SAFETY ALERT: If you are in danger call 911. Or reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or TIY 1-800-787-3224. Please review these safety tips.
Does it seem that fear and domestic violence coexist? They do. One of the most powerful weapons of abuse is fear. It always starts with words—always. Maybe innocuous at first, you might be told you had a dumb idea, or how ugly and undesirable you are, followed by the comment “Nobody else is ever going30
One of my most common discussions with others is why I am a domestic violence speaker. After many years of digging, growing, progressing and learning, life would make no sense being anything but a domestic violence speaker, advocate and trainer. It hasn’t been easy, and it didn’t come overnight. There has to be time for30
Are you BeLIEVing, or will you BeLEAVEing? Have you ever wished you had a small guidebook that would give you the information to recognize potential danger, safely plan an escape or know how to reach out to a friend or loved one who is a victim of domestic violence? It’s on its way. BeLEAVEing is30
Domestic violence and emotional abuse—emotional abuse and domestic violence: You can’t have one without the other. It is a well-tested statistic that tells us all domestic violence begins with emotional and/or verbal abuse. No exceptions. There are far too many who question if they are actually a victim of domestic violence. Their reasoning is they30
Janay Rice, wife of Ray Rice, posted on her social network, asking for privacy as they deal with the domestic violence that took place in an elevator months ago. While I fully understand that they do need a modicum of personal privacy during this time, a measure of reality came to me. Recently, I personally30
The entire nation is abuzz with the news reports regarding Ray Rice and domestic violence. Only days after Ray Rice was called on the carpet for punching out his fiancée, Janay Palmer (now Rice), another NFL player, Ray McDonald, was arrested for domestic violence. The Ray Rice and domestic violence incident had occurred months prior,30
Sometimes both those who are knowledgeable of domestic violence and those who still have a lot to learn about the subject contemplate if there are various levels of domestic violence. For a long time I actually vacillated between confusion and guilt. I was verbally abused. I was emotionally abused. Later, I was grabbed by my30
What a cleansing to finally reach the point in your life that you find true and complete healing as a victim of child sexual abuse. It is not common for me to share this part of my story, but given things that I have heard and seen recently, I feel it is a necessary step30
Sometimes I feel we have belabored the question, “Why doesn’t she leave?” But, it just seems this question will never go away. Quite personally, I find myself being annoyed and put off by the fact it is still asked so frequently, especially by those who have very little if any understanding of domestic violence. Victims30
Given enough time, a victim of domestic violence is almost certain to hear, “It was an accident.” That could easily be part of the honeymoon phase that occurs in abusive relationships and domestic violence. Most of us know by now that domestic violence is truly a matter of power and control, rather than anger management.30