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“Miss Representation” Screening Tomorrow!2. May, 2012PostsComments OffThe documentary Miss Representation, by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, and aired on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. The powerful film explores how the media’s misrepresentations of women have led to the underrepresentation of women in positions of power and influence. Please join us for a special screening tomorrow: Tarrant County College (South East campus) |
Domestic violence rises in sluggish economy, police report1. May, 2012PostsComments OffPolice are encountering more domestic violence related to the sluggish economy, a national survey of law enforcement agencies finds, according to USA TODAY News.
The review, part of a continuing examination of how economic conditions are affecting law enforcement by the Police Executive Research Forum, found that 56% of the 700 responding agencies reported that the poor economy is driving an increase in domestic conflict, up from 40% of agencies in a similar survey in 2010. Domestic violence is not a separate category of crime tracked in the FBI’s annual crime report, which has recorded a sustained decline in overall violence since the financial collapse in 2008. But the survey concludes that police are responding to more reports of domestic incidents, regardless of whether charges are filed. In Camden, N.J., police responded to 9,100 domestic incidents in 2011, up from 7,500 calls in 2010. Camden Police Chief Scott Thomson said it was “impossible” to separate the economy from the domestic turmoil in the city where unemployment is 19%. Thomson said domestic-related aggravated assaults increased nearly 10% in 2011 from levels in 2010. The chief said the department has been tracking the calls closely because of the time and personnel they draw from a force that has been depleted in the past two years with layoffs of about 200 employees, another consequence of the poor economy. “When stresses in the home increase because of unemployment and other hardships, domestic violence increases,” Thomson said. “We see it on the street.” Eugene, Ore., Police Chief Pete Kerns said troubling increases in assaults have coincided with the timing of the financial crisis and the slow recovery. In 2011, aggravated assaults increased to 234, up from 188 in 2010. Simple assaults also were up in 2011 to 1,552, from 1,440 in 2010. Kerns said, more of the assaults are taking place in residential communities in addition to nightclubs and other traditional trouble spots. The police survey appears to corroborate findings in 2009 by the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Katie Ray-Jones, president of the hotline, said that financial stress was a factor in “intensifying and escalating” reported abuse. Chuck Wexler, executive director of the research forum, a Washington-based law enforcement think-tank, said police have been expressing concern about rising calls related to domestic strife for at least the past two years. “You are dealing with households in which people have lost jobs or are in fear of losing their jobs,” Wexler said. “That is an added stress that can push people to the breaking point.” -By E.J. Harris, AP |
SafeHaven Receives $5,000 Grant From The UPS Foundation1. May, 2012PostsComments OffFunds to help families fleeing from domestic violence Fort Worth, TX (April 15, 2012) – SafeHaven of Tarrant County received a $5,000 grant from The UPS Foundation, the charitable arm of UPS. The agency will use the money for its crisis intervention services that provide victims with 24-hour access to its hotline and shelters. For 35 years, SafeHaven has advanced its mission to end domestic violence in Tarrant County. Offering safe shelter and hotline access is the first line of defense in protecting victims who face consistent violence and threats from their abusers. “UPS is known for fast, accurate delivery of goods, large and small,” said SafeHaven CEO Mary Lee Hafley. “With their support, SafeHaven can quickly provide domestic abuse victims with information and safety. We are extraordinarily appreciative of UPS’ commitment to our delivery of services to women and children whose lives are shattered by relationship violence.” Established in 1951 and based in Atlanta, Georgia, The UPS Foundation identifies specific areas where its backing clearly impacts social issues. In support of this strategic approach, The UPS Foundation has indentified the following focus areas for giving: nonprofit effectiveness, economic and global literacy, encouraging diversity, community safety and environmental sustainability. Five years ago, The UPS Foundation distributed nearly $43.6 million worldwide through grants that benefit organizations such as SafeHaven and provide support for building stronger communities. “The UPS Foundation is committed to funding impactful programs that make a meaningful difference in our communities – so we are proud to support SafeHaven’s efforts to put an end to domestic violence through safety, support, prevention and social change.” |
SafeHaven Credited For “Saving Families”30. April, 2012PostsComments OffVirginia De Turo was 9 when her family fled an abusive father and entered a women’s shelter in Arlington, according to the Star-Telegram. It was late at night and she remembers being scared and not having time to take toys or clothes. But the shelter gave her mother the chance to break a cycle of violence and keep the three children safe, De Turo said. “The people at that shelter left an impact on me,” De Turo said. “They didn’t have to, but they gave my mom help to buy her own home and finally get away. My mom was strong, but she was able to be strong because of the Arlington Women’s Shelter.” De Turo, 41, shared her story Friday during a forum for National Crime Victims’ Rights Week at The Women’s Center in Fort Worth. Read more about the impact SafeHaven had on De Turo’s life by clicking here. |
One In Six 7th Graders Victims of Dating Violence: Survey25. April, 2012PostsComments OffSeventh-grade students have experienced alarming rates of physical violence at the hands of a romantic partner, including being shoved, grabbed, hit or kicked, a survey of middle school students showed on Thursday. Nearly one in six of 1,430 students surveyed, most of whom were just 12 years old, said they had experienced physical dating violence in the past six months, while more than one in three had witnessed such violence among their peers, according to Reuters. Moreover, nearly a quarter said they had a friend who was violent to their partner, and a similar proportion strongly disagreed that hitting their girlfriend or boyfriend would lead to a break-up. “Society doesn’t think about these behaviors happening among middle schoolers,” Shari Miller, lead researcher at RTI International, which conducted the survey, told Reuters, describing the results as “definitely alarming”. “We don’t even think about them dating, never mind experiencing dating violence,” she added. But Miller said that relationships in seventh grade might often take a different form than those in later years, with students pairing off within groups more than engaging in traditional one-on-one dating scenarios. “My sense is that kids are just learning about dating… I think this is awkward and uncomfortable and new for them,” she said. “These relationships in middle school years tend to be brief. They may never go anywhere. They may sit together at lunch. They may only be boyfriend and girlfriend on Facebook.” In high schools, nearly 10 percent of students nationwide reported being physically hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend in the past 12 months, survey authors said, citing data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But they said there was no longer-term data that followed student dating behavior from middle school into the high school years. The middle school survey found that violence was coupled with gendered thinking. Nearly two out of every three students agreed with at least one harmful gender stereotype, including that the boy in a relationship should be smarter than the girl, or that girls try to manipulate boys into going along with what they want. Moreover, while only 7 percent of students strongly agreed it was acceptable for a boy to hit his girlfriend under certain circumstances, half agreed that it was okay for a girl to do so. More than a third of students said they had been a victim of psychological dating abuse, while 31 percent said they had been harassed by a boyfriend or girlfriend over electronic media. Sexual harassment was also common, with nearly half of students reporting experiencing it in the past six months, such as being grabbed or pinched or being the subject of sexual jokes. On the positive side, the survey found that three-quarters of students said they sometimes or often talked with their parents about dating topics, including how to tell if someone might be attracted to them. The survey, which researchers said was not a nationally representative sample, was conducted in schools in California, Connecticut, Indiana and Michigan. It has a margin of error of 2.6 percent. |
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