Program trains hairstylists to spot domestic violence signs

CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina (WTVD) -- A domestic-violence-prevention non-profit in Chapel Hill has launched a campaign that trains salon professionals in recognizing warning signs of domestic abuse.

Compass Center for Women and Families implemented the national curriculum called CUT IT OUT and will host more training sessions at the end of August.

The CUT IT OUT training teaches stylists how to direct their clients to services that can help.

Nationally, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have been victims of physical violence by an intimate partner. On a typical day, there are more than 20,000 phone calls to domestic-violence hotlines nationwide.

In 2016, the Orange County Sheriff's Office responded to 20 domestic-violence calls a week. That is just one of seven police jurisdictions in Orange County.

"Women often tell their stylists things they don?t even tell their families," said Lynda Elliot, executive director of the North Carolina Board of Cosmetic Arts Examiners. "Most people would not know how to react when they learn someone is being emotionally or physically abused."