Search

The V Word

Advocating to end sexual and domestic violence

Open Search

Ways to Support Stalking Awareness in your community #3 – Tweet about it!

31 Days of Status Updates

Each day in January you can help raise awareness about stalking. Just use one of the suggested messages
for your social networking site status update, your tweet, or your Instant Message (IM) away message. If
you’re tweeting, add #NSAM to the end of the tweet!  Stalking Awareness Month.org has a sheet of suggestions for you.  Just copy and post!

January 1, 2013 – January is National Stalking Awareness Month. Visit stalkingawarenessmonth.org for more info.
January 2, 2013 – Stalking is a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear.
January 3, 2013 – What are you doing to recognize National Stalking Awareness Month? Visit stalkingawarenessmonth.org for more info.
January 4, 2013 – Stalking is a crime that is pervasive, dangerous, and potentially lethal. Visit stalkingawarenessmonth.org for more info.
January 5, 2013 – 6.6 million people are stalked each year in the United States. Visit stalkingawarenessmonth.org for more info.
January 6, 2013 – What would you say to a friend who told you they were being stalked? Visit stalkingawarenessmonth.org for more info.
January 7, 2013 – It’s not a joke. It’s not romantic. It’s not ok. Stop stalking. It’s a crime. Visit stalkingawarenessmonth.org for more info.
January 8, 2013 – Although women are more likely to be stalked than men, anyone can be a victim of stalking. Visit http://bit.ly/srcncvc for more info.
January 9, 2013 – 1 in 4 women and 1 in 13 men will be victims of stalking in their lifetime. Visit http://bit.ly/srcncvc for more info.
January 10, 2013 – Stalking is a crime. Do you know what your state stalking law says? Visit stalkingawarenessmonth.org for more info.

January 11, 2013 – Would you report it if you were being stalked? Most victims don’t. Visit stalkingawarenessmonth.org for more info.
January 12, 2013 – Stalking is often treated as a joke or “not that big of a deal.” Why do you think that is? Visit http://bit.ly/srcncvc for more info.
January 13, 2013 – What services are available for stalking victims in your community? Visit stalkingawarenessmonth.org for more info.
January 14, 2013 – Intimate partner stalking is the most common type of stalking and the most dangerous. Visit stalkingawarenessmonth.org for more info.

January 15, 2013 – Try this: Google “track girlfriend” and see how many sites tell someone how to stalk. Visit stalkingawarenessmonth.org for more info.

January 16, 2013 – Phones, computers, GPS, and cameras are some of  the common forms of technology used by stalkers.

January 17, 2013 – What messages about stalking are in the media? Tweet us what you see. For examples: http://bit.ly/SCLtVn

January 18, 2013 – Rates of stalking among college students are higher than the general public. Visit stalkingawarenessmonth.org for more info.

January 19, 2013 – How young can stalking behavior start? Do you see stalking behaviors among high school students? Middle school students? Younger?

January 20, 2013 – Most stalking victims know their stalker. Visit stalkingawarenessmonth.org for more info.

January 21, 2013 – “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” – Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

January 22, 2013 – Stalkers often reoffend; recidivism rates are as high as 60%. Visit stalkingawarenessmonth.org for more info.                                                                       

January 23, 2013 – Behaviors that may seem benign to you or me may be terrorizing to a stalking victim. Visit stalkingawarenessmonth.org for more info.

January 24, 2013 – Stalking can affect a victim’s emotional, physical, and economic well-being. Visit stalkingawarenessmonth.org for more info.

January 25, 2013 – Most alarmingly, stalking also can be lethal. Visit stalkingawarenessmonth.org for more info.    

January 26, 2013 – Stalkers often access information about victims that is available online. Do you know what information about you is online?                                              

January 27, 2013 – Victims of stalking are encouraged to keep a log of all stalking behaviors including emails, texts & phone messages.                                                         

January 28, 2013 – It is important to consider how to victims may be harmed by stalkers’ use of technology. Visit http://bit.ly/srcncvc for more info.                          

January 29, 2013 – The majority of stalking victims report losing time from work as well as income because of the stalking.                                                                                 

January 30, 2013 – Stalking: Know it. Name it. Stop it. Visit stalkingawarenessmonth.org for more info.                                                                                                                             

January 31, 2013 – How will you continue your efforts to raise awareness about stalking throughout the year? Visit http://bit.ly/srcncvc for more info.

0

Good News: VAWA and the Safer Act passed today.

Finally, all the work and advocacy for the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and the SAFER Act came to fruition as both bills passed the House today.  Both are now heading to the President to be signed into law.  Thanks to the many advocates around the nation who poured in their support through twitter, emails, phone calls, blogging, letters and visits to their representatives to send the message to pass these bills for the increased protection of victims of sexual and domestic violence.  It has been a long road getting VAWA reauthorized and the SAFER ACT passed. 

VAWA will extend protections to victims of violence and add new protections more specifically to LGBTQ victims, tribal victims and undocumented victims.  These provisions, although really a non-political issue and really ought to be nonpartisan, ended up in a partisan split and were hard fought to be passed.  VAWA was introduced by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID).  It passed the Senate earlier this month but struggled with the House Republicans. Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI) was lead sponsor of the House bill. It renews dozens of anti-sexual violence and domestic violence programs, including funding for local services and training for law enforcement.  

The SAFER ACT will set in place provisions to eliminate the backlog of untested DNA evidence from unsolved rape cases and work faster to remove rapists from the community.   The bipartisan SAFER Act was led by Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Reps. Ted Poe (R-TX) and Carolyn Maloney (D-NY). It reallocates existing spending to ensure that more goes directly to testing cases. It also requires that states and cities that receive SAFER funds audit and publicly disclose their backlog for the first time.

This is exciting and a huge victory to not only get VAWA reauthorized but to have the proposed provisions added on for LGBTQ and Tribal victims of violence.  This work has been a uniting goal for the many national and state coalitions public policy staff over the last few years.  Global activisim events like One Billion Rising were also instrumental in raising awareness, educating the public on the issues, and organizing communities to act.  
  

Related articles
0

VAWA is stalling in the House

It is unbelievable that the Violence Against Women Act is still in debate.  If over 20 House Republicans are supporting the bipartisan bill passed by the Senate, how is it that it still won’t go through?  How can Republicans halt this non-partisan issue and historically bipartisan bill and still feel good about representing their constituency?

For those who are focusing on this issue for the first time, the reauthorization of VAWA was allowed to defunct.  The bill this year is asking for it to be reestablished and added provisions that address concerns and gaps still in existence.  These additions are not really new but rather adding a defined focus to groups of women who are even more marginalized and at risk for violence:  undocumented victims of domestic violence, LGBTQ victims of violence, and Native American victims of violence.  What the House Republicans are specifically objecting to are that; the bill increases the number of visas available to undocumented victims of domestic violence, the bill proposes to deny grant money to organizations that discriminate against LGBT victims of domestic violence, and the bill allows Native American tribal courts to prosecute non-tribe members who are accused of abusing their Native American partners.

The Senate did address one item in advance of sending it to the Hill: Senate Democrats removed the section of the draft VAWA that would have granted more visas to undocumented victims of domestic violence who cooperate with police against their abusers.  Republicans are charging that increasing the number of visas available would lead to fraud; although it is clear that law enforcement determines whether an individual has been helpful in an investigation and is therefore eligible for such a visa.  The clarification of what fraud would happen is not clear.  The National Congress of American Indians has stated that these changes (requiring the tribal courts to gain permission of the US attorney general before prosecuting a non-member) make it harder to prosecute non-tribe members and harder to protect victims of violence.  Additionally, the protections that have been in place up to now (courts can issue civil protection orders) will now have additional barriers in place to request and process these protection orders, by requiring a that a criminal threshold be met in order to exercise civil authority.  The National Congress of American Indians opposes this an unnecessary burden placed on tribal courts and an increased barrier to prosecuting perpetrators for victims.

However, this compromise was made and it passed the Senate with 78 votes.  Even with this compromise, House Republicans are still not willing to support reauthorizing protection for victims of domestic violence.  And they still are failing to fully protect under-served survivors who identify as LGBTQ by removing “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” from the list of populations who encounter barriers to services and failing to require grant funded programs to provide their services to every victim of violence, regardless of orientation and/or identity.  To further negatively impact LGBTQ victims of violence and increase their barriers to services, the bill excludes the LGBTQ community from the largest VAW grant program, STOP.  (The Centers for Disease Control has found that same-sex couples experience domestic violence at the same rates as heterosexual couples.)

Help us get VAWA passed to ensure protection for all victims of domestic violence.

0

We still need to get VAWA passed in the United States! Keep the momentum going..

One Billion Rising events are just the beginning.  Keep the momentum going and continue your activism to create the change we want.

VAWA has passed the Senate and now it needs to pass the House.  Help us get is passed, join V-DAY’s plan to get VAWA passed by International Women’s Day on March 8th.  Why is VAWA so important? LEARN more

Want to get started?  It’s simple – click this link (made easy by Feminist Majority), put in your zip code and find out who you need to contact in your area to ask that VAWA be passed.

The National Network to End Domestic Violence updates a list of current supporters in Congress here – Thank them for their support of this important initiative and outreach those who have not yet decided to stand up for survivors and put their vote to VAWA.

V-DAY has some great suggestions to keep the momentum going, see the repost below:

THIS Week:
Organize an event in your communities! Your representatives are currently at home and they need to see the support and feel the pressure of their constituents. You can do this event anywhere and the event can be anything:

  • You’ve already got your dancing shoes on so hold a RISE for VAWA flash mob!
  • Hold a rally in a public space (town square, local mall, town hall etc) and invite local activists to speak about the importance of VAWA and ending violence against women and girls
  • Protest outside of government offices and buildings
  • Hold a concert, open mic night, theatrical production, etc to support VAWA and those working to get it passed

Any of these options and more will help highlight the support for VAWA in your community.

NEXT Week:

Starting on Monday February 25th, your representatives will be back in Washington D.C. We are urging you ALL to flood their telephone lines and email inboxes with messages of support for VAWA. MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!

RISE for VAWA ACTION CENTER:
DOWNLOAD the RISE for VAWA Poster >

Don’t forget to invite the press! The more support our representatives see for VAWA the greater the chance for success!! Check out our One Billion Rising Media Tips >

 

0

To Read: Wartime Sexual Violence: Misconceptions, Implications, and Ways Forward

For those of you interested in sexual violence in conflict and war, here is an excellent report to address misconceptions held by society, implications for our communities’ health and well-being, as well as politics and suggestions for policy-makers to create change for the future.
February 2013 | Special Report of the United States Institute of Peace by Dara Kay Cohen, Amelia Hoover Green, and Elisabeth Jean Wood

This report was launched as a result of the implementation of The Missing Peace Symposium on Sexual Violence in Conflict and Post-Conflict settings.   The following organisations collaborated to address the issues of conflict-related sexual violence with the goal to identify gaps in knowledge, gaps in reporting, and to identify means to increase effectiveness of response:  United States Institute of Peace (USIP); the Human Rights Center at the University of California, Berkeley; the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO); and the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute North America (SIPRI North America).

The authors identify and summarize ten major misconceptions about wartime sexual violence.  They go on to highlight not only gaps in knowledge but advances already being made that can be replicated to reduce sexual violence in conflict and create safer communities. Additionally, for policy-makers, their report outlines the implications of these findings for policy-making as a means to correct institutional and state sanctioned patterns of misconduct.

Some of the more notable facts discovered and salient points made by the authors:

  • Rape as a tactic in wartime rape is not inevitable nor widespread. A reality is that sexual violence varies from country to country, type of conflict, and within armed factions or groups. To be recognized is that some political factions or armed groups can and do prohibit sexual violence. This evidence of variation and presence of positive action from some armed groups leads to the conclusion that policy interventions should also be focused on armed groups, and that commanders in effective control of their troops can be and are, in fact, legally liable for patterns of sexual violence they fail or refuse to prevent.
  • Rape in conflict and wartime rape can happen anywhere.  It is not specific to certain types of conflicts, to geographic regions, or to ethnic or non-ethnic wars.
  • State forces are more likely to be reported as perpetrators of sexual violence than rebels. This may indicate that States may be more susceptible than rebels to naming and shaming campaigns around sexual violence as an impact of institutionalized belief systems perpetuated.
  • Perpetrators and victims are not always who we expect them to be. Perpetrators of sexual violence are often not armed soldiers or rebels but can be civilians. Perpetrators also are not exclusively male, nor are victims exclusively female. Policymakers should not neglect non-stereotypical perpetrators and victims.
  • Rape in wartime rape is often not an intentional strategy of war: it is more frequently tolerated than ordered. Nonetheless, as the authors noted above, commanders in effective control of their troops are legally liable for sexual violence perpetrated by those troops.
  • Within gaps identified, in particular, existing data cannot determine conclusively whether wartime sexual violence on a global level is increasing, decreasing, or holding steady.  To date, much remains unknown about the patterns and causes of wartime sexual violence and further study and action is required.  To that end, policymakers should instead focus on variation at lower levels of aggregation, and especially across armed groups.

The Authors and their connection to Anti-Violence Work

Dara Kay Cohen is an assistant professor of public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, is completing a book project on wartime rape during recent civil conflicts.
Amelia Hoover Green is an assistant professor of political science at Drexel University, is focusing her current book on armed group’s efforts to control repertoires of violence against civilians.
Both Cohen and Hoover Green were USIP Peace Scholars in 2008 and 2009.
Elisabeth Jean Wood is a professor of political science at Yale University and was a USIP Peace Scholar in 1993 and 1994. Her work focuses on political violence, civil war, and social movements. She is completing a book manuscript titled Wartime Sexual Violence.
The report was written by the authors in their personal capacities, and the views are theirs alone.
Related articles

 

0

Sample Proclamation for Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month

Have you outreached your Mayor or Governor to establishe a teen dating violence awareness month proclamation?  See a sample proclamation below:

Whereas, dating violence is a reality for many youth, and an issue that many parents are unaware of; and,

Whereas, 1 in 3 young people are affected by physical, sexual, or verbal dating violence, with 1 in 5 in a serious relationship reporting having been slapped, pushed, hit, threatened or coerced by a partner, and breakups can be a time of even greater risk even when a relationship was never physically abusive; and,

Whereas, Young people can choose better relationships when they understand that healthy relationships are based on respect and learn to identify early warning signs of an abusive relationship; and

Whereas, Elimination of dating violence must be achieved through cooperation of individuals, organizations, and communities; and,

Whereas, Dating Violence Awareness & Prevention Month provides an excellent opportunity for citizens to learn more about preventing dating violence and to show support for the numerous organizations and individuals who provide critical advocacy, services and assistance to victims;

Now therefore be it, Resolved, That I, ________________, do hereby proclaim the month of February, 2010, as Dating Violence Awareness & Prevention Month in ____________.

Please send a copy of your Mayor or Governor’s proclamation to StopDatingViolence.org – The EMILY Fund PO Box 430, Roosevelt, NJ 08555-0430 or send a scan to: info@emilyfund.org or Fax to 1-888-247-1291

Related articles
3

Hackathon Against Domestic Violence – interesting combination…

The World Bank is doing something interesting… they are organizing the first Hackathon Against Domestic Violence.  A hackathon is a collaborative process to come up with technology solutions to address critical issues.  Hackathons are a new interaction to address social problems.  The Hackathon Against Domestic Violence is th efirst such effort in the region.

World Bank Group’s Hackathon Against Domestic Violence takes place on Saturday, January 26 at 10 am in the I Building, room I2-220.

Simultaneous events will be taking place in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.

They have brought together a large number of stakeholders interested in the issue. An important part of the process has been to identify “problem definitions” to be worked on at the actual hackathon on January 26-27 (see here for more details). Problem identification workshops were held in all six Central American countries.

There are a number of institutions (Telefonica, Banco de Costa Rica, Microsoft, Wal-Mart, etc.) that are contributing logistically to the events in Central America and have also expressed interest in supporting financially the development phase of possible applications that may come up as a result of the hackathon.

Some examples on how technology could help solve Domestic Violence problems include:

* A web and mobile application for domestic violence shelters to help coordinate the availability of space and beds for victims. http://sheltr.org/
* An application or website to help healthcare workers identify signs of domestic violence and refer victims appropriately. http://www.harborhousefl.com/2012/01/r3-app-2
* A SMS application allowing police and service providers to map reports of domestic violence submitted by text message, and thereby identify areas of high need for services and support. http://harassmap.org/, http://survivorsconnect.org/haitismshelpline/
* An application that allows victims to send a silent text message to a predetermined contact, letting someone know that they are in danger.

Anyone can register and attend for a few hours or both days.

Join CAEPV in saying NO MORE. Visit http://www.nomore.org http://www.nomore.org/> and learn more.

Questions?  Contact

Elizabeth E. Legrain
Domestic Abuse Prevention Coordinator
HRS Corporate Operations
The World Bank Group
202.473.2931
http://www.worldbank.org/hr/domesticabuse

(See attached file: DV Hackathon Intro PPT.pdf)(See attached file: DV Hackathon Brochure English.docx)

https://www.facebook.com/WashingtonDcHackathonAgainstDomesticViolence>
https://www.facebook.com/WashingtonDcHackathonAgainstDomesticViolence

Nicaragua

https://www.facebook.com/HackatonContraLaViolenciaDomesticaEnNicaragua>
https://www.facebook.com/HackatonContraLaViolenciaDomesticaEnNicaragua

https://www.facebook.com/events/119058408264215/?ref=notif&notif_t=plan_edited&_req=r

https://www.facebook.com/events/119058408264215/?ref=notif&notif_t=plan_edited&_req=r

Guatemala

https://www.facebook.com/DomesticViolenceHackathonGuatemala?fref=ts>
https://www.facebook.com/DomesticViolenceHackathonGuatemala?fref=ts

Honduras

https://www.facebook.com/HackathonContraLaViolenciaDomesticaEnHonduras>
https://www.facebook.com/HackathonContraLaViolenciaDomesticaEnHonduras

Panamá

https://www.facebook.com/vdhackPA?not

 

1

Domestic Violence and Guns: A Lethal Combination

reposted from the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance 

According to the Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, intimate partner homicide increased by 21% in 2010 and 60.5% of IPV victims were killed with a firearm.  Between 2006 and 2010 intimate partner homicides in the Commonwealth increased by 64% while the overall homicide rate was going down. (1)

Recognizing  the significant risk that exists when a perpetrator of domestic violence has access to firearms, the Action Alliance suports laws that prohibit the purchase, transport and possession of firearms for persons subject to protective orders and/or who have been convicted of assault and battery of a family or household member.  Additionally, we support attempt to give law enforcement officers and prosecutors additional tools to remove or force the surrender of firearms when these conditions are present.

The Virginia General Assembly has recognized that firearms pose a significant risk to victims of domestic violence and stalking by enacting laws that prohibit the purchase or transport of firearms when a person is subject to a protective order.  The Action Alliance urges Members of the General Assembly to support legislation that prohibits the purchase, transport, and possession of firearms for persons who have been convicted of assault and battery of a family or household member and persons subject to protective orders and to oppose any efforts to weaken these protections.

Support HB 1410 (Del. J. Scott)  This bill prohibits any person who is convicted of stalking, sexual battery, or assault and battery of a family member that results in seriou bodily injury from possessing, transporting, or carrying a firearm or any other weapon for a period of five years following his conviction.  A violation would constitute a Class 6 felony.  the bill also provides for the forfeiture of any weapon possessed, transported, or carried in violation of the prohibition.  Finally, the bill provides for a process by which a violator may petition the circuit court for a reinstatement of his/her rights to possess, transport, or carry a weapon.

Support SB 864 (Sen. Favola)  This bill prohibits any person subject to an emergency protective order pursuant to subsection C of 18.2-57.2 to physically possess a firearm while in the residence of the alleged victim or transport a firearm  while such an order is in effect.

 

(1) 2010 Family and Intimate Partner Homicide Report.  Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Virginia Department of Health. October 2012.  

for more information, contact Kristine Hall at khall@vsdvalliance.org or 804-377-0335 (January 2013)

 

0

Check out the National Sexual Violence Resource Center – National Strengths and Needs Assessment

The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) has been working on a National Strengths and Needs Assessment over the last three years.  They have released the final report: Year 3 Report and Synthesis: National Strengths and Needs Assessment.

This is the final report from the NSVRC’s three year National Prevention Strengths and Needs Assessment Project, and provides a summary of the work completed during the third year of the assessment as well as a synthesis of major themes across the three year project.  The major activities of the Year 3 assessment were the completion of a national survey comparison of findings to the Year 1 survey.  http://www.nsvrc.org/publications/nsvrc-publications-assessments-reports/nsvrc-prevention-assessment-year-3-report-and

Their Summary states:

The majority of respondents defined prevention in ways that are consistent with the models that have been promoted in the field over recent years. However, consistency was much stronger among coalition staff and RPE coordinators than among staff from local programs.

Coalition staff and RPE coordinators emphasized:
 Prevention of perpetration on
 Social change and/or norms change
 Skill building for healthy sexuality
These same themes also showed up among the staff of local programs who explained prevention in ways that were consistent with the public health model.
However, a considerable proportion of staff from rape crisis programs continued to reflect an emphasis on awareness and/or risk reduction.  For some programs, awareness was mixed with at least some element of primary prevention. This may indicate challenges with translating the definitions of primary, secondary and tertiary prevention into practical strategies. The continual pull back to awareness programs is understandable in light of the:  Long history of awareness education, continued pressure from some funders to reach large audiences, and smaller time commitment required from community partners

 

0

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑