VAWnet News Blog

Today, I am an endurance athlete who has taken part in a long series of expeditions to face the most dangerous and hostile environments around the world. A few years ago, that’s how most people knew me: As an athlete whose career was marked by tremendous exploits. I’m the fastest female to run an ultra-marathon race on all seven continents, and I hold the Guinness world record in the longest-ever completed triathlon, among other things. But these weren’t the circumstances under which my chances of survival were the lowest. For many years before then, I fell victim to sexual violence and human trafficking.

At a Harvard-led event, researchers discuss how to prevent it.

DV calls are chaotic and dangerous, not only for victims and children, but for also for responding officers. It is a unique crime requiring unique knowledge and effective strategies for a safe response. Individual departments have respective policies and procedures for dispatching and responding to these calls for service. Likewise, officers are well trained in the use of non-lethal and weaponless defense. Nothing herein is designed to alter existing policies or tactics. Still, here are a few tips that I believe may help us stay safe:

Increasingly, domestic violence (DV) victim advocacy programs are being asked by funders and policy makers to describe not just whether and how their services are “evidence-based,” but what theory of change guides their work. In order to help DV programs respond to both of these demands, the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV) has created an online resource center that houses a great deal of free and accessible resources.

The Board of Directors for the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV) has announced the appointment of Heidi Notario, M.A. as an officer to the organization.

This type of trauma is something no child should ever experience. Whether you paint your left ring fingernail purple, or donate to support services for victims, your action is needed. Take the #PutTheNailinIt vow and join me today.