The purple ribbons that pop up during the month of October are pretty; the message behind their proliferation this time of year is not.

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It is aimed at making the public aware that domestic abuse, be it physical, emotion, sexual or a combination of the three, happens in every community and in all walks of life.

The Fourth Annual Domestic Violence Awareness Program will be 6 p.m. Thursday at Ohio University Southern Rotunda. It is organized by the Lawrence County Domestic Violence Task Force in cooperation with the university.

The speaker for this year’s event is Tonia Moultry, training and technical assistance programs director for the Ohio Domestic Violence Network. There will also be proclamations from city and county officials and university faculty and staff. The program will include a balloon release and end with a candlelight vigil. The public is encouraged to attend.