Hairstylists may be among the first to know.
If a woman is being abused, she may confide in her stylist.
It's not surprising.
"Once a client is comfortable with you, and you've established trust, they tell you pretty much everything," says Marlin Morgan, director of Empire Beauty School, 1801 Columbia Ave., Lancaster.
According to the National Cosmetology Association, women see a hairstylist more often than they see their doctor.
Through a program called Cut It Out, launched nationally in 2003, stylists and stylists-in-training have the chance to learn what to do when a victim of domestic violence shares her secret — and also find avenues to donate to shelters and other resources serving those who are abused.
Cut It Out has been established in all 50 states, and nearly 40,000 salon professionals have been educated through the program.
In October, as part of a Pennsylvania initiative, the local Empire campus, in partnership with the Weed and Seed program and Domestic Violence Services of Lancaster County, piloted the school's program, now in place in all 87 campuses.
Representatives of DVSLC provide training to local Empire students — about 75 to date.
"The training was very intense," says Empire student Richard "Darby" Slaton. "It even stirred up the hearts of some of the people in the school that dealt with (abuse) themselves."
Debbie Dunn, director of the Lancaster School of Cosmetology, 50 Ranck Ave., hopes to implement official training in the coming year for staff and students. Like Empire, her school offers resource materials to clients.
As part of Cut It Out, both schools have gone a cut above with their donations to the local shelter.
Dunn says the school has raised funds for the shelter for the past two years.
"We raise most of our money through our seated-chair massages at Barnstormers games," Dunn says.
Next year, the school will also hold at least four Cut-A-Thons to benefit the shelter, she says.
Since launching Cut It Out in the fall, Empire has held fundraisers and parties for shelter residents, including a recent holiday party for women and their children.
Area hair salons, including Holiday Hair, Supercuts, Hair Cuttery and J.C. Penney, have supported the events through donations, Morgan says.
In addition, Empire offers free services to women in an "adopted" shelter and the opportunity for them to become eligible to receive financial assistance to attend any Empire school nationwide, says Maureen Pinchock, manager of public relations for the Pottsville-based Empire Education Group.
The Lancaster School of Cosmetology provides coupons for free services for shelter residents, Dunn says.
In the fall, the local Empire campus participated in the Empire Education Group National Day of Beauty, raising more than $1,240 for DVSLC.
Nationwide, about $86,000 was raised for Empire's "adopted" shelters, Pinchock says, and to date, all Empire schools have raised more than $125,000.
Food, clothing and toiletries have also been collected.
In Lancaster, Empire will host an ongoing collection of canned goods and toiletries, Morgan says.
"This is something we will be continuing," Morgan says. "We're planning a party (for shelter residents) on Easter."
In a previous newspaper interview about the program, DVSLC executive director Bonnie Glover said she hopes Cut It Out will help stylists continue to open lines of communication with clients about abuse and offer possible resources.
Last year, DVSLC aided 1,800 victims of abuse; 90 percent were women. DVSLC, a nonprofit organization established as part of the Community Action Program, offers emergency shelter, legal counseling, transitional-housing programs and support groups.
According to national statistics provided by the U.S. Attorney General's office, an act of domestic violence occurs every 12 seconds.
"Stylists are in a very powerful position," Slaton says.
"Most people don't realize how much you can encourage (clients) and meet them where they're at."
CUT IT OUT
To learn more about Cut It Out and about making donations to Domestic Violence Services of Lancaster County, contact Empire Beauty School, 1801 Columbia Ave., Lancaster, 394-8561; or the Lancaster School of Cosmetology, 50 Ranck Ave., Lancaster, 299-0200.
Visit
www.empiregivesback.com.
For details on Domestic Violence Services of Lancaster County, call the hot line at 299-1249.
CONTACT THE NEW ERA: sjurgelski@LNPnews.com or 291-8756 
