I attended a panel on Domestic Violence on Thursday. The panelists that spoke at this event were: Ann Tapp, Executive Director of the Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Non-Violence, Jackie List Executive Director of Safe Shelter of St. Vrain, Jesse Cain Probation Officer for the Boulder Probation Department and Tracey Schlafer Executive Director of AMEND in Denver. I learned a lot from these panelists. They are so passionate about their commitment to end domestic violence. Domestic Violence can be physical, sexual, mental and emotional abuse to a person. Ann Tapp, defined Domestic Violence, as an individual who uses powerful dominance with whom they are intimate with. There are 1800 reports in Colorado from Domestic Violence, but sadly there are many victims that do not report their perpetrators out of fear. The behaviors that a person does when causing violence to another is by using power, control and coercion. A common trait of a perpetrator is to be manipulative. Notice that I am not talking about women or men in a category. From what panelists said, it is true that women are 70-90 percent victims. The facts are that women can also be perpetrators. Although their is a low percentile, both women and men can play opposite stereotypical roles in Domestic Violence. I went to this panel through Restoring the Soul. They create faith and community partnerships to develop Boulder County. They encourage faith congregations to collaborate with service agencies.
This non-profit has no religious association but encourages community development. If you are interested in learning more about this issue or want to volunteer to help end Domestic Violence please go to the following websites to learn more information.
Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Non-Violence (SPAN)
www.safehousealliance.org
Safe Shelter of St. Vrain Valley
www.safeshelterofstvrain.org/
http://www.courts.state.co.us/
AMEND Denver
www.amendinc.org
(303)832-6363
Thanks for reading & have a lovely weekend!
Rachelle
Student Staff
Center for Urban Connections
It's good to see yet another article written about the epidemic of domestic violence, however, there aren't too many who are writing about some simple solutions to help keep women alive while leaving an abusive relationship.
ReplyDeleteSusan Murphy-Milano, a 20 year veteran in the field, has written the prescription for safety in her new book, "Time's Up: A Guide on How to Leave an Abusive and Stalking Relationship."
In 20 years dealing with high risk and dangerous cases, Susan has never lost a victim on her watch. She has laid out unique procedures that she's used over the years so that every shelter system, and every professional that comes in contact with a victim, can use with success.
I hope you take the time to review the book and pass the information to your local sources.
http://www.amazon.com/Times-Up-Abusive-Stalking-Relationships/dp/1608443604/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277551533&sr=8-1