For the LOVE of pets

I love animals. It's true. I absolutely LOVE them. As someone who studies violence and crime, I am constantly amazed at the ability of humans to hurt, betray, and violate one another, while pets remain so loyal and committed to their people, regardless of the horrid circumstances they are put through. I'm sure you have heard the stories about dogs who get thrown out of cars or survive their owners and yet steadfastly wait for the owners to return. These stories break my heart and also show me just how loving animals can be. A human turns his/her back so quickly, but the animal never stops loving.

Today's blog entry is about the love of animals and the links they have in lives of violence and abuse.  Recently, two states (Kansas and Florida) have taken steps to include animals in their domestic violence policies and statutes. These changes, however, did not occur out of the blue. No, in fact, animal heroes brought this change. When a Great Dane in Kansas placed itself over it's female owners body to protect her, it instead endured great injury at the hands of the woman's boyfriend. The boyfriend was using both sides of a hammer to hit his partner and the dog instead received these blows (resulting in a number of broken bones). Eventually the boyfriend threw both his girlfriend and this heroic Great Dane out of a second-story window. Both dog and owner survived and found refuge at a shelter. The shelter did not allow pets, but made an exception because the woman would not leave her pet.  Since this time, the shelter, Rose Brooks Center, has began renovations including the addition of a pet-friendly wing, dog kennels, a walking trail, and a pet-friendly outdoor play yard.

In Florida, two new bills have been passed. These include the Animal Abuse Registry bill and the Domestic Violence Against Family Pets bill. Both of these are important pieces of legislation and I recommend you look into both. However, I'm going to focus on the latter of these because it is the first of it's kind and makes a clear link between pets and humans in abusive situations. The Domestic Violence Against Family Pets bill is called "Horatio's law".  Situations of domestic violence are often volatile. Abusers frequently inflict harm on family pets as a way to "get at" their victims. Horatio, an 8-year-old Catahoula (picture above), was beaten so badly that he nearly died. He didn't though. His loyalty and love for his person, however, did leave him with a permanent indention in his head, nerve damage, and he now must wear goggles when in the sunlight. Horatio, like the Great Dane described above, laid himself over the body of his elderly female owner as her own son violently attacked her.  The woman and dog survived, but Horatio has since found a new home after his owner passed away in December.  Horatio's law "redefined the term domestic violence to include inflicting, or attempting to inflict, physical injury against an animal owned, possessed, leased, kept, or held by one family or household member by another family or household member. It also includes placing a family or household member in fear of physical harm to a pet, which essentially widens the scope of the bill to include threats of violence against pets" (Dog Heirs).  

These cases or this news may not seem that important. But, I promise you it is. While working at a local Safehouse, I heard story after story about the violence pets experienced, the fear women faced leaving their pets behind, the stories of happiness they felt when finding out their pets could stay at a local shelter for free (this allowed the women, children, and pets to escape safely). I do, however, love the idea of having a separate pet-friendly wing so that animals and people can be together. Children, especially, do much better in these situations when their pets are with them.

And, though not stemming from a recent news story, I do want to mention that Oregon has been working to pass legislation that will allow judges to add animals belonging to victims to restraining orders under the Family Abuse Prevention Act (FAPA). And, Oregon is not the first. Maine passed this legislation and soon after 16 other states began including animals (Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Washington, West Virginia, and Vermont).

Below I've listed some other information that might bring to light the importance of these changes. The information is from the American Humane Society.

• 71% of pet-owning women entering women's shelters reported that their batterer had injured, maimed, killed or threatened family pets for revenge or to psychologically control victims 
• 13% of intentional animal abuse cases involve domestic violence
• Between 25% and 40% of battered women are unable to escape abusive situations because they worry about what will happen to their pets or livestock should they leave

Update: Domestic Violence Law REPEALED in Topeka

It's official, facing budget cuts, the misdemeanor domestic violence law in Topeka, Kansas has been repealed.

We all can do something about this. We need to take a stand. Calling is most effective, fax is next, then email.

There was a small protest at the courthouse during which one individual threw dice at the podium stating that the government was playing roulette with the lives of survivors.

They need our help!

http://www.kansascity.com/2011/10/12/3202359/domestic-violence-law-repealed.html

Rita Smith, E.D. of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence

 

William W. Bunten, Mayor of Topeka, 785-368-3895, voice 785-368-3850 fax

Email BBunten@Topeka.org.

 

City Council Office. 707-368-3710 (phone). 785-368-3909 (fax)

As soon as I get names, I will let you know.

 

Shawnee County District Attorney Chad Taylor SNCODA@snco.us

785-268-3710 (phone)

785-368-3909 (Fax)

 

Dan Stanley, Interim City Manager, the City Council delegated power to him to take action.

Phone: 785-368-3724

Fax: 785-368-3909

Cell Phone Donations for Abuse Victims

Need another way to get involved this month...next month...year around? It's easy. When you get a new phone (because so many of us want the newest, best, smartest phones) don't just throw away your old phone. It's okay to want a new phone--not a problem at all. But, help make change and improve the lives of others as you upgrade your plan.

Verizon does a couple of things to help end domestic violence. For example, they have what is called HopeLine. HopeLine is a project in which Verizon has teamed up with the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) on a listening tour. They're stopping in 8 different cities nationwide.

Additionally, HopeLine is Verizon's arm that collects no-longer-used phones and turns these into support for victims of abuse. Since HopeLine was launched in 2001, more than 8 million phones have been collected! Awesome! And, the Verizon Foundation also has a grant program which has given over $10 million cash grants to domestic violence organizations throughout the country.

The Journey of Hope occurring this month through Verizon has a Facebook page. Check it out, like it, and learn more about it.

Now, while I've focused on Verizon because I know it is actively involved in ending domestic violence, the other phone companies are also doing things to be active participants in our communities. Check out this website for a full listing of companies doing things. For example, AT&T has a program supporting the Troops. They've built a number of towers and provided pre-paid phone car services for soldiers abroad. The website talks about programs by Sprint, Virgin Mobile, Best Buy, Cricket, Phones for Food and more. All of these companies do things with cell phones that you no longer want.

New Documentary: "A Way to Justice"

The following is from UNAIDS (www.unaids.org):

A new documentary film following the lives of four people in Africa aims at challenging patriarchy, end men’s violence against women and promote gender equality. Produced by Sonke Gender Justice and MenEngage, the film titled A Way to Justice: Engaging Men for Women’s Rights and Gender Transformation focuses on gender, HIV and human rights issues.

“We need to build creative initiatives, to transform gender norms and break through cultural barriers to create new masculinities. By fostering women and men’s leadership for gender equality, we can succeed in creating safer, more just societies and stopping violence against women and girls.” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS.

Violence and the threat of violence hamper women and girls’ ability to adequately protect themselves from HIV infection and assert healthy decision making. The prevalence of forced first sex among adolescent girls younger than 15 years ranges between 11% and 45% globally. Adolescent girls and young women are among the most vulnerable groups to HIV infection.

In the film individuals speak about the difficulties they confronted and transcended. David Tamba, a Sierra Leonean fleeing from civil war whose wife was gang-raped by rebels, began working with other men in refugee camps. “All men were viewed as bad men. But there were also men who were peaceful, who equally suffered, so the way to turn the story around was to start talking to our colleague men and go out and campaign for gender equality and empowerment of women,” said Mr Tamba.

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You can also watch some of the film by clicking here. 

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I'd also like to draw your attention to another film, "Can't Just Fold Your Arms." This film follows 3 activists as they train, discuss, debate, and listen around the reality of South Africa over a period of two years. Read more about this film here. 

Sexual Assault, DV and long-term mental health

(Health.com) -- Women are drastically more likely to develop a mental disorder at some point in their lives if they have been the victim of rape, sexual assault, stalking, or intimate-partner violence, according to a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

While the connection between these harrowing experiences and poor mental health is hardly surprising, experts say the new findings highlight just how strongly the two problems are intertwined -- and how important it is for doctors and other health-care workers to ask women about past episodes of violence, even if they happened years ago.

"When professionals are treating women with depression or mental health issues, it's best to be clued in to the fact that violence might be behind [it]," says Andrea Gielen, Sc.D., director for the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore, who was not involved in the study.

Health.com: 10 things to say (and not say) to someone with depression

Researchers in Australia analyzed health data from a nationally representative sample of Australian women between the ages of 16 and 85. Episodes of sexual assault, stalking, and other "gender-based violence" were all too common, with 27% of the group reporting at least one episode of abuse.

Fifty-seven percent of the women with a history of abuse also had a history of depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress, substance abuse, or anxiety (including panic disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder), versus 28% of the women who had not experienced gender-based violence.

Among women who had been exposed to at least three different types of violence, the rate of mental disorders or substance abuse rose to 89%.

"The extent and strength of the association we found was surprising and very concerning," says lead author Susan Rees, Ph.D., a senior research fellow in psychiatry at the University of New South Wales, in Sydney.

Health.com: Subtle signs of bipolar disorder

Rees and her colleagues can't say for sure whether the mental health problems in the study were triggered by the violence, or whether women with preexisting mental health issues were more likely to experience violence. (They did, however, control for a range of potential mitigating factors, including socioeconomic status and a family history of psychiatric problems.)

But there is "ample evidence" that traumatic events -- especially interpersonal traumatic events, such as domestic abuse -- can trigger mental problems, Rees says.

Moreover, she adds, episodes of gender-based violence often occur very early in life, whereas mental disorders often don't surface until years later.

Rates of gender-based violence in the U.S. and Australia are comparable, so a study of this kind conducted in the U.S. would likely yield similar results, Rees says. Roughly one-fifth of women in the U.S. say they have experienced intimate-partner violence (which includes domestic abuse), stalking, or both, and 17% say they have been victims of rape or attempted rape, according to the study.

Health.com: Domestic violence and your health

The findings drive home that violence against women is a major public health concern.

"It underscores the impact on society as more than just the immediate consequences, more than just treating women in an emergency department for a violent injury," Gielen says.

Mental health specialists and providers of women's health services should collaborate and develop a unified approach to more effectively screen and treat mental health problems in women who have experienced violence, Rees and her colleagues say.

The U.S. has already taken a promising step in this direction, Gielen says. On Monday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued new guidelines for preventive care for women that, among other things, require all new health plans to offer no-cost domestic-violence screenings to women beginning in August 2012.

Health.com: Medical tests women need

"Almost every public health organization in the country recommends screening for violence, so we're in a really good situation to really move forward," Gielen says. "The big challenge, though, is to work toward what happens after screening: How do we make [screenings] maximally effective, to make sure they really help women?"

Those questions may soon be addressed in the federal Violence Against Women Act, which is up for reauthorization this year. The renewal of the law may provide opportunities for grants, community interventions, and training programs for mental health professionals, Gielen says.

"I think this study really sets up a very hopeful future for providing help to these women who really need it," she says.

Copyright Health Magazine 2010

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I came across this article today and it just screamed intersectionality. You know, the idea that no one person is the same and that consequently it is necessary to note the multiple dimensions of ones life. For example, race, age, sex, religion, experience, and of course, mental health.  I find that many people forget about mental health when considering intersectionality. In my opinion, this is a grave mistake. This article suggests that individuals who experience sexual assault and/or DV are at an increased likelihood of also experiencing lasting mental health issues. Makes sense I think. But, do we consider this when we see someone attempting to leave? Do we think about the mental health of a survivor years after the abuse has ended/been escaped?  Take note b/c the experience lasts a lifetime. We need to remember that everyone experiences things differently and we need to be sensitive to this.  

A few things to think about related to intersectionality: 

1) Do we need different programs/treatment for women of different sexual orientations? If you're in an opposite-sex or same-sex relationship, might the elements of abuse be different?

2) How might race affect the dynamics of abuse or help-seeking when experiencing violence (physical, emotional, psychological, etc) in an intimate relationship?

Any thoughts? I'd love to hear them :)

New Kansas domestic violence law goes into effect

There are a number of laws, initiatives, and programs in place to assist cases of domestic violence (as it is referred to by criminal justice personnel).  Many people might be aware of mandatory arrest laws or no-drop prosecution (future topics to be discussed in-depth on the blog), but for Kansas, a new law has just gone into effect. The law focuses heavily on repeat offenders and the idea of intervention strategies.  See what you think. 


TOPEKA — This month the most comprehensive domestic violence legislation ever passed in Kansas goes into effect. Originally passed by the 2010 legislature, House Bill 2517 was signed into law by former Governor Mark Parkinson in April 2010.

Recommended to the Kansas legislature by the Governor’s Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board, this law will assist the criminal justice system in documenting crimes associated with domestic violence.

This new law will improve tracking repeat domestic violence offenders by tagging files of men and women if there is an element of domestic violence in a case. This information will assist the courts, law enforcement, and advocacy groups to better respond to domestic violence offenses.

This legislation also requires the court system to order an assessment of the offender and recommend intervention treatment programs.

According to data from the Governor’s Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board, more than 20 women are killed each year in Kansas as a result of domestic violence. Nationally, domestic violence is one of the leading causes of injury to women. Data from the U.S. Department of Justice says that on average, three women are killed by their current or former partners each year.

Curt and Christie Brungardt of Hays, parents of the late Jana Mackey, were active supporters of this legislation. Mackey was a 25 year-old KU law student who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in Lawrence in 2008. Mackey was well-known throughout Kansas for her advocacy for women’s rights. As a young adult, Mackey served as a sexual assault and domestic violence advocate and served as one of the youngest lobbyists at the Kansas state capitol.

“We are very pleased with the actions of our legislature and Governor in addressing this serious issue,” said Christie Brungardt. “While we recognize that this new legislation alone will not stop domestic violence, it is an important step in the right direction.”

Here is video coverage discussing Kansas House Bill 2517 as well.

Women Changing the World: No More Silence

"Women who refuse to stay silent in the face of injustice, who persist in spite of overwhelming obstacles to use all legal avenues available in pursuit of their cause, these women have changed the world."


A new UN report has just been released reporting on women's access to justice in over 190 countries. The report begins by reminding readers that in 1911, only 2 countries allowed women to vote. This has since changed and women's voting rights are almost universal. The report, however, also includes evidence that 125 countries have laws in place outlawing "domestic violence." However, this leaves 66 participating countries without protections against such violence.


In my opinion, one of the most interesting facets of the report was the inclusion of how different women define and understand the concept of justice.  A woman from Uganda described the barriers faced when seeking justice. In order to report violence to the police, it would be her responsibility to raise money to fuel and hire a boat. Otherwise, no one will take you. She stated, "They always protect their fellow rich and powerful" when describing how boat owners refuse to help. Sounds a bit like an "old boys club."  Statements from other women also brought known concepts to the forefront. Women described the need for accountability and the feeling of revictimization. Needless to say, justice means many things and it seemed most often that women were easily able to define justice by describing the injustices they experienced.


A fantastic component of this newly released report was the inclusion of case examples where women have taken a stand against various injustices in their communities.  These cases included gains in the areas of marital rape, the right to be free from sexual harassment at work, reproductive rights, domestic violence legislation and enforcement, inheritance laws, and so much more. Read further about these gains (and others) by clicking here.  It seems unfathomable that women must still fight for the right to be heard, respected, and protected; yet, in many countries this seems to be the norm.  The women in these cases refuse to stay silent and experience injustice any longer.


When thinking about where we have to go from here, think about these numbers:
173 countries guarantee paid maternity leave
139 constitutions guarantee gender equality
125 countries outlaw domestic violence  
117 countries outlaw sexual harassment (This is an improvement; however, it excludes all of women working behind closed doors as domestic labor.)
117 countries have equal pay laws
115 countries guarantee women's equal property rights


Just a reminder, the report includes over 190 countries. These numbers are drastic improvements made over the last 30 years. My question, however, remains, where are all of the other countries in these numbers? Only 117 countries outlaw sexual harassment? Seems we have a long way to go still. So, what does the report suggest we can do? 


The report provides 10 approaches for making justice systems work for women. These include:
1) Support women's legal organizations
2) Support one-stop shops and specialized services to reduce attrition in the justice chain
3) Implement gender-sensitive law reform
          *Action is needed to repeal laws that explicitly discriminate against women; to extend the rule of law to protect women in the private domain, including from domestic violence; and to address the actual impact of laws on women’s lives.
4) Use quotas to boost the number of women legislators
5) Put women on the front line of law enforcement 
          *Data show that there is a correlation between the presence of women police officers and reporting of sexual assault.
6) Train judges and monitor decisions
7) Increase women's acceSs to to courts and truth commissions in conflict and post-conflict contexts
8) Implement gender-responsive reparations programs
          *Reparations are the most victim-focused justice mechanism and can be a critical vehicle for women’s recovery post-conflict. Reparations programmes must take account of all forms of sexual and gender-based violence, and include individual, community and symbolic measures, as well as access to services and land restitution. 
9) Invest in women's access to justice
10) Put gender equality at the heart of the Millennium Development Goals
To read more about these approaches for making change, go here.

What's in a word?

Domestic violence, intimate partner violence, violence against women, partner abuse, domestic terrorism, sexual assault, rape... the list could continue for at least another 5 lines. Alas, what's in a word? What does it really tell us? Are the words really that important if everyone understands? I mean, they do understand, right?

The term for violence between partners has long been debated. Historically domestic violence was the term used; however, problems arose when the term was looked at more critically and individuals began to recognize that partners don't always live in the same domicile and if we do consider all parties living under one roof, then won't we also need to consider violence between siblings?

Furthermore, though slowly changing, how do we account for violence between partners of all sexualities? Not all people are allowed to marry; thus, it's crucial we not use language that excludes the consideration of violence among all people, regardless of personal characteristics.

Also, what about the gendered nature of such language? We know statistically that men are more often perpetrators of violence toward women than are women toward men. Consequently, is it not more exact and correct to call a spade a spade and use the term violence against women?

A final piece of food for thought today is how the use of narrow or broad terms may impact various components of our battle to end violence against women.  If we use a narrow term, such as rape, how might that affect the feelings or understanding of a woman about her experience if she was not "raped" but was indeed sexually assaulted?  Does this contribute to her likelihood of trivializing, minimizing, or self-shaming and self-blaming?  Sexual assault is the crime that goes most underreported.  If we use language that allows or asks a woman to redefine her experience, she will be less likely to report it and seek physical and/or emotional support. Additionally, use of a broad term allows for a woman who has perhaps experienced multiple acts of sexual violence to understand each experience as such.

Critiques of broad language? Well, are you familiar with the phrase, "everything but the kitchen sink"?  Use of broad language can create a breakdown of communication between individuals as they attempt to understand exactly what happened. Moreover, it is much more difficult to accurately and effectively study and discuss 50 behaviors as opposed to 1 specific behavior. In other words, if you are interested in rape, then use the word rape. If you are discussing workplace sexual harassment, then use this term.  Similarly, use of terms such as domestic violence or intimate partner violence include a myriad of forms of violence: physical, emotional, economic, etc.

So, what's in a word? Quite a bit. The language we choose to use in our everyday lives can tell a person quite a lot about the ways we think about violence (or any other topic really).  Just think about the following:

• Rape vs. sexual assault vs. Non-consensual sexual interaction
• Female genital mutilation vs. Female genital cutting vs. Female circumcision
• Intimate partner abuse vs. Intimate partner assault vs. Intimate partner violence
• Same-sex intimate partner violence vs. Opposite-sex intimate partner violence
• Same-sex physical assault vs. Opposite-sex economic abuse
• Violence against women  vs. Violence

Is it important to know the couple is a teen dating couple versus an elderly couple? Is it important to know that the couple is same-sex or opposite-sex?

So, how do you feel about all of this? What comes to mind when you think of the word "assault"? Now, what about the word "abuse"?  Is it important? What words do you choose to use when discussing these topics? Let's get this dialogue rolling! No, seriously. Leave a comment. Tell me what you think and then come back later to see what others have said. So ask yourself: