VAWnet News Blog

The article reports, “In America, an alarming number of young people experience physical, sexual, or emotional abuse as part of a controlling or violent dating relationship. The consequences of dating violence — spanning impaired development to physical harm — pose a threat to the health and well-being of teens across our Nation, and it is essential we come together to break the cycle of violence that burdens too many of our sons and daughters. This month, we recommit to providing critical support and services for victims of dating violence and empowering teens with the tools to cultivate healthy, respectful relationships.”

Read the full article at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/01/31/presidential-proclamation-national-teen-dating-violence-awareness-and-pr

When news stories on the allegations of former Penn State University Assistant Football Coach Jerry Sandusky sexually abusing children broke, many local rape crisis centers in Pennsylvania and across the country faced an increase in calls for services. Stories like this often attract media attention and responding can be overwhelming. In highly public cases of sexual violence, respect and care for the victims should be the primary concern for advocates in the affected community. These cases can be challenging and tiring for all rape crisis centers, but there are several points that can be useful in the future. Partners from the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR) shared some ideas about their response to Penn State and lessons learned for the future.

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The article reports, “Sportscaster James Brown, the host of CBS Network’s ‘The NFL Today’ and Showtime’s ‘Inside the NFL,’ has teamed with Verizon to launch a national campaign to end domestic violence against women and men. Brown appeared on several broadcast media outlets on Monday (Jan. 30) to enlist the support of sports fans to promote equality and respect, and to speak out against domestic violence.”

Read the full article at: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/sportscaster-james-brown-teams-with-verizon-foundation-launches-campaign-to-end-domestic-violence-2012-01-30

The article reports, “The art is beautiful, but it’s not the point. The paintings, sculptures and collages that line the walls of this Venice walk-up are the creations of women and children who were wounded by domestic violence, and turned to art for strength and solace.”

Read the full article at: http://www.latimes.com/health/la-me-banks-20120131,0,5853051.column

The article reports, “As more teenagers turn to the internet to seek answers for their many areas of concern, the Family Life Education Center (FLEC) at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center (NBIMC) has created an innovative and interactive, bilingual online teen education center about the dangers of interpersonal or partner (or dating) violence, and offers an accompanying support group for teen girls. The combination of services, including an additional link on the website that offers an opportunity for girls to talk to an expert 24 hours a day, seven days a week, is a groundbreaking effort, the first in New Jersey, to reach teens where they are most likely to search for information.”

Read the full article at: http://njtoday.net/2012/01/30/new-website-educates-teen-girls-about-domestic-violence-and-abuse/

The article reports, “New rule for 2012: No more ad campaigns and public service announcements targeted at women to teach them how to avoid rape. It’s not effective, it’s offensive, and it’s also a lie. Telling women that they can behave in a certain way to avoid rape creates a false sense of security and it isn’t the most effective way to lower the horrible statistics which show that 1 in 5 women will become victims of a completed or attempted rape in their lifetime. The numbers for African American women are even higher at nearly 1 in 4. We need anti-rape campaigns that target young men and boys. Campaigns that teach them from a young age how to respect women, and ultimately themselves, and to never ever be rapists.”

Read the full article at: http://www.ebony.com/news-views/stop-telling-women-how-to-not-get-raped