L.O.V.E.
Love is patient; love is kind and envies no one.
Love is never boastful, nor conceited, nor rude; never selfish, not quick to take offense.
There is nothing love cannot face; there is no limit to its faith, its hope, and endurance. In a word, there are three things that last forever: faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of them all is love.

Violence&Women

Domestic Violence

image3 (435K)Domestic violence is a pattern of behavior used by someone to establish power and control of one person over another, usually an intimate partner, through physical, psychological, emotional, verbal, sexual, and/or economic abuse. It happens between people who are, or have been, in an intimate relationship or are related to you.

What is Domestic Violence- See Post Card attached under Domestic Violence Includes







Sexual Violence

Sexual violence is a pervasive global health and human rights problem. In some countries approximately one in four women may experience sexual violence by an intimate partner. Sexual violence has profound immediate and long-term consequences on women's physical and mental health.

  • Physical consequences: Sexually transmitted infections including HIV, unintended pregnancy and subsequent unsafe abortion, and injuries including trauma to the reproductive tract.
  • Psychological effects: Post-traumatic stress disorder and depression or other serious effects such as suicide attempts.
  • Social consequences: Women who suffer from sexual violence often experience stigma and face rejection by partners, husbands, families, and communities.

If you are a Victim of Domestic Violence What can I do?

  1. image2 (292K)Develop a "Safety Plan" for escape in case of emergency and store it in a safe and secret place. Include: important phone numbers, a packed bag at a friend's house, code words to use to cue friends and family to call the police, sheriff.
  2. Alert friends and family to the problem
  3. Find a place to stay outside of the home that the abuser does not know about
  4. Get an Order of Protection if necessary : A Civil Protection Order (CPO) is a court order by a judge, lasting up to one year, designed to protect victims from contact with the abuser. The COP is delivered by an officer and orders the abuser, by law, to completely cease contact with you. If the abuser breaks this order, they can but put in jail. You can get a Civil Protection Order.

How Domestic Violence Affect Children

image7 (20K)Even if your children are not being abused, observing violence in your home leaves lasting affects on their development

An estimated 3 to 19 million children witness domestic violence in their homes

50% of men who abuse their female partners also abuse their children

Over 3 million suspected abuse and neglect cases are reported to public and child welfare agencies

Children from homes where their mothers are beaten suffer from severe eating and sleeping disturbances, have ulcers, rashes, headaches, depression and extreme anxiety

80% of teen runaways and homeless youth have some from violent homes

A boy from a home where his mother is being abused is 74% more likely to commit a violent act.

Children who witness domestic violence are 4 times as likely to be arrested eventually