Understanding Stalking: Combating a Silent Threat
January marks National Stalking Awareness Month, a critical time to shed light on a pervasive and often misunderstood form of abuse. Stalking is a pattern of repeated, unwanted attention and contact by a person that causes fear or concern for one's safety, and it...
Why Domestic Violence Increases During the Holiday Season
The holiday season is a time designed to bring out the best in people: many of us strive to be more emotionally charitable at family and social gatherings, or financially charitable toward our favorite organizations and causes. Being our best selves can come as a...
Reasons to Give the Gift of Hope to Domestic Abuse Survivors This Holiday Season
Domestic violence is a pervasive issue that affects millions of Americans each year. One in four women experience severe domestic partner violence in their lifetime, and it accounts for 15% of all violent crime in the US. The prevalence of domestic violence is not...
The History of Domestic Violence Awareness Month
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), and it has a rich and interesting history that is at times intertwined with other causes related to supporting vulnerable populations. However, the relative recency of much of the most impactful progress speaks...
3 Things Public Demonstrations Accomplish For Human Rights
In recent years — more than any other era since the civil rights movement — Americans have witnessed the power of human rights protests and of social justice movements in driving social and political conversations. But can human rights activists bring about real and...
Things To Know About the History of the Domestic Violence Movement
The Domestic Violence Movement has a rich history centered on social justice and women's basic human rights, and the events on its timeline speak volumes about the pace and kinds of progress made on this front. Until the 19th century, there were no consistently...
Why Are Marches, Rallies, and Protests Important?
Everyone should know about the power of protest and why successful protests are important. Recent Marches and Protests Here are some examples of recent marches and protests that expressed mass public dissent. Given that there remain so many grave things to protest...
Ways IPV During Pregnancy Harms Mothers and Unborn Babies
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) during pregnancy has significant negative physical and mental health implications for both the mother and the developing child. Understanding these consequences is crucial for raising awareness, providing support, and promoting...
Key Facts To Know About Pregnancy and Intimate Partner Violence
Pregnancy is a transformative and vulnerable time in a person's life. For some individuals, this vulnerability becomes acutely dangerous when it coincides with experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV). Understanding the intersection between pregnancy and IPV is...
Understanding Domestic Violence and Abortion Access
The 1973 landmark Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, which established the constitutional right to abortion, has played a significant role in protecting women’s reproductive autonomy for nearly half a century. Its overturning in 2022 led to the legalization of...
Understanding Reproductive Coercion
What Is Reproductive Coercion? Reproductive coercion is a form of intimate partner violence in which one partner exhibits controlling or manipulative behaviors aimed at influencing the other’s reproductive choices without their consent. It can involve various tactics,...
What Is the Psychological Makeup of an Abuser?
The psychology of domestic abusers, or the reasons someone might decide to harm their partner in a variety of ways, are complex in nature. No one factor causes someone to commit domestic abuse, and the profile of an abuser varies considerably. However, their behavior...
Understanding the Legal Consequences of Domestic Abuse
Domestic abuse is a serious human rights violation that affects millions of people worldwide. It is a pattern of behavior in which one partner seeks to control and intimidate the other partner through physical, emotional, financial, or sexual abuse. This is not only...
Resources for Abused Spouses
If you’re experiencing spouse abuse from your husband or wife, there are a wide variety of ways to get help. A simple hotline call or website can offer assistance with things like: • Understanding the warning signs of abuse • Planning for emergencies • Finding...
What To Do After Leaving an Abusive Relationship
Leaving an abuser is a major step toward re-establishing your well-being, and you’ve already shown a great deal of courage in doing so. You’ll still need to protect yourself and give yourself time to reclaim your life, however. Start by making a plan to help yourself...
Domestic Violence in Pop Culture: Red Flags in Classic Movies
Pop culture has a huge influence on our lives and behavior, from the things we like to the way we talk to our thoughts about the world. Love and relationships are no exception to that—many of our ideas about what intimate relationships and romance should look like are...
Types of Domestic Abuse
When we think of abusive relationships, we're most likely to think about physical violence that one partner commits against the other. While this type of abuse is a very real and serious problem, it's by no means the only type of abuse that can happen between two...
How To Prevent Domestic Violence
Even if you haven't experienced domestic violence yourself, you can still play a role in the prevention of domestic violence and helping survivors of domestic violence. ● If You See Something, Say Something. Often, we underestimate the power that we have as...