JON HELGASON/Arizona Daily Wildcat Ty Hennings leads the Take Back the Night March from the UA Mall down Fourth Avenue Friday evening. Hennings and his sister Katie spoke to the audience about their experiences with their violent father.

While rocking her 4-year-old daughter to sleep, Kathy Hennings, a victim of domestic violence, looked down to see that she had fingerprint bruises on her arms and her daughter had a black eye.

She knew it was time to get herself and her children out of their home before they became as violent as their father.

"My 2-year-old was learning from his father. I'm not going to let them grow up like that," she said. "I had to break the cycle."

Hennings and her two children shared their story at Friday's 12th annual Take Back the Night rally, an international, national and local day for community members to rally for safety on the streets of Tucson

About 100 domestic violence victims and supporters gathered for the rally and marched down Fourth Avenue to Winsett Park, where they carried signs and chanted slogans protesting domestic violence against women and children.

"The community is pretty apathetic and we need to do this at least once a year to show progress," said LeAnn Crickenberger, public relations director for the Associated Students of the University of Arizona Women's Resource Center, which sponsored the event.

One in four women will be sexually assaulted in her lifetime, and one of every three female homicide victims is killed by her partner.

"The most dangerous place for a woman is in her home with her spouse," said Rachel Lehrman, the WRC director of special events.

Hennings' children, Katie Bolte, 11, and Ty Bolte-Hennings, 9, both shared their personal stories of domestic violence.

In one incident, Katie and Ty were hiding from their father in a closet. When they were found, their father lifted Katie above the ground by her hair and threw her into the corner. Ty was lifted by his arms and also slammed against the wall.

Katie immediately found scissors and cut her hair off so that her father would have nothing to grab next time. Katie hasn't grown her hair past her shoulders since.

Ty, who was 2 or 3 years old when most of this occurred, still does not feel safe in enclosed surroundings because his father would lock him alone in rooms or in his truck cab.

On a different occasion, Katie watched while her father broke her dog Sally's back out of anger, leaving Sally unable to walk.

"I tried to get her in the house so she wouldn't see him pounding on her dog. She wanted to sleep outside by Sally, who couldn't walk anymore, with her pillow and blanket," said Hennings. "And get this, he still has visitation. You don't think that totally hurt her?"

WRC fights to make people aware of domestic violence and educate women about the knowledgeable resources available to them, Crickenberger said.

"The women in America are pathologized and defined by other people. This way we can do it," she said. "Every man, woman and child should feel strong in their personal power."

Pride Alliance, Campus Acquaintance Rape Educators and OASIS assisted the WRC in putting together Take Back the Night.

"I am interested in being a part of any event against violence and promoting women," said Tina Haag, program coordinator for OASIS.

People come together who wouldn't normally, because Take Back the Night relates to issues that a lot of people can agree on, said Rebekah Wilce, a creative writing junior who participated last year.

"I think it is definitely effective. Last year we marched by a fraternity and the guys were gawking and saying rude things but they noticed," she said. "It was kind of disgusting, but they saw it."