This curriculum focuses on the crucial role of the health care provider in identifying and addressing IPV, reproductive coercion (RC), and sexual coercion (SC). The curriculum provides training, tools, and resources to help health care providers address these complex and sometimes uncomfortable issues. It highlights research that demonstrates how a brief intervention using a safety card to educate female patients about RC and SC during primary care and reproductive health visits can improve reproductive health outcomes and promote safe and health relationships. Safety cards and other resources for integrating and sustaining a trauma-informed coordinated response to IPV, RC, and SC are included in this curriculum.
Description: October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM)! This webinar is for folks who are interested in celebrating Health Cares About Domestic Violence Day which occurs the second Wednesday of every DVAM. This year, it’s Wednesday, October 14th. How can you as a health care provider or advocate use this day to highlight the impact of domestic and sexual violence on health as well as effective health care responses to violence? This webinar will detail organizing strategies and tools for folks who are interested in participating in Health Cares About Domestic Violence Day – and improving the health care response to domestic and sexual violence year round!
One out of every three women globally will be beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime.
In some countries, the statistics are even bleaker. In many countries, sexual violence against women and girls is often used as a form of control and coercion. While rape as a form of punishment may not be condoned by governments, small ‘courts’—often composed of un-elected men governing over the lives of citizens in small villages—can dole out verdicts and punishments with little oversight. There is little recourse from law enforcement as well, who have been known to turn a blind eye to these human rights violations and injustices.
So, what’s the solution?
We wholeheartedly believe that the International Violence Against Women Act (IVAWA) would help combat these type of atrocities across the globe by working from the top-down to change the law of the land, and the bottom-up to change social norms that perpetuate gender-based violence.
In addition to creating and enforcing laws at a high level, IVAWA also calls for cooperation, coordination, and collaboration with a wide variety of non-governmental partners to aid in the prevention of violence against women and children.
The bill recognizes the important role that community leaders, faith-based organizations, and village elders play in the prevention of violence at a grassroots level. These are the individuals the community turns to for guidance and advice, and they can be a significant catalyst for change. In countries that lack effective legal frameworks to address gender-based violence, it is these elders and community leaders whom have the standing and authority to address and reverse these harmful practices.
IVAWA was re-introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives (House) and the U.S. Senate (Senate) in March of 2015. To date, the bill has 37 bi-partisan co-sponsors in the House and 23 bi-partisan co-sponsors in the Senate.
But these numbers are far below the count we need to pass this life-saving bill.
If we are dismayed, alarmed, and shocked at stories of violence perpetrated against women and girls around the world, then we must pass the type of legislation that will create long-term, sustainable change.
Now’s the time to ask your members of Congress to support and pass IVAWA, and invest in solutions that will prevent these senseless atrocities against women and girls.
Alex suggests that he would feel more comfortable in his and Shelby’s relationship if he had the password to her Facebook. He wants to make sure none of the guys posting on Shelby’s wall are flirting with her. Is this cool or not cool?
If you answered ‘not cool’ you’re in good company. 81 percent of users on our new ‘Cool Not Cool’ mobile quiz agree!
‘Cool Not Cool’ is the newest addition to our arsenal of tools to prevent teen dating abuse and promote healthy digital boundaries. Part of our larger That’s Not Cool program, the interactive mobile quiz engages teens in a dialogue about teen dating abuse by putting the power in their hands. After reviewing fictional dating scenarios, teens decide for themselves whether those interactions are ‘cool’ or ‘not cool.’ They’re also invited to submit scenarios of their own.
We’re happy to report that since launch of the quiz, we’ve generated over 5,700 user-generated scenarios! Additionally, we’ve seen an increase in sign-ups for our That’s Not Cool Ambassador Program which empowers teens to take a leadership role in the prevention of digital abuse in their schools and communities.
“I’ve always seen YouTube as a platform to voice issues that are personal to me, and I’m really glad to be able to share these great tools with my viewers,” said Rienks.
One of our favorite mantras at FUTURES is: meet young people where they’re at. With the ‘Cool Not Cool’ quiz, we did just that. In addition to accessing the quiz at www.coolnotcoolquiz.org, they can also interact with the quiz on Kik—one of the most popular chat network apps among teens. ‘Cool Not Cool’ is featured on Kik as a promoted chat, and teens can ask questions or send keywords to Cool Not Cool to receive specialized responses.
The launch of ‘Cool Not Cool’ has generated so much interest and participation from young people across the country! And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Keep an eye out for new exciting tools and resources from That’s Not Cool in the coming months. We’ll be launching a brand new, completely revamped That’s Not Cool website that will include interactive features and digital resources geared toward teens and the advocates that work with them.
You’re also the first to know that we’ll also be releasing a new native app that will give teens daily challenges and help them develop self-care and healthy relationships. Stay tuned to get the most up-to-date information from That’s Not Cool!
“Baylor to Investigate Case’s Handling After Sam Ukwuachu Sentenced”
Last week, Baylor University defensive end Sam Ukwuachu was convicted of raping a female student, and received a sentence that includes 180 days in a Waco, Texas county jail, 400 hours of community service, and ten years probation.
In this case, a courageous victim did everything she could. She reported the assault to the police, requested a rape kit, and officially filed a complaint with the university. But it took the court’s conviction last week to motivate Baylor President Ken Starr’s call for a, “comprehensive internal inquiry.” Clearly, that request is too little and too late.
You may be wondering what Baylor’s own investigation had discovered. According to detailed reporting in the current Texas Monthly, their limited internal inquiry involved interviews with Ukwuachu, his accuser, and one friend of each. It resulted in no action to discipline (or remove) Ukuachu.
No one at Baylor requested the victim’s rape kit. And no one requested records or information from Boise State, where there was clear evidence of violence against a former girlfriend. After the assault, the victim was diagnosed by a school psychologist with PTSD, and she tried to avoid the athlete on campus, but the school didn’t move him out of classes the two shared. Instead, she had to adjust her schedule.
Although Ukwuachu is hardly the first college athlete in America to be charged with rape or sexual assault, there are relatively few cases that have gone to court in the past few years, despite the growing number of sexual assaults on campuses all over the country.
Why?
Because athletic departments often use their considerable financial and social influence to derail legal actions outside the university?
Perhaps.
But it’s even more likely to be that the victim chooses to avoid a public trial that often results in a kind of “second rape”—a process that is punishing and personally invasive.
Today, the press has put their focus on the head football coaches at Baylor and Boise State, who are contradicting each other about who knew what about Ukwuachu’s history of violence.
But let’s consider the notion that nothing will change in college and professional athletics until players are evaluated as much for their character as their capacity to pass and block. And in the meantime, our heartfelt good wishes to the brave young woman who persevered.
Description: How can violence prevention become more equity focused? What does it look like to acknowledge the impact of race, class, sexual orientation and ability in the development, implementation and evaluation of prevention efforts? This web conference will provide a space for a closer look at enhancing violence prevention work to promote health equity. Based on the framework presented in CDC’s recent publication A Practitioner’s Guide for Advancing Health Equity: Community Strategies for Preventing Chronic Disease, this web conference will delve into disproportionate outcomes based on race, class, sexual orientation, and ability within the context of violence prevention. Guests will explore opportunities to better address equity issues and support health equity as a part of prevention initiatives.
Learning Objectives:
Describe a health equity approach and identify at least one health equity issue relevant to their existing efforts
Discuss barriers to equity within their work
Identify prevention strategies that work to prevent violence and promotes health equity
Presenters:
Kenly Brown – Prevention Institute
Dalila Butler – PolicyLink, Center for Health Equity and Place
Dawn R. Stover – Native Alliance Against Violence; Oklahoma Tribal Domestic Violence; Sexual Assault Coalition
As activists, we put a lot of effort into shifting the social values that have led to a lack of respect for women and girls—beginning as early as junior high.
One of our current public action campaigns, Teach Early, provides a powerful video, as well as conversation starters and tips for talking to boys about healthy relationships and respect for women.
But nothing makes us happier than discovering strong role models in the sports world who have taken a stand. As many young men discover, an athletic coach can have a profound effect on their values, decisions and relationships for years to come.
Last week, we’re particularly impressed with two college football coaches: Steve Spurrier, head football coach for the University of South Carolina, has been outspoken on this issue for years.
He recently told the media:
I’ve always had a rule that if you ever hit a girl, you’re finished. Our players know if they ever hit a girl, they’re not going to play at South Carolina. And we enforce that rule.
A tip of the hat also to the new head football coach at the University of Texas, Charlie Strong.
There is no way a guy should hit a woman. There is no reason for it. If it happens, you need to find somewhere else to play. It isn’t hard. Sometimes people think it’s hard. You have values. Treat women with respect. No drugs. No weapons. How hard is that? I don’t get it.
Too often, we see coaches put winning games above everything else. But when high-profile coaches serve as strong role models, it can make a big difference. Boys and young men watch their heroes for behavioral cues. So, coaches and athletes can serve a powerful role in ending violence.
FUTURES worked in partnership with Olga Trujillo, JD and the National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma & Mental Health to develop a health brochure for those who have survived childhood or adult violence/abuse. The physical and emotional harm that comes from being abused by a loved one can affect survivors even after the violence has stopped. The brochure offers trauma-informed recommendations for survivors about how to become proactive in their healthcare and how to best advocate for their needs with health care providers.
The 6-panel (8.5” x 11” tri-fold) brochure also explores the health impact of abuse and discusses the impact that psychological trauma can have on a survivor’s ability to actively care for their health and wellness. The brochure features resources available to domestic and sexual violence survivors including the National Hotline on Domestic Violence and RAINN.
Survivors of domestic violence (DV) can now apply for and enroll in health insurance coverage through the federal Marketplace (healthcare.gov) at any time during the year. They do not need to wait for Open Enrollment to begin. This Special Enrollment Period (SEP) is available to anyone who has experienced DV.
There are many health insurance options available—and significant financial help is available?
Screening and counseling for domestic violence are now covered benefits as a result of the Affordable care Act?
There are regulations that clarify how married victims of domestic violence and their dependents can qualify for financial help when they apply for health insurance or apply for a hardship exemption if needed?
There are coverage options available to people even after Open Enrollment ends?
Join this webinar to hear key steps and strategies for how to help clients enroll in healthcare and understand the domestic violence provisions in the Affordable care act.
This webinar will provide a basic overview of the coverage requirements in the Affordable Care Act and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s “B” recommendation for screening and intervention for domestic violence (DV). Speakers will discuss who will be able to access these services, what is required in terms of screening and brief counseling, and refer to tools on addressing domestic violence safely and effectively as well as billing for these services. They will also discuss the IRS regulations on financial aid for domestic violence as well as information about how survivors can access a “hardship” exemption to avoid paying penalties if they are not able to enroll this year.
Description: This webinar will engage participants in a discussion on issues of equity and inclusion across multiple child serving sectors. With an analysis of health, mental health, schools and justice, the webinar will discuss the key points that must be addressed in order to reduce violence in our communities.
Learning Objectives:
Identify data disaggregated by race and ethnicity
Identify levels at which equity can be reached
Set indicators for improvement
Presenter:
James Bell –Founder and Executive Director, W. Haywood Burns Institute
The first 15 weeks for school is an exciting time for incoming college freshmen. However, the exposure to so many new experiences can also make it a very vulnerable time—setting the stage for an increase in sexual assault and stalking on campus.
Parents, caregivers, and mentors play a critical role in preparing their sons or daughters for the experience of going to college. In an effort to facilitate an open dialogue between graduating high school students and their parents about sexual assault, FUTURES created a video that features the voices of young people.
The video highlights FUTURES’ “Who’s Got Your Back” safety card—a pocket-sized resource designed for college-aged men and women. The safety card explores ways to be an advocate on campus, defines consent, and offers strategies for increasing personal safety on campus.
Description: Training and curricula development can be one of the most important ways in which we can educate, inform and promote change in our communities. This webinar will introduce participants to a process for building an equitable and trauma informed training institute. Presenters will outline critical steps of the design process by highlighting the Boston Defending Childhood Initiative’s Trauma Awareness & Resilience Training Institute for Youth Workers. The webinar will review the content of the training institute and provide an opportunity for participants to practice some of the activities. The webinar will discuss how to design/structure training using trauma informed approaches, principles and strategies as well as introduce participants to an trauma informed assessment tool. Last we will share lessons learned specific to cultural humility and using a racial justice lens through out the design and implementation process of training development.
Learning Objectives:
Identify strategies for building movement, recruitment and replicating training in communities
Increase participants knowledge of the process and development of the Boston DCI Trauma Awareness & Resilience Training Institute for Youth Workers
Increase knowledge of how to integrate trauma informed approaches to content development and structure of training
Increase understanding of how to incorporate a racial justice lens in the development and implementation of a trauma awareness and resilience training institute
Presenters:
Victor Jose Santana, MA – Defending Childhood Initiative Senior Training Manager, Boston Public Health Commission
Bronwen Withorn White, MPH – Family Justice Center Training Coordinator, Boston Public Health Commission
Resources:
** Please be aware that the tools and handouts provided in the workbook of this curriculum are used after 16 hours of foundational training. If you would like to learn more about how to use these tools, please contact vjsantana@bphc.org .
Studies suggest that by age 17, over one-third of children in the United States will have been exposed to domestic violence (Finkelhor et al., 2009). With growing evidence indicating that exposure to violence and other forms of trauma can have negative impacts on children and youth, it is crucial that we mitigate these harmful effects in every way possible.
This policy paper offers sixteen ways that adults can support children exposed to violence and trauma to heal and grow. These recommendations are for advocates, educators, and health care providers to help improve their response to children who have experienced violence or trauma.
Description: Working with those who have been exposed to violence and trauma can impact the way we think, feel and (re)act, yet there is little information about how to mitigate the effects of this impact. This webinar will introduce participants to the similarities and differences between burnout, compassion fatigue, secondary and vicarious trauma and will offer information about how to identify these in themselves and others. Participants will learn about successful self-care strategies, for the work and home environment, as well as ideas for how to combat the “self-care pitfalls” we all tend to fall into. Finally, this workshop will discuss resiliency and will offer participants suggestions and tools for increasing resiliency within themselves.
Learning Objectives:
Participants will be able to describe the distinctions between compassion satisfaction, burnout, compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma, and secondary traumatic stress.
Participants will be able to identify secondary traumatic stress reactions in themselves and others.
Participants will be able to describe the importance of self-care.
Participants will acquire strategies to help manage secondary traumatic stress and increase personal resiliency.
Speakers:
Rebecca Brown, LCSW, Clinical/Implementation Coordinator, The Maine Children’s Initiative/Portland Defending Childhood Maine Behavioral Healthcare
Allegra Hirsh-Wright, LCSW, RYT, Clinical Implementation Coordinator, Maine Children’s Trauma Response Initiative Maine Behavioral Healthcare (formerly Community Counseling Center)
Today’s guest blogger is Lena O’Rourke, Founder and Principal of O’Rourke Health Policy Strategies,which is committed to developing and implementing good public policy on health care issues, with an eye toward making our nation’s health care system work.
UPDATE: On July 27, 2015, CMS released additional formal guidance about the Special Enrollment Period (SEP) for survivors of domestic violence and spousal abandonment. The full guidance can be found here:
Of note, they expand the definition of who is eligible to receive the SEP to “any member of the household who is a victim of domestic abuse, including unmarried and dependent victims within the household, and including spousal abandonment and their dependents.
This ensures that unmarried partners, as well as dependent children or adults, are able to access this SEP if they are victims of abuse.
As of April 29, 2015, survivors of domestic violence may apply for health insurance through healthcare.gov at ANY TIME. They do not need to wait for Open Enrollment. This new policy, which is strongly endorsed by FUTURES, allows survivors of domestic violence to qualify for a Special Enrollment Period—instead of the short window of time during Open Enrollment.
Access to high-quality, affordable health coverage can make a significant difference in the lives of survivors.
If at any point during the year, a survivor needs to purchase their health insurance, she should do the following:
Call the healthcare.gov Call Center at 1-800-318-2596. (It’s important that the applicant call rather than apply online, because this is the only way to qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.
When speaking with the Call Center, be sure to use the phrase “survivor of domestic violence.” This will help them initiate the appropriate process.
The Call Center will grant a Special Enrollment Period and the survivor will have 60 days to pick and enroll in a plan.
Some survivors will be eligible for financial assistance that will make health insurance much more affordable. There are specific rules for survivors who are still married but no longer living with their abuser. When applying, these survivors should mark “unmarried” on their application so that their eligibility determination will be based on their income (and not their spouses). No documentation is needed to prove domestic violence for the Special Enrollment Period or to receive the financial help. But self-attestation is required on tax forms the following year. These policies are for all survivors of domestic violence—both women and men.
This policy change is an important victory for survivors of domestic violence, and the community of advocates, health care professionals, and service providers pushed for these changes. Access to high-quality, affordable health coverage can make a significant difference in the lives of survivors. No longer will survivors have to face going without health insurance until Open Enrollment. No longer will they have to choose to stay in an abusive relationship to be covered. This policy ensures that they are able to access coverage at any point during the year they need it, and that coverage is affordable.
Description: Futures Without Violence and the Department of Justice have partnered in the creation of a new Defending Childhood Website. The purpose of the website is to create a platform for sharing and highlighting new resources and tools, as well as access to information about the most current and transformative innovations in addressing children’s exposure to violence. This webinar will walk participants through the key features of the website and highlight innovators from the health and public health fields who are changing the lives of children exposed to violence.
Learning Objectives:
To increase knowledge about Defending Childhood Initiative Resources on the recently launched website.
To highlight current innovations and practices for addressing and children’s exposure to violence.
Speakers:
Renée Boynton-Jarrett, MD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Boston University School of Medicine.
Nicole Daley, Director Start Strong Initiative, Division of Violence Prevention, Boston Public Health Commission
Mynaja Ferguson, Start Strong Peer Leaders
Yesenia Gorbea, Public Education Campaigns & Programs, Futures Without Violence
In our efforts to meet the ongoing needs of home visitors and state agencies that oversee these programs, FUTURES is excited to announce the 2nd edition of our Healthy Moms, Happy Babies Train the Trainer curriculum.In the last three years many states have struggled with meeting the federal domestic violence benchmark and sought help from FUTURES to support them with technical assistance.
This edition was created to better support programs in developing a core competency strategy and to ensure that all home visitors have adequate training on how to have conversations about healthy relationships and not see domestic violence screening as simply a checklist. We learned a great deal about mother’s fears about child welfare involvement as a barrier to disclosure to domestic violence–to that end we have focused very specifically on a universal education approach that is wedded to general screening tools. What’s nice about this approach is that it works for all home visitation programs regardless of the their screening tools.
In addition, we learned that home visitation professionals need trauma informed supportive education about the impact of personal and vicarious trauma for themselves in order to do the best work with families and reduce the amount of staff burnout and turnover that some program struggle with.
We also learned that practice matters when it comes to implementing simple and effective tools to support better screening though conversations about healthy relationships and domestic violence. This curriculum provides tools to support assessment and education through the use of scripts and safety cards. These tools have been designed to facilitate partnerships with advocacy agencies that promote safety planning and supported referrals to domestic violence programs.
FUTURES, in partnership with Inspire Action for Social Change, developed a framework designed to help supervised visitation providers and their community partners create a more institutionalized and seamless approach to engaging with men who use violence. Additionally, this framework aims to shift policy and practice across sectors working to end violence against women and children.
This policy paper builds on the work of Fathering After Violence, a national initiative that aims to help end violence against women by motivating men to renounce their abuse and become better parents. Based on initial findings, this document aims to deepen our practice, intention, and ability to hold men who use violence accountable while providing meaningful and thoughtful opportunities for change and healing.
The Hunting Ground is a documentary that explores the rampant issue of sexual assault on college campuses across the country. After watching the film, you may feel enraged, frustrated, disheartened, or stunned by the widespread inaction to address sexual violence on U.S. college campuses. Or perhaps you’re feeling inspired by the courage of survivors and activists featured in the film.
Now is the time to channel all those feelings into action. This toolkit empowers key audiences—students, parents, alumni, faculty, advisors and administrators—with ways to participate.
On May 19, Futures Without Violence, in partnership with more than a dozen leading education, health, and justice organizations, will release its consensus report on children exposed to violence and trauma and policy solutions that prevent violence and trauma and help children, families and communities heal and thrive.
Joining FUTURES Founder and President Esta Soler at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. will be National Education Association President Lily Eskelsen García, Nathan R. Monell, Executive Director, National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) as well as leaders from Fight Crime Invest in Kids, the American Psychological Association and a dynamic local vice principal.
The policy recommendations to be released are the culmination of a year-long process of gathering information and developing a shared vision of how multiple systems that serve children and families could work together to raise awareness about the impact of trauma on children’s health, development and education success.
This event will take place from 2:00 to 3:00 pm EDT on Tuesday, May 19 at The Brookings Institute in Washington, D.C.
This report summarizes a review of research and evaluation studies, as well as promising and proven interventions, to identify programs, policies, and practices that can contribute to reducing high levels of violence in the United States. Reducing violence is not a topic of controversy—virtually everyone would like to see reductions in injury, harm, and mortality due to violence. The question is how violence can be reduced.
This toolkit is designed to assist domestic violence advocates in integrating onsite health assessment and primary health services into domestic violence programs. The toolkit provides an opportunity for domestic violence programs to create a culture of wellness and develop a more comprehensive array of services for their clients and staff. Included in the appendices are sample forms and protocols that have been adapted from the work done in a wide range of domestic violence programs from around the country exemplifying service delivery models, as well as resources FUTURES has developed as part of ongoing work with other states building domestic violence advocacy-based health programs. Links to other resources are also included in this toolkit.
This curriculum is available as a PDF and in hard copy.
Mother’s Day is right around the corner on May 10th! Traditional flowers and chocolates always make great gifts, but what about honoring the moms in your life with the help of Instagram, Twitter, and Tumblr?
Try something a little different this year! Share a throwback pic or favorite memory of mom on any of these social media platforms and tag it #MacysLovesMoms. For each post, our friends at Macy’s will donate $3 to mom-approved charities, like FUTURES.
Show mom some love, while helping to support our work to promote healthy relationships and respect. But don’t wait! #MacysLovesMoms starts today and only runs until Mother’s Day. Share your pics and memories on social media now!
Research-Evaluations-Analysis-Data (READ) for the 2015 Open Square Summit, which took place on April 28, 2015 at the Carnegie Library in Washington, D.C.
This document includes articles from participating organizations and individuals about the importance of education in the prevention of global gender-based violence.
In this report, you’ll find the following publications and much more:
School-Based Interventions to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls The Global Women’s Institute of The George Washington University
Education for Violence Prevention: Progress and Challenges in the Americas Inter-American Commission of Women, Organization of American States
Overcoming School-Related Gender-Based Violence: Creating an Evidence Base to Influence Policy and Programming USAID
Learning for All Requires Safety and Wellbeing for All The World Bank
Combating Gender-Based Violence: What We Know, What More We Must Do World Learning
Thank you to everyone who attended the 2015 National Conference on Health and Domestic Violence! For those of you who were not able to attend, we have put together a list of the top ten highlights. Hope to see you in 2017!
10. The NCDHV Exhibit Hall
At this year’s Conference we had record numbers not only of attendees, but also organizations who joined us in the Exhibit Hall, making it one of the best we have had yet! We were so excited to have groups like Full Frame Initiative, Kaiser Permanente, and No More, as well as local DC organizations like DC SAFE! We had an equally outstanding turnout of interesting and quality poster presenters presenting on a range of topics, from health provider education programs to the intersection of HIV, IPV, and injection drug use.
9. New networking opportunities for career development
The 2015 NCHDV was the first FUTURES Conference to incorporate two excellent networking events for participants. Students, faculty, and activists gathered after the pre-conference institutes to network around work being done to end Campus Sexual Assault before heading to a screening of The Hunting Ground. This excellent event offered participants to connect and share their experiences organizing on campuses and featured a memorable Q+A session after the film screening with student survivors.
8. Health care providers learned about ways to better support LGBTQ survivors
In an in-depth pre-conference institute, providers and advocates heard from Kristin Tucker from The Northwest Network on ways to better support LGBTQ survivors. From this Institute, participants left understanding that “‘Safety’ is not the anti-dote to battering. Self-determination is,” and that “’surviving’ is all the ways that people resist objectification.” This frame-shifting approach to supporting survivors is a key innovation in movement that we are glad was represented.
7. Healing from trauma through mindfulness
Another exciting, new event that took place at the Conference for the first time this year was an
interactive workshop on the use of mindfulness as a way to address trauma. The lucky participants who attended this session walked away with actionable methods and tools to incorporate mindfulness into their everyday lives (and jam packed events like NCDHV!). View the slides from this workshop.
6. DC Youth Slam Team
Members from the world champion DC Youth Slam team preformed at the Conference awards reception. Watch these amazing poets’ performances here.
The #NCHDV hashtag was trending! Speakers, attendees, and staff used Twitter to share information, quotes, and fascinating statistics with those who couldn’t be in the room that day. Including Vice President Biden!
3. Campus Activists in Action
We were joined by some amazing leaders of the movement to end sexual assault on college campuses. They shared their experiences anddiscussed the significant role health care providers can play. Thank you to John Kelly, Wagatwe Wanjuki, and Dana Bolger for your expertise and sage advice. Watch these amazing campus activists!
2. Social Determinants of Health
In a plenary panel on the Social Determinants of Health, experts including Dr. Anthony Iton gathered to discuss how social factors, including violence, can negatively impact a person’s health in serious ways.Watch the full session.
“When it comes to health, your zip code matters more than your genetic code” – Dr. Anthony Iton
1. Vice President Joe Biden and the authors of the Violence Against Women Act
#1 highlight? A visit from Vice President Joe Biden and the authors of the Violence Against Women Act. Watch his full speech now!
Description: This webinar explores the latest thinking about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and childhood exposure to domestic violence. Emphasizing the opportunity for primary prevention, presenters will discuss strategies for trauma-informed parenting to prevent the inter-generational transmission of ACEs. The session will increase child care providers and Head Start directors, teachers and family services staff understanding of children’s exposure to violence and ACEs and their impact on the health and well-being of children and families. The webinar will include practical skills learning including how to educate families about ACEs and how to promote resiliency through trauma-informed parenting.
Speakers:
Rebecca Levenson, MA, Consultant, Futures Without Violence
Over the weekend, an op-ed written by a survivor of sexual violence at the University of Virginia was published in the Sunday Times. The author’s gut-wrenching account of the abuse nearly two decades ago—and her mistreatment by the university that followed—echoes a far too familiar story we’re hearing from survivors across the nation.
The author notes that while many people believe that university sexual assault hearings are deeply flawed, and that these cases should be handled by the criminal court system, she disagrees. And so do I.
Schools should be responding to reports of violence. In doing so, they should focus on putting victim-focused supports, proceedings, and sanctions in place that promote student safety and help victims of sexual violence heal and succeed.
As both a Campus Fellow for FUTURES and the Campus Outreach Coordinator for a sexual assault program in Iowa, I interact with staff and faculty for ten small private colleges and two community colleges. Because of changes in Federal requirements, all of these schools have been improving their response to sexual assault, harassment, stalking, and intimate partner violence
It is helpful to start by looking at the purpose behind the mandated school response. Title IX generally says that everyone should be able to go to school and not experience sex-based discrimination, including sexual assault, stalking, and dating violence. Title IX acknowledges that academic success requires students to be safe. While the courts must focus on justice, victim safety and academic success are the standard for schools to live by.
Many people believe the campus misconduct system should be modeled after the criminal justice system. This system offers sound due process rights and highly trained professionals. But it is not a perfect system. The Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network compiled data from the FBI and the Department of Justice to report that out of 100 rape cases only seven resulted in arrests and two ended in convictions. In addition, punishment within the criminal justice system is not always designed to increase safety. The criminal justice system is not holding the majority of perpetrators accountable nor is it helping a large percentage of victims to regain safety.
Colleges will miss the target if they attempt to model or align themselves too much after the criminal justice system.
I often hear administrators worry about having a negative impact on students found responsible for violating the school’s sexual misconduct code. The problem with this view is administrators have lost sight of how much victims are impacted. Retention rates, GPAs, participation in activities, and the student’s mental health and wellbeing all depend on regaining safety. Considering that victim safety is often on the opposite side of sanctions, appropriately tough sanctions are vital.
Fair sanctions aren’t light sanctions.
When I hear schools worry about the impact sanctions have on respondents, there is an underlying fear that their lives will be ruined. But schools must remember the bigger picture. If expelled there are other schools to transfer into. If suspended graduation just moved back six months. Schools should be more concerned about sanctions that are too weak to address victim safety and too lenient to teach respondents accountability.
As a victim advocate, I see that when schools demonstrate a commitment to students’ safety, they send a very powerful message: you are worth it. That is a message that helps victims heal from trauma and succeed academically.
We’re excited to announce the winners of the fourth annual Avon Communications Awards: Speaking Out About Violence Against Women! The five winners—from countries including Kenya, Australia, and Haiti—were selected by an international panel of judges, and will receive a $5,000 grant to continue their work to prevent and end gender-based violence across the globe.
All of the winners submitted material to our Communications X-Change, a user-generated digital library of communications material aimed at preventing global gender-based violence.
Over the past year, I’ve had the opportunity to watch the Communications X-Change flourish—now boasting over 1,300 materials from over 400 organizations based in 86 different countries. Organizations and activists can now find everything from brochures and videos to posters, infographics, and reports to toolkits, radio clips, and mobile apps in several different languages including English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Khmer, and Ukrainian.
The heart and soul of the Communications X-Change is the ability to share materials, ideas, and lessons learned. These trends have been demonstrated by both the winners and finalists of the Avon Communications Awards. Here are some of the trends and best practices that we’ve noticed over the past year:
Leveraging Art for Social Change.
Rape is a Crime: Report It, Prevent It by Lawyers Without Borders
By using graphic novels to convey their messages, several organizations have made their lessons more accessible to a wider audience, including to those in settings with low literacy levels, youths and adolescents.
See Cause Vision’s comic books to prevent human trafficking in Nepal, Cambodia and Vietnam
If the public cannot easily access and learn about laws, resource materials, and programs to prevent and respond to gender-based violence, there is little hope of creating social norms change. The following three organizations understand this lesson and have created high quality, user friendly and resource rich websites to meet the needs of our modern technology driven society.
See Prerana’s innovative site, aarambh, to learn more about how they are helping to inform Indian communities about a new Indian law, POCSO (Protection of Children against Sexual Offences Act), and how to protect children from sexual abuse
See the Association for Progressive Communications’ work on Take Back the Tech! and view its digital safety roadmaps on blackmail, cyberstalking and hate speech
See the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence’s brand new site, which is a robust victim/survivor focused tool that is designed to reach diverse audiences, including the Latino community through a separate Spanish language site
Addressing Accessibility Issues.
The increase in the number of materials and organizations from the Deaf and Disabled communities addressing how domestic violence and sexual assault affects their communities, and the inequalities that they face, speaks to the need to focus our attention on these marginalized communities to ensure that all victims and survivors of gender-based violence have access to the resources they need.
See how the #WhoWillAnswer campaign is raising awareness about domestic violence and sexual assault affecting the Deaf community and their call for a 24/7 Deaf Hotline that is accessible in ASL to Deaf survivors and is staffed by deaf advocates
See DeafHope’s PSAs to raise awareness about domestic violence within the deaf community and empower deaf victims and survivors to seek help and support
Engaging Men and Boys.
Men as Partners by Coexist Initiative
We will never be able to eliminate violence against women and girls if we do not involve men and boys and change entire communities’ attitudes and beliefs
around gender norms, patriarchy and masculinity. These three organizations, working in three different continents, have made engaging men and boys the focus of their work and or campaigns in order to transform communities’ social norms and prevent violence against women and girls.
See the Men’s Story Project’s films to learn how they are using storytelling and community dialogue to explore social ideas about masculinities
See how the Coexist Initiative is working directly with men in Kenya to end violence against women and girls
See how UN Women Brazil’s “Brave is not Violent” campaign has partnered with soccer teams to engage men and boys and stimulate a change in attitudes and belief
Last Friday was no ordinary day for us at FUTURES.
At 4:30 a.m., a team of Secret Service agents swept through an enormous ballroom in Washington, D.C. and secured the space. At 1 p.m., Vice President Joe Biden joined me on stage and was welcomed by a standing ovation from more than 1,100 excited health care practitioners, activists, social workers, researchers, and academics—all of whom gathered for our 7th Biennial National Conference on Health and Domestic Violence.
It was exhilarating to see this incredible community of people acknowledged for their hard work and dedication over the years to prevent violence against women.
As co-author of The Violence Against Women Act, and one of the country’s most effective leaders working to end domestic violence and sexual assault over the past 20+ years, there is no one like VP Biden. I was reminded of that when he recognized the critical role that health care providers play in early identification and prevention of domestic violence—and thanked them for their efforts.
“All of you in this room who are doctors, nurses, researchers, social workers from all across the country, the fact that we are talking today about domestic violence as a public health epidemic is because of you. We have come such a long way in our fight against this epidemic, but we have to keep making the case even stronger for prevention and intervention.”
VP Biden’s remarks summarized the milestones of an issue that was once considered a private ‘family affair,’ but has emerged over the past two decades with legislative victories and social norm shifts that have led to a 64 percent decrease in domestic violence against adult women since 1994. He emphasized, unequivocally, that victims and survivors of abuse should never be blamed for their suffering.
“It is never, never, never, never, never the victim’s fault.”
The room lit up with a roar of applause. It was clear that VP Biden cares deeply about this issue.
Outlining the accomplishments of the movement in the last 20 years, he also underscored the fact that we have a lot more work to do—particularly for young people, age 16-24, who are the most vulnerable. He talked about the 1 is 2 Many campaign, which his office launched to confront dating violence, and he featured It’s On Us, the White House campaign that is rallying college students to speak up about the epidemic of sexual assault on campuses all over the country. Don’t miss this recap from the Huffington Post about his visit.
It was an incredible moment at our conference, and one that I’ll never forget. A sincere thank you to Vice President Biden—and everyone who was able to join us this year!
As advocates working in the fields of domestic and sexual violence, we know that abuse transcends cultural, racial, and socioeconomic boundaries. Yet conversations about violence against women and girls too often exclude the experiences of older women.
In the United States and globally, important progress has been made in linking women’s health with resources to prevent and respond to intimate partner violence, but the vast majority of these efforts have been directed towards women of reproductive age. This lack of attention to violence across the life course has contributed to an insufficient knowledge of elder abuse: the physical, sexual, and psychological abuse, neglect, abandonment, or financial exploitation of an older adult.
A widespread, but hidden problem, elder abuse is often undetected because it can manifest itself in many ways, including domestic violence in later life, or systemic neglect by a long-term care provider. Affecting about five million Americans each year, mostly women, elder abuse carries a host of adverse health impacts, including an increased likelihood of heart attacks, dementia, depression, chronic disease, and psychological distress. Given these health consequences, it is critical that domestic violence advocates and health professionals are aware of the dynamics of abuse in later life.
To promote services and support for survivors of all ages, the National Conference on Health and Domestic Violence (NCHDV) will feature a pre-conference institute on elder abuse, “Our Futures Without Violence.” Together with nationally-renowned elder abuse experts, Dr. Laura Mosqueda, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, and Marie-Therese Connolly, MacArthur Fellow, we will host an interactive discussion about elder abuse, public health, prevention, and balancing autonomy and safety. We will explore cases and controversies, research and policy initiatives (and deficits), and practical ways to help older people who are at risk or victimized. Drawing on our years of advocacy in the fields of domestic and sexual violence, we will provide concrete suggestions for how victim service providers can better accommodate the needs of older survivors.
Violence can—and does—impact people in every stage of life. For some older survivors, that violence is unique to aging, such as abuse in a long-term care facility; for others, particularly women, the abuse is nothing new—the lifetime spiral of gender violence continues into old age. Across all forms of violence against older adults, however, the dynamics of power and control are present, operating at the expense of victims’ dignity, health and wellbeing. Victim advocates, health professionals, and other service providers have an important, lifesaving role to play in supporting older adults who experience abuse. We hope you will join us at the NCHDV pre-conference institute.
Bonnie Brandl is the Director of the National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life, where she acts as a liaison for national elder abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault and aging networks and oversees and provides national technical assistance, training, program development, and support regarding abuse in later life.
Firoza Chic Dabby is Co-Director of the Asian & Pacific Islander Institute on Gender-Based Violence, a national resource center engaged in advocacy, research, policy, training, technical assistance provision, and analyzing critical issues on violence against Asian and Pacific Islander women. Chic has been in the domestic violence field for thirty years and serves on the advisory board for the National Center on Elder Abuse.
FUTURES Applauds Congress on the Re-introduction of the Violence Against Women Act
Legislation to prevent gender-based violence worldwide receives unprecedented bipartisan support in 2015
SAN FRANCISCO (March 11, 2015)—Today, the United States Senate re-introduced the International Violence Against Women Act (S.713), a groundbreaking piece of legislation aimed at preventing violence against women and girls across the globe. The announcement follows the House of Representative’s re-introduction of the bill (H.R.1340) last week in conjunction with International Women’s Day.
“This is the strongest bipartisan support we’ve seen to date,” said Esta Soler, founder and president of Futures Without Violence. “We commend members of Congress from both sides of the aisle for reintroducing this critical piece of legislation. From forced and early marriage to domestic violence, this is an issue that knows no political or geographic boundaries.”
The Senate re-introduction is sponsored by Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH). The House of Representatives re-introduction is sponsored by Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL ), Susan Brooks (R-IN), David Cicilline (D-RI), Chris Collins (R-NY), Jeff Denham (R-CA), Ted Deutch (D-FL), Chris Gibson (R-NY), Richard Hanna (R-NY), Joe Heck (R-NV), Leonard Lance (R-NJ), Nita Lowey (D-NY), Patrick Meehan (R-PA), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Aaron Schock (R-IL), Adam Smith (D-WA), Niki Tsongas (D-MA), and Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL).
The World Health Organization estimates that one out of every three women worldwide will be physically, sexually, or otherwise abused during her lifetime—with rates reaching 70 percent in some countries. The International Violence Against Women Act seeks to make the prevention of global gender-based violence a United State foreign policy priority. The bill would, for the first time, codify a comprehensive approach to fight violence against women and girls across the globe.
“From kidnappings in Nigeria to so called honor killings in Afghanistan, what is happening across the globe is devastating,” said Soler. “By supporting programs on the ground, implementing better policies, and improving women’s access to education and economic opportunities, legislation like the International Violence Against Women act can help break the cycle of violence throughout the world.”
Futures Without Violence is a leading proponent of the bill, and as co-chair of the Coalition to End Violence Against Women and Girls Globally, has worked closely with lawmakers, advocates, partner organizations, and survivors to inform the strategy to end gender-based violence globally and ensure it becomes the cornerstone of United States diplomatic and development work.
Futures Without Violence
Futures Without Violence is a national nonprofit organization leading groundbreaking educational programs, policies, and campaigns that empower individuals and organizations working to end violence against women and children around the world. Providing leadership from offices in San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Boston, the organization has trained thousands of professionals and advocates–such as doctors, nurses, judges, athletic coaches, and other community influences–on improving responses to violence and abuse.
Founder and President of Futures Without Violence Esta Soler gives a TEDTalk charting 30 years of tactics and technologies—from the Polaroid camera to social media—that have shaped the movement to end domestic violence.
Today is International Women’s Day, a time to celebrate and support the empowerment of women across the globe.
It has been a big year here at FUTURES. High-profile cases of domestic violence in the NFL has sparked a national dialogue about gender-based violence and shined a light on the violence that takes place in homes across the country and globe. Professional sports leagues are finally starting to make major changes in the way they deal with domestic abuse within the organization.
While great strides have been made to prevent violence against women, there is still a long way to go. Globally, it’s estimated that one out of every three women worldwide will be physically, sexually, or otherwise abused during her lifetime—with rates reaching 70 percent in some countries. Gender-based violence—from early and forced marriage to domestic violence—devastates lives and impedes women and girls from reaching their full potential. We can’t be committed to ending gender-based violence at home, while turning a blind eye to these human rights abuses throughout the world.
That’s why we’re so pleased to announce that the House of Representatives reintroduced the International Violence Against Women Act this week to help prevent violence against women and girls cross the globe. The best part? The bill was reintroduced with unprecedented bipartisan support, and the Senate is expected to follow suit next week.
As our founder Esta Soler says, “movements are made of moments.” (More on this in her TEDTalk—don’t miss it!) This is one of those moments. This International Women’s Day, let’s celebrate the successes that have helped move the needle toward a world free from violence. Let’s also be sure that in the coming weeks and months we let Congress know that we care about women and girls throughout the world. Tell them that you support the International Violence Against Women Act.
Futures Without Violence Supports Proposed Increase to New York State’s Tipped Minimum Wage
Changes Could Help Reduce Gender-based Violence and Harassment in the Restaurant Industry and Beyond
SAN FRANCISCO (February 27, 2015)—National nonprofit Futures Without Violence applauds Governor Cuomo for his call this week to increase the tipped minimum wage and review the current two-tiered wage system. These proposed changes present an opportunity to significantly reduce sexual harassment and abuse among tipped employees in the restaurant industry—a predominately female workforce. The restaurant industry is the single largest source of sexual harassment charges filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
“The Governor’s efforts are an important step toward eliminating economic barriers that leave women vulnerable to violence in and out of the workplace,” said Futures Without Violence Founder and President Esta Soler. “Creating one fair wage for tipped workers not only helps create a safe and productive work environment, it can also empower victims of domestic abuse to leave economically-dependent relationships.”
The New York Wage Board has recommended a wage increase for 400,000 tipped employees, raising it from $5.00 to $7.50 an hour. (See more at: http://labor.ny.gov/workerprotection/laborstandards/pdfs/wage_board_order.pdf) More than 70 percent of tipped restaurant workers nationally are women. According to the Restaurant Opportunity Center, tipped restaurant workers are twice as likely to use food stamps than the general workforce, and are three times as likely to live in poverty.
“Forcing workers to rely on tips creates a coercive work environment that leaves workers vulnerable to unwanted sexual behavior by restaurant patrons and management,” said Soler. “No worker should feel like they have to be subjected to sexual violence in order to feed and clothe themselves and their families.”
Futures Without Violence
Futures Without Violence is a national nonprofit organization leading groundbreaking educational programs, policies, and campaigns that empower individuals and organizations working to end violence against women and children around the world. Providing leadership from offices in San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Boston, the organization has trained thousands of professionals and advocates–such as doctors, nurses, judges, athletic coaches, and other community influences–on improving responses to violence and abuse.
Barri Rosenbluth is the founding Director of SafePlace’s Expect Respect Program in Austin, TX. Expect Respect is a comprehensive, dating abuse prevention program that supports vulnerable youth, develops youth leadership, and collaborates with schools and community partners to promote healthy teen relationships. Rosenbluth will be speaking at our National Conference on Health and Domestic Violence next month!
National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month is in full swing and for many communities that means local proclamations, student assemblies, and youth-led campaigns to raise awareness of this important issue. As a service provider I know how much time and effort goes into even the simplest of these activities. But sharing the workload is just one reason to collaborate. Teaming up with youth and adult partners for National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month is also a great way to generate excitement, inspire creativity, and engage diverse audiences.
How did National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month come to be? In 2005, the importance of addressing teen dating abuse was highlighted in the re-authorization of the Violence Against Women Act. The following year, both houses of Congress declared the first full week in February as National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week. In 2010 the week became a month, expanding opportunities to reach more people in new ways. Over the past five years, it has been exciting to see how organizations and individuals have been leveraging the month to spread awareness about teen dating violence.
Here are some of my suggestions for engaging people with the issue–during National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month, and every day of the year:
Host a Kick-Off Event featuring local youth performers.
Invite city/county leaders to issue a proclamation declaring National Teen Dating Violence Awareness in your community.
Keep survivors and their families at the center of your efforts. They need you and you need them.
Engage local youth in creating posters, videos, photographs, and messages to reach their peers in culturally relevant ways.
Coordinate with your school district to provide lesson plans, training, and other resources for teachers.
Encourage faith-based groups and other organizations to host conversations with parents on promoting healthy teen relationships.
Create a “youth issues” committee on your city/county domestic violence task force and conduct a community-wide needs assessment.
Additionally, here are some resources that I highly recommend:
Love is Respect.org is a partnership between Break the Cycle and the National Domestic Violence Hotline. The site features the Youth Advisory Board Toolkit and Guide, the National Respect Announcement, and the Start Talking curriculum.
SafePlace’s Expect Respect Program provides school-based support groups, youth education and leadership development and training in collaboration with school and community partners.
We’re pleased to announce the nationwide screenings of The Hunting Ground, a documentary that explores the rampant issue of sexual assault on college campuses across the country.
Description: This webinar reviews recommendations from the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee on American Indian and Alaska Native Children Exposed to Violence, and makes connections to the science of the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study. Participants in this webinar will learn key action steps to reduce traumatic impact of violence and other ACEs, on the individual, community, and policy levels.
Learning Objectives:
Review recommendations from the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee on American Indian and Alaska Native Children Exposed to Violence.
Introduce core Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) – related concepts of neurobiology.
Introduce the concept of community capacity development to reduce trauma in Indian country.
Speakers:
Eamon Anderson, MSW, National Native Children’s Trauma Center, University of Montana
Marilyn J. Bruguier Zimmerman, MSW, National Native Children’s Trauma Center, University of Montana
It can be tough to talk about dating abuse—especially if you’re trying to reach teens themselves.
Here at FUTURES, we have a number of programs that strive to prevent teen dating violence early. That’s Not Cool is one of them—it’s an innovative initiative that seeks to raise awareness about the issue, and get teens involved with spreading the word.
February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness month, which serves as the perfect platform for facilitating open and honest conversations about the topic. The trouble is that ‘Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Month’ is a mouthful, and can obscure the issue, making it seem complex and intimidating to teenagers. It’s easy for teens to think of dating abuse as an issue that doesn’t apply to them, that they don’t understand, or that is boring.
Social media is great way to engage teens in the issue. Here are a few tips from That’s Not Cool for organizing and activating young people around the issue of teen dating violence!
1. Use Graphics to Make Abstract Issues Tangible.
Dating Violence is an abstract concept for teens today. Most aren’t even dating in the traditional sense of the word. Our graphic Callout Cards use irreverent, pithy language and humorous images to describe specific instances of dating abuse, in language that teens can relate to. For Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, we created a line of Valentine’s Day-themed Callout Cards that highlight healthy and unhealthy relationship behaviors. Teens can download these images and share them on the social media platform of their choice.
2. Diffuse Tough Topics with GIFs and Memes.
To infuse some light heartedness into That’s Not Cool, we created a Tumblr called Nope – That’s Not Cool. The tone is intentionally cheeky to relate to teens, and utilizes a variety of GIFs and memes—two popular forms of visual media among young people. Our Tumblr posts feature specific instances and examples of dating abuse—such as over-texting and nude picture pressure—while simultaneously highlighting the humor and absurdity of the negative behavior in question.
3. Create Easy Ways to Engage on Social Media.
This year for Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, we designed a teen-focused graphic and asked young people to share it with their Facebook and Twitter friends. By simply setting the logo as their profile picture during the month of February, teens can take a stand against dating abuse. While it might seem like a small gesture, these types of actions make teens feel like they are part of a movement, and empowers them to further engage with the cause.
4. Give Teens a Digital Toolkit.
That’s Not Cool created a toolkit that contains easy ideas for activities, mini campaigns, and events all in one place—from scripts for miniskits to iron-on images for t-shirts. The toolkit is available online and can be easily shared via email and social media, providing access to dozens of resources and ideas teens can use to plan events on the ground in their schools and communities that combat dating abuse.
Welcome to one of the most challenging phases of parenting—adolescence.
In all likelihood, your young teen is experiencing significant emotional, psychological and physical changes. And, while your teen needs you more than ever to help them through this challenging time, they are also seeking independence and turning to peers. While it may seem easier to let your teen shake you loose, hang on. They really do need you.
Right now, your teen is forming relationships that set the stage for future relationships. Given that 1 in 5 high schoolers experience dating violence, you’ll want to be sure you do your part to help your child understand what a healthy relationship feels and looks like. Below you’ll find information and tools to help you talk to your kids about healthy relationships, guidelines on how to navigate their world of cell phones and social networking and how to talk to your kids about being an upstander vs. a bystander when it comes to bullying.
Get Help If you suspect your teen may be a victim of abuse, you are the most important resource and advisor for your child. If you need support there are people and resources available to help. Remind your teen that he or she deserves a violence free relationship and that abuse is NEVER appropriate and NEVER their fault.
If you think your son or daughter may be controlling, abusive, or violent with his or her partner, tell your child that abuse and violence are NOT acceptable and that violence will not solve problems. Let him or her know when you truly care for someone you don’t hurt them or try to control them. Abuse is a choice and there are resources and counselors that can help him or her understand the consequences, the alternatives to violence, and how to stop the abuse.
If your teen isn’t ready to openly communicate with you about his or her relationship, let him or her know there are confidential resources and trained individuals available to answer questions and help avoid unhealthy relationships. Pass on the information below, but let your teen know you are always available to talk.
If at any time you feel that you or your teen are in immediate danger, call 911.
Every year, we all make New Year’s resolutions that we don’t keep. I’m guilty of it too. We’re too busy, too tired, too [fill in the blank]—the list goes on! That’s why we’re so excited to kick off the second year of our partnership with Mudderella, an empowering (and wildly fun) mud obstacle event. It’s an incredible way to get fit AND support a good cause.
As the national beneficiary of Mudderella, all funds raised by participants will help support our programs to end violence against women and children. Last year’s events were so successful that Muddrella has expanded to 13 cities in the U.S. and Canada.
Here are my top five reasons why you should come out and participate in a Mudderella event in 2015:
1. Own Your Strong.
Join the nationwide movement of women and men who are committed to raising awareness and taking action to end violence against women. Whether you’re a survivor yourself, know someone whose life was impacted by domestic violence, or simply believe that everyone deserves to live free of violence, Mudderella provides a perfect platform to show your support. Mudderella is about teamwork and overcoming obstacles and challenges.
2. Earn Prizes.
The more you fundraise, the more you’ll get! When you raise $150 you’ll earn a big, cozy towel to dry off with. Raise $450 and you’ll get to rock a limited edition pair of Flutter sunglasses. And for the super stars out there, raise $1,000 and you’ll receive an awesome Timbuk2 messenger bag.
3. Get Fit For a Cause.
Mudderella is no walk in the park—it requires training, dedication, and grit. But working out is much more motivating when you know it’s going to benefit a good cause!
4. There’s a Mudderella Event Near You.
With 13 Mudderella events taking place throughout the United States and Canada, there’s bound to be one that works for you. Check the 2015 event calendar.
5. Have Fun With Friends.
Mudderella is a blast. What’s not to love about crawling through mud trenches and going down water slides? These events are all about teamwork and empowerment. Grab your best girlfriends and start a team today!
What are you waiting for? Grab your team, register for a Mudderella event, and start fundraising for FUTURES! If you can’t participate in a Mudderella event yourself, consider serving as a volunteer—or forward this blog post to someone you know who might be interested!
This curriculum has been developed to assist heath care providers in enhancing their skills working with youth to promote healthy relationships, assess for and respond to adolescent relationship abuse. The curriculum provides training, tools, and resources to help health providers address the complex and sometimes uncomfortable issue of relationship quality with adolescents. These tools have been designed to facilitate safety assessment and supported referrals to domestic violence programs.
There are many health insurance options available—and significant financial help is available?
Screening and counseling for domestic violence are now covered benefits as a result of the Affordable care Act?
There are regulations that clarify how married victims of domestic violence and their dependents can qualify for financial help when they apply for health insurance or apply for a hardship exemption if needed?
There are coverage options available to people even after Open Enrollment ends?
Join this webinar to hear key steps and strategies for how to help clients enroll in healthcare and understand the domestic violence provisions in the Affordable care act.
This webinar will provide a basic overview of the coverage requirements in the Affordable Care Act and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s “B” recommendation for screening and intervention for domestic violence (DV). Speakers will discuss who will be able to access these services, what is required in terms of screening and brief counseling, and refer to tools on addressing domestic violence safely and effectively as well as billing for these services. They will also discuss the IRS regulations on financial aid for domestic violence as well as information about how survivors can access a “hardship” exemption to avoid paying penalties if they are not able to enroll this year.
Participants will be able to access a number of resources including a new U.S. Department of Health and Human Services FAQ Resource about the interpersonal and domestic violence screening and counseling benefit under the Affordable Care Act.
January is National Human Trafficking and Slavery Prevention Month, and an ideal time to create a dialogue about this serious issue. Commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking have severe adverse effects on the health, development, well being, and human rights of vulnerable young people in the United States and globally. Awareness of these horrific problems—once hidden in the shadows—is growing. Although accurate estimates are not available of how many adolescents and young adults are affected, there is little doubt that young people everywhere have been victimized and millions worldwide are at risk.
Victims and survivors of commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking come from diverse backgrounds in terms of geography, income, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, and sexual orientation, but some youth are likely to be at heightened risk. In the U.S., these include:
Young people who have been sexually abused; youth who lack stable housing or live in dysfunctional families;
sexual and gender minority youth;
youth who have used or abused drugs or alcohol;
and youth who have experienced homelessness, foster care placement, or juvenile justice involvement.
Globally, young people living in poverty and in communities where violence is structurally or culturally prevalent may also be at increased risk.
Health care professionals can play a significant role in addressing sexual exploitation and sex trafficking of adolescents and young adults through clinical care, research, and policy. Although recognition of the extent and importance of these problems is relatively recent—among health care professionals as well as the general public—carefully designed strategies are beginning to emerge from the dedicated and innovative work of NGOs and professionals in diverse settings in the U.S. and globally.
In a comprehensive 2013 report, the Institute of Medicine/National Research Council identified organizations in several communities in the U.S. that have developed promising approaches to the identification, care, and support of victims, survivors, and young people at risk.
Additionally, Congress has enacted legislation and some states and local communities have enacted laws or adopted policies based on health and human rights principles and designed to prevent sexual exploitation and trafficking or assist victims and survivors. Noteworthy efforts are also being developed and refined in other countries.
Policies, protocols, and practices that directly address sexual exploitation and trafficking of adolescents and young adults are relatively new, few in number, and not yet evaluated. Thus the evidence base so far is limited. Nevertheless, model policies, protocols, and practices exist in other fields that have been tested over a longer time and, in some cases, rigorously evaluated. This has occurred with respect to both child abuse and domestic and sexual violence prevention and intervention among adolescents and adults. These arenas provide fertile ground from which to draw models for practice and policy to address sexual exploitation and sex trafficking.
Advocacy is essential at the local, state, and national level to ensure adoption and implementation of laws and policies that promote prevention of commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking, prosecution of perpetrators, and protection of victims and survivors. Health care professionals can be leaders in these efforts.
This is the third post of a series highlighting the topics, speakers, and participants featured during FUTURES’2015 National Conferenceon Health and Domestic Violence. Today’s guest blogger is Abigail English, J.D., a researcher and advocate for the health, legal, and human rights of adolescents and young adults for more than three decades.
Description: Home visitation services, through ongoing contact with mothers at home, provide a critical opportunity to identify and assist families experiencing domestic violence. In addition, where domestic violence is present, it undermines the likely success of all other program outcomes. This is why the federal Domestic Violence Benchmark was established. Partnerships with domestic violence programs and leaders are needed to ensure success and support for families as well as workers.
Many states have struggled with how to implement the Domestic Violence Benchmark. In response, Futures Without Violence created the recently updated Healthy Moms, Happy Babies curriculum, which applies lessons learned from the field to help States remove programmatic barriers to successful implementation of the Benchmark.
This webinar will provide an overview of the 2nd edition curriculum. The webinar will also serve as an introduction to the national training opportunity for your staff at the Futures Without Violence National Conference on Health and Domestic Violence Pre-Conference Institute “Healthy Moms, Happy Babies: A Train the Trainer Curriculum on Domestic Violence and Reproductive Coercion” taking place on March 19th, 2015 8:30am-4:30pm. Visit http://www.futureswithoutviolence.org/nchdv for more information.
The curriculum, one day in length, starts with addressing the effects of vicarious trauma on staff as the first step to becoming a trauma-informed program. The impact of domestic violence and reproductive coercion on maternal and perinatal health is highlighted along with specific considerations for home visitation services. The evidence-based safety card approach to facilitate screening and universal education for domestic violence is demonstrated through video vignettes, role plays, interactive exercises and tools specifically for home visitors. Specific barriers to identifying and intervening for domestic violence in the context of home visits are discussed and assessment is re-framed within a prevention framework to educate clients about healthy and unhealthy relationships. Strategies to build sustainable partnerships with community resources are emphasized to identify opportunities to maximize resources and work towards collective impact.
Speaker:Rebecca Levenson, MA is a health consultant for Futures Without Violence. Prior to her move to the consultancy world in July 2013, she worked as a Senior Policy Analyst for Futures Without Violence from 2000 to 2013. A nationally-recognized researcher, educator, advocate, and speaker, she has worked extensively in the area of adolescent, reproductive and perinatal health within federal and state programs, community clinics and home visitation programs for the past 20 years. Ms. Levenson along with co-author Linda Chamberlain PhD, MPH authored a national curriculum for home visitation programs, entitled Healthy Moms, Happy Babies, published in 2011 by Futures Without Violence and recently completed a second edition of this curriculum. As a childhood survivor and witness to abuse, Ms. Levenson speaks frequently about violence and resiliency.
This webinar is being co-sponsored by Futures Without Violence’s National Health Resource Center on Domestic Violence and the Family Violence Prevention & Services Program, Family & Youth Services Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. DHHS.
Description: In today’s era of mass incarceration, extreme sentencing of youth, barriers to successful re-entry, and other challenges in the justice system, there is an emerging awareness that in order to foster meaningful change, we must first learn and utilize the unique insights of those directly impacted – or as Glenn E. Martin would put it, “those who are closest to the problem are those closest to the solutions.” Amplifying that awareness is a growing national movement of formerly incarcerated leaders who not only exemplify change in their own lives, but have also demonstrated the power to help change the narrative of those directly impacted and champion the cause of equal justice through innovative approaches to reform. Listen to their stories, what brought them to this important work and what innovative approaches they are using to address the systemic failures that have hitherto perpetuated the cycles of incarceration and the unfair treatment of youth and adults in the American justice system.
Learning Objectives:
Recognize the value of our diverse, yet collective, efforts to humanize the justice system
Learn how to get involved and support formerly incarcerated leaders
Think of ways that formerly incarcerated leaders can inform their work and advocacy efforts
Speakers:
James Anderson, Program Administrator, Anti-Recidivism Coalition
Glenn E. Martin, Founder and Chief Risk Taker, JustLeadershipUSA
Xavier McElrath-Bey, Youth Justice Advocate, Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth
Futures Without Violence and Macy’s Announce Winners of 2014 National RESPECT! Challenge
National grand prize winner donates $10,000 to Miami-based Dranoff 2 Piano Foundation
SAN FRANCISCO (January 14, 2014) – Today, national nonprofit Futures Without Violence and Macy’s announced the winners of the 2014 RESPECT! Challenge, an online contest that celebrates every day role models and heroes. One national grand prize winner and 12 regional winners will receive a total of $40,000 to donate to a nonprofit or school of their choice.
The national grand prize winner, BriAna Hartfield of Miami, Florida will receive a $10,000 donation, a VIP trip to New York City for the Macy’s 4th of July fireworks, and a $500 Macy’s gift card. Hartfield submitted a spoken word video about her mother, who taught her about respect, love, and strength. Hartfield will donate her prize money to Dranoff 2 Piano Foundation, a performing arts center serving the greater Miami area.
The third annual RESPECT! Challenge asked participants to share their stories by submitting a a letter or video about the person who taught them respect.
“We thank the winners for their touching and innovative entries telling us about the people in their lives who taught them the meaning of respect.” said Futures Without Violence President and Founder Esta Soler. “Now their prize donations will benefit organizations and institutions that will help shape future generations. Just in time for the holidays!”
In addition to the national grand prize winner, the 12 regional winners receive a $2,500 donation, $2,500 educational stipend, and $250 Macy’s gift card each, include:
“We are grateful to the everyday heroes, coaches, teachers, mothers and fathers who have demonstrated a positive and lasting impact to our children’s lives and to the mission of the RESPECT! Challenge” said Martine Reardon, chief marketing officer, Macy’s.
Macy’s, the Founding National Partner of the RESPECT! Campaign, provided national support for the RESPECT! Challenge and has a strong history of support for education and awareness programs that promote positive solutions for healthy relationships. To date, Macy’s has raised more than $8 million for prevention and education programs that enlist parents, teachers, coaches and other role models to promote healthy relationships among young people.
The 2014 RESPECT! Challenge was made possible with generous support from additional partners including global digital marketing agency AKQA, online video producers and distributors Federated Media and Fullscreen.
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Futures Without Violence
Futures Without Violence is a national nonprofit organization leading groundbreaking educational programs, policies, and campaigns that empower individuals and organizations working to end violence against women and children around the world. Providing leadership from offices in San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Boston, the Futures Without Violence has trained thousands of professionals and advocates–such as doctors, nurses, judges, athletic coaches, and other community influences–on improving responses to violence and abuse. The organization was a driving force behind the passage of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994—the nation’s first comprehensive federal response to the violence that plagues families and communities.
Macy’s
Macy’s, the largest retail brand of Macy’s, Inc. (NYSE:M), delivers fashion and affordable luxury to customers at approximately 800 locations in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam, as well as to customers in the U.S. and more than 100 international destinations through its leading online store at macys.com. Via its stores, e-commerce site, mobile and social platforms, Macy’s offers distinctive assortments including the most desired family of exclusive and fashion brands for him, her and home. Macy’s is known for such epic events as Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks® and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade®, as well as spectacular fashion shows, culinary events, flower shows and celebrity appearances. Macy’s flagship stores — including Herald Square in New York City, Union Square in San Francisco, State Street in Chicago, Dadeland in Miami and South Coast Plaza in southern California — are known internationally and leading destinations for visitors. Building on a more than 150-year tradition, and with the collective support of customers and employees, Macy’s helps strengthen communities by supporting local and national charities giving more than $70 million each year to help make a difference in the lives of our customers.
For Macy’s media materials, including images and contacts, please visit our online pressroom at macys.com/pressroom
This curriculum focuses on the crucial role of the health care provider in identifying and addressing IPV, reproductive coercion (RC), and sexual coercion (SC). The curriculum provides training, tools, and resources to help health care providers address these complex and sometimes uncomfortable issues. It highlights research that demonstrates how a brief intervention using a safety card to educate female patients about RC and SC during primary care and reproductive health visits can improve reproductive health outcomes and promote safe and health relationships. Safety cards and other resources for integrating and sustaining a trauma-informed coordinated response to IPV, RC, and SC are included in this curriculum.
FUTURES, in partnership with Inspire Action for Social Change, developed a framework designed to help supervised visitation providers and their community partners create a more institutionalized and seamless approach to engaging with men who use violence. Additionally, this framework aims to shift policy and practice across sectors working to end violence against women and children.
