Domestic violence is a public health crisis. It is not a family or a private issue. It is critical that we spotlight domestic violence to open the conversation on how to foster positive change, develop stronger partnerships with advocates, and increase support for survivors who are still scared to leave and living in silence.
By working together, we can create safer trauma-informed responses to survivors while pursuing abuser accountability.
Each of us has a responsibility to be part of the solution in addressing domestic balance and preventing future violence. Will you join us?
#dvam
#enddv
#nomore
#publichealthissue
#publichealthepidemic
#supportsurvivors
There is no excuse for domestic violence.
Abusers use tactics to maintain power and control such as verbal abuse threatening to come stalk the survivor if they try to leave.
#abuseisnotlove
#enddv
#nomore
#supportsurvivors
Domestic violence has both immediate and long-term impact on survivors. Effects of physical abuse can include bruises, cuts, and broken bones and ribs. Abuse can also create pregnancy complications such as miscarriages, unplanned pregnancies, STIs, and pelvic pain. Survivors can also experience mental abuse and suffer from constant fear of being hurt, stress, and self-doubt, causing a lack of confidence in decision-making and self-worth.
The long-term impact of domestic violence is quite devastating. The abuse survivors endure over years can start to present physically through problems such as arthritis, asthma, heart disease, chronic pain, and digestive issues such as irritable bowel syndrome and functional dyspepsia. The psychological trauma of domestic abuse can be the most debilitating. Long term effects of mental abuse can include PTSD, depression, suicidal ideation, substance abuse, and insomnia from stress and nightmares.
BUT it is possible to heal from domestic abuse after leaving. Survivors can find treatment and work through their trauma with qualified therapists. With friends and family, survivors can find unconditional love and support during the healing process.
#youareworthy
#enddv
#supportsurvivors
Domestic violence has long been thought of as a criminal justice problem. Healthcare was available to patch up the wounds, maybe provide some mental health support, maybe share info about shelters. But there has not been a systemic, holistic, health-focused response at U.S. health care facilities, overseen by trained and aware health professionals and social service partners.
Experts and advocates are now pushing for routine patient screenings and conversations about relationships — not just in emergency rooms but in a range of medical settings including primary care and particularly in pre-and post-natal care, because the time around childbirth is a
high-risk time for escalating abuse. According a 2021 study, homicide is the leading cause of death during pregnancy or the first year after birth in the United States. “Homicide during pregnancy or within 42 days of the end of pregnancy exceeded all the leading causes of maternal mortality by more than twofold,” Tulane University’s Maeve Wallace and her colleagues wrote in that study, which was published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Physicians and other health providers are forming closer collaborations with domestic violence organizations that have the know-how to help survivors, rather than handing them a brochure about shelters or an offer to call the police. Policymakers are also doing their part and making some of these approaches more consistent while providing incentives for looking harder at abuse as a factor in health. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a federal advisory board that ranks, evaluates and makes recommendations about health care screenings and preventive care, has endorsed screening for domestic abuse for women of reproductive age. That recommendation matters — not only does it encourage doctors to screen, it means there’s no cost to patients under the Affordable Care Act.
Read more ➡️politi.co/3eZhA7r
#supportsurvivors
*trigger warning: the following content contains descriptions of fantasies of violence against women.
A new trend on TikTok is the promotion of physical violence against women by young men. Young men are creating POV videos in which they fantasize about going on dates with women that turn violent. These videos present the scenario as a fantasy, romanticizing violence against women In making light of these “fantasies,” this trend is actually exacerbating the problem and is quite dangerous.
Some examples of the heavy violence against women described in these “fantasies” include:
“Imagine we smoke together and you start coughing so I graciously cover your mouth with a squishmallow until you pass out and die.”
“Imagine we go on a cute picnic date and I pull out a knife to cut some fruit but instead I cut [your] throat and you just f*cking die lol.”
“Imagine I take you to the Grand Canyon for our first date and I push you off the cliff and you fxcking die.”
Many young men participating in this trend have said that their videos are “jokes.” TikToker @divergentredhed has responded to these young men to educate people about the danger of making jokes about violence against women. Her videos feature snippets of the young men's POV videos on TikTok, followed by news article clips about real women who have lost their lives to men acting out the violence described by the young men on TikTok.
It is ironic that despite the violent nature of these videos, TikTok has avoided demeaning them as a violation of their content guidelines. Both real and fantasies promoting the perpetuation of violence against women is never ok and is not a laughing matter.
Learn more: bit.ly/3Nus2AA
#violenceagainstwomen #allmen #dobetter #domesticviolenceawareness #dvisnotajoke #survivors #tiktok
“Why didn’t you leave and get out?”
Evan Rachel Wood: “The fact that we’re still asking that question makes me realize just how much work there is to do and how severely misunderstood this issue is.”
Evan Rachel Wood shared how manipulative Marilyn Manson was, how he groomed her and multiple other women to be perfect victims for him. Manson would begin many of his relationships by convincing the new girlfriend that his previous partner was crazy and abusive in order to maintain his power and control over both, sealing their silence and lack of credibility. This cycle successfully allowed Manson to convince everyone else that these women were the crazy, lying, abusive ones– not him.
The fact that there are so many out there still blaming Wood for the abuse that happened to her at the hands of Manson show the immense need for education on domestic violence. We should be directing our attention on the abuser and the crime committed, not on the survivor for the crime endured.
#EvanRachelWood #phoenixrising #survivor #abuseisnotokay
After nearly 4 years since VAWA expired, Congress has renewed the Violence Against Women Act! Thank You to all those who helped make this happen!
#enddv #vawa4all #nomore #engagingmenandboys #ally #prevention #community #advocacy
👉Violence against women is not a Women’s issue.
🙏Thank you, @feministabulous, for using your voice and space to shine a bright light on this silent epidemic.
#enddv #nomore #solution #prevention #allyship #healthyrelationships #vawa
Why doesn’t he/she just leave?
Domestic violence cases are complex. It is not always safe nor financially feasible for a survivor to leave an abuser.
Abusers are experts at the art of manipulation and survivors often do not leave due to:
-Fear and Control-
Abusers often make survivors fearful of them through threats of physical and sexual violence. As survivors become increasingly isolated from loved ones, leaving their abusers becomes dangerous and, in some cases, fatal.
-Accommodation, Childcare, Support, and Finances-
Many survivors feel they cannot provide a stable financial and familial environment for themselves and their children if they leave their abuser and father of their children. Individuals with insecure immigration status and LGBTQ- identifying individuals may have added social barriers preventing them from seeking help from law enforcement or social services.
-Stigma and Shame-
Survivors often face embarrassment and shame in being a victim of abuse and feel blamed for their abusive situation.
-Love-
Many survivors tend to remain silent about residual feelings for abusers, which can be dangerous in and of itself. If survivors feel they cannot express their love for their abusers, we risk alienating them and further isolating them - and that's exactly what abusers want.
Learn more: Beckysfund.org
#abuseisnotokay #domesticviolenceawareness #coercivecontrol #Loveshouldnothurt #stopvictimblaming
According to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), reproductive coercion is a type of abuse where an abuser exerts power and control over a victim’s reproductive health and reproductive decisions.
Birth control sabotage is the most common form of reproductive abuse. Birth control sabotage includes hiding, destroying, and withholding contraceptives or failing to carry out the agreed-upon pull-out method. In sabotaging birth control, abusers maintain an imbalance of power in relationships and may even coerce partners into becoming pregnant.
Unplanned pregnancies along with the inevitable trauma experienced from reproductive abuse, can have long-term repercussions on survivors. It is critical to advocate for teens who are dealing with reproductive abuse in their relationships and help them understand that there is support available. Abusers most likely control different aspects of survivors’ lives, making it difficult for survivors to leave. We must not shame survivors but instead reprimand abusers and criminalize their manipulative tactics and acts of abuse.
Learn more: Beckysfund.org
#reproductivecoercion #reproductiveabuse #consent #tdvam #teendatingviolenceawarenessmonth
TW********
Sexual violence is never ok.
Sexual violence and verbal abuse in the Metaverse is not ok.
Telling women to use the security feature to block someone from being virtually abusive is not ok and not enough. It’s called victim-blaming. Women should not have to avoid being a victim; rather, men need to be held accountable for their abusive actions and words.
Com on, @meta, do better. Condemn and police abusive behavior and be part of the solution, not the problem in ending gender-based violence.
#accountability #supportsurvivors #digitalabuse #nomore
Join the Day of Action for the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) today at 12:15 pm EST/9:15 am PT!
Take action in today’s virtual rally to advocate for the reauthorization of the bipartisan Violence Against Women Act now. Rally virtually, raise awareness through social media, and take action by calling your senators!
Help reauthorize VAWA and help improve our government’s response to domestic violence, sexual violence, and stalking. The reauthorization of VAWA will help end gender-based violence and protect ALL survivors! https://www.facebook.com/FuturesWithoutViolence
#VAWA4ALL
THANK YOU.
Thank you for stepping up and giving to end domestic violence with Becky’s Fund this Giving Tuesday. With your help, we were able to raise over $10,000!
Your gift to Becky’s Fund will provide specialized support for survivors to empower them to leave safely and quietly from the abuser. Your donation also supports Becky’s Fund’s critical prevention education for young people and community advocacy efforts.
In gratitude,
Becky’s Fund
If you missed the Giving Tuesday deadline but still would like to donate, you can donate at bit.ly/3I33Wu9
Tomorrow’s the day - Giving Tuesday!
We invite you to join Becky’s Fund tomorrow, November 30 at 8AM EST/5AM PST for #GivingTuesday in our efforts to end and prevent domestic violence through advocacy, education, and direct services to survivors. Becky’s Fund is able to drive change only through the generous support of people like you so we hope you will join us in our mission to end domestic violence together.
Starting at 8 a.m. EST on Tuesday, November 30, Meta will be matching up to $8 million in donations made through Facebook and charges no fees on donations so all of the money raised will go towards our goal with your gift being doubled through Meta's match.
People often wonder why survivors of domestic violence don’t “just leave” their abusive relationship or why they hesitate to get help. This question is problematic as it shifts the blame for the abuse on the survivor not the perpetrator. We want to change the conversation and encourage people to instead ask, “What can I do to support you in what’s happening? How can I help you get to where you need to go next?” Additionally, it is not always easy to "just leave." The Department of Justice states that a woman is 75% more likely to be killed when she tries to leave the abusive relationship.
In response to the increase and impact of domestic violence during COVID-19, Becky’s Fund developed the mobile phone app ENDOVI as a solution and tool to support survivors in leaving their abuse safely and quietly. ENDOVI will help change the future for survivors, allowing them to discreetly and safely begin their exit out and journey to freedom. Through your support on #GivingTuesday, Becky’s Fund will be able to expand ENDOVI to support more survivors leaving their abuse.
🌼Will you help us?
We invite you to give to #EndDV.
Donate at bit.ly/3I33Wu9 and help us create a brighter future where healthy relationships flourish.
📣We must STOP using passive language to talk about sexual violence against women and girls.
🚩The passive way in which we talk about sexual violence against women
shifts the blame away from the perpetrator
and onto the survivor for not doing more or enough to avoid being victimized.
📣It is time we stop burdening survivors with the task of ending rape culture and instead place pressure on the community to call out bad behavior and hold perpetrators accountable.
#nomore #accountability #stopvictimblaming #supportsurvivors
Time to flip the narrative.
Instead of blaming the victim, let’s teach how not to commit sexual assault.
#supportsurvivors #accountability #stopvictimblaming
Abuse is a choice,
not something that is caused by someone experiencing child abuse.
It is natural to want to find an explanation for why someone is harming you. Experiencing trauma such as child abuse can have negative lasting effects, but this trauma does not cause someone to abuse their partner. A partner who is using their past to justify their choice to abuse is making excuses and failing to take accountability for their actions.
It is common for abusive partners to redirect blame and responsibility from themselves and onto their partner. This act of redirecting the reason for abuse is an example of gaslighting, which is a form of emotional abuse.
Abuse is never your fault. Abuse is not love. Learn about healthy relationships at beckysfund.org.
#abuseis #gaslighting #accountability #enddv
We stand in solidarity with @thatguyscotland :
It takes all of us to be part of the solution in ending and preventing gender-based violence.
BE THAT guy who recognizes the problem and actively decides to be part of the solution in creating a safer, more equitable community where healthy relationships can flourish.
#enddv #nomore #togetherwecan #menofcode #dvam2021
By learning and practicing intervention strategies, these Men of CODE can be part of the solution by preventing gender-based violence and for showing others how to be an ally to women and girls.
#nomore
#enddv
#masculinity
#leadership
#bystanderintervention
RARE
I needed to find out what that word was for me, because I felt
so less than
in past relationships, and never really felt
equal.
Rare [embodies the way I want to live my life for me.]”
- @selenagomez
#rare
#youareworthy
#equal
#loveis
#loveyourself
#healthyrelationship
#mentalhealth
Thank you, @toryburch, for your leadership, commitment and support for our mission to end and prevent domestic violence. Through our past event and partnership, we raised $950 which will help us continue our critical mission:
🌻Empowering survivors to leave abuse safely and
Teaching youth how to build healthy, happy relationships.
Thank YOU for joining us as we work towards creating a future where healthy relationships can thrive free from violence and fear.
#thankyou
#gratitude
#supportsurvivors
#menofcode
#enddv
#nomore
#prevention
TOMORROW from 12-6 PM, visit or call into the Georgetown Tory Burch to support survivors of domestic violence & fund the future of intervention/prevention programs at Becky's Fund!
RSVP: [email protected]
May is Mental Health Awareness Month
and
TODAY is the first Mental Health Action Day!
> Please take time today to stop,
> reflect on your mental health,
> and take action on your own mental health.
From reaching out to a friend to taking 5 minutes to meditate or taking a short walk outside, taking action on your mental health can be easier than you think.
-->If you don't know where to start, take action by going to -MentalHealthisHealth.us
#mentalhealth
#mentalhealthawareness
#mentalhealthwellness
#mentalhealthsupport
#mindbody
#itsoktonotbeok
#mentalabuseawareness
#CoerciveControl
Married At First Sight displays Toxic Behaviors.
Buy art. End domestic violence.
Today, on Feb 9, Wear Orange Day, we come together in solidarity to bring awareness to dating violence and show our support for survivors.
What are some red flags of an abusive relationship?
