I am still talking about one of the Super Bowl commercials to anyone who will listen.

The 30-second commercial begins with a view of a home in disarray and a ringing phone answered by a 911 dispatcher saying, "911 operator, where is the emergency?"

A woman gives her address and then proceeds to order a pizza for delivery.

The 911 operator reminds the caller it is an emergency line as she specifies a large with half pepperoni and half mushroom and then asks how long it will be.

The 911 operator then asks if everything is OK and asks if there is an emergency.

She responds "yes" and the 911 operator asks if there is someone in the room with her, if there are weapons in the home and assures her he has an officer one mile away.

He asks the caller if she will stay on the phone with him, she says "no" and says "see you soon, thank you" and hangs up.

The commercial produced by the national organization NO MORE is the first-ever Super Bowl commercial addressing domestic violence and sexual assault.

The public service announcement can be viewed by visiting www.nomore.org and clicking on PSA to view the Super Bowl ad.

Every time I watch the commercial, I see additional clues to something not being quite right.

The collage of pictures on the wall shows one missing and later the viewer sees the missing picture crashed on the floor.

An unmade bed, a sink full of dishes, items laying on the floor and a hole punched in the wall are all shown in the commercial in the background of the 911 call.

According to Executive Director Suzanne Beck of the Crime Victims Council of the Lehigh Valley, Allentown, the commercial is a recreation of an actual 911 call.

Beck said 911 operators are trained to handle situations like this.

"The purpose of the ad is to listen – when it is hard to talk, it is up to us to listen."

Beck said the 911 operator asked the right questions and they are trained to know sometimes people cannot talk.

NO MORE is an awareness campaign, according to Beck, focused on ending domestic and sexual violence. The purpose is to create a dialogue and to talk to one another – friends, co-workers, neighbors, family, for they can direct the victim to get help.

The campaign is also designed to break social stigmas.

A series of other commercials have been appearing with celebrities saying no more excuses, "no more, he didn't mean it," "no more, he was drunk," "no more, why didn't she tell anyone," "no more, not my problem," "no more, it doesn't matter how she was dressed."

Beck said in October 2014, 23 National Football League players began no more campaigns, some having personal experiences with domestic violence.

Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback William Gay became an advocate in preventing domestic abuse in 1992 when his mother was shot in the back by his stepfather.

Indianapolis Colts tight end Dwayne Allen also became an advocate recalling memories of his mother beaten and abused by his stepfather and later her boyfriends.

If these players can come forward to talk about these issues perhaps someone can seek assistance in their own situations.

Beck said the victim should talk to someone, anyone, about situations they are experiencing.

Beck said there are very simple things you can say to a friend, neighbor or family member who is going through some sort of abuse.

Responses such as "I'm so sorry this happened to you, "This isn't your fault" and "I believe you" are very important to say after listening to the victim. Additional comments, "I'm here to listen to you," "You can trust me" and "I saw this commercial, I know of this agency, let me get you this phone number," are also important, according to Beck.

"They have to know when they are safe," Beck said. "You cannot force help upon them such as the police. You can provide the resources and let them know you will be there for them."

Victims can call the Crime Victims Council 24-hour hotline at 610-437-6611. They will never be asked for their names.

"Just call and talk to someone," Beck said. "They won't know who you are."

Beck said violence is never typical behavior in a relationship. To some people abusive behavior may not appear abusive from the outside. Often abuse can be emotional, such as controlling who you see or talk to, excessive texts or calls asking where are you, etc. Sometimes abuse can be in control of financial resources.

February is Teen Domestic Violence Awareness Month. At a time when dating becomes a major factor in a teen's life, often they are not capable of distinguishing between "love" and abusive behavior.

According to nomore.org, 12.7 million people are physically abused, raped or stalked by their partners in one year. That is 24 people every minute. It could be someone you know.

Let us start the conversation with those who matter to us and suggest they use any means possible, whether it be calling 911 to order a pizza or calling the emergency hotline, to ensure their safety.

Debbie Galbraith

editor

East Penn Press

Salisbury Press