Multiple coloring pages alongside an array of Sharpies, highlighters, and other colored markers. The frontmost page reads: “Your Voice Has Power.” Photo by Matthew Watson.