When the pandemic began, many people in abusive relationships were locked down at home with the person harming them.

Asking survivors of domestic violence to get a restraining order or go to a shelter or hotel was not practical, said JAC Patrissi, a trauma clinician, author and founder of Growing a New Heart, a collective of professionals who work on issues including domestic violence and social justice. “People were looking for ways to address the spike in intimate partner violence under the conditions we were facing,” she said.

Read More

The post A Call for Change Helpline: Reaching domestic violence abusers who want to change appeared first on G.R.O.W. Foundation, Inc. ®.

The Federal Communications Commission is expected to pass new regulations on Wednesday aimed at making cellphones more useful tools for domestic violence survivors trying to escape dangerous situations.

The FCC will meet to review the final rules related to the Safe Connections Act of 2022 that will require telecommunications companies to adopt three programs for victims of domestic violence and other similar crimes:

Read More

The post FCC moves to help domestic violence victims with new rules around cellphones appeared first on G.R.O.W. Foundation, Inc. ®.

Sen. Tim Kaine recently announced two separate bills to support survivors and victims of sexual assault, domestic violence and/or gun violence.

Kaine introduced the Support for Universities and Colleges to Champion the Educational Success of Survivors, or SUCCESS, Act. This legislation is meant to support victims of sexual assault, and other violence, and provide them the tools necessary to succeed in universities.

Around 13% of all graduate and undergraduate students report experiencing sexual assault or violence, and tend to have a lower grade point average, according to End Rape on Campus; Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, or RAINN. The SUCCESS Act would provide funding for universities and colleges to increase mental health services, provide higher education re-entry assistance for survivors and increase training. It also allows for some financial and academic accommodations, according to the release.

The SUCCESS Act is endorsed by American Psychological Association, RAINN and Survivor Fund Hub, the release states.

The second bill introduced is the Lori Jackson-Nicolette Elias Domestic Violence Survivor Protection Act. This act protects survivors of domestic violence and gun violence, and was named after Lori Jackson of Connecticut and Nicolette Elias of Oregon, who were killed by their abusive partners using guns.

Read More

The post Sen. Kaine introduces bills to help survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and/or gun violence appeared first on G.R.O.W. Foundation, Inc. ®.

Impeding someone’s breath or circulation can be a felony under Texas law. It can be hands on the neck, a pillow over the face, even a forearm pressed against the windpipe — all of those are considered attempted strangulation in domestic violence circles.

Janet Langbein from Genesis Women’s Shelter in Dallas says four pounds of compression on an airway can knock someone out in a few seconds. More than a minute can be fatal.

Read More

The post Less pressure than it takes to crack an egg: The strangulation threat to domestic violence victims appeared first on G.R.O.W. Foundation, Inc. ®.