Domestic violence is considered to be a social and public health crisis, crossing the lines of class, race, ethnicity and sexuality.

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, one in three women and one in four men have been victims of physical violence by an intimate partner within their lifetime.

The state's Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence is holding a series of events this month to engage more people in conversation.

"Men often aren't engaged in this conversation at the level that women are but they should be," said Kelli Owens, executive director of the Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence. "And it's really important for us to understand how gender-based violence also impacts men and masculinity, and how do we get to that root? Because if we don't have those conversations, we're never going to end gender-based violence."

In collaboration with Syracuse University, OPDV will be holding a panel focusing on the Pledge of Accountability Against Gender-Based Violence. The event will be held at SU on Oct. 24 at 6 p.m.

The state Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence also offers an online toolkit you can use to help start conversations.