I resisted therapy until I was well into full-fledged adulthood, at which point I had earned my masters degree in social work and felt qualified enough to engage others in the counseling and coaching process. What I didn’t know then was how powerful self-discovery can be to personal empowerment (the process of gaining control over one’s own life), and to the journey of healing and resilience.
VAWnet News Blog
As advocates, we have a responsibility to understand the intersection of sexual violence and HIV and AIDS as part of supporting survivors to our best ability.
With Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) behind us, the question is: how can we motivate our communities to stay involved? Domestic violence awareness goes beyond a purple ribbon and a powerful speech. It’s more than the poster, the walk, and the candlelight vigil. Domestic violence awareness is the ability to change people’s mindsets about its very nature and impact on all of us, and to inspire passion for social change long after DVAM comes to an end.
For Domestic Violence Awareness Month and beyond, the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV) wants to draw attention to the role of collective resilience as a transformative response to the violence and trauma experienced by our communities.
Reunification after child sexual abuse is a topic that can bring up intense feelings, but the reality is that many who are convicted of a crime and sent to jail or prison do eventually return to their homes and communities.
We know that sexual violence affects every nation, population, and culture. But conflict and displacement can heighten vulnerabilities and diminish protective factors, increasing refugees’ and asylum seekers’ risk of experiencing sexual violence while decreasing or interrupting their access to vital survivor services.