VAWnet News Blog

The Texas Council on Family Violence and the Center Against Sexual and Family Violence on Wednesday recognized members of El Paso’s legislative delegation for their efforts in passing legislation providing those resources during the 84th Legislature that wrapped up last month.

Gov. Maggie Hassan has signed a new law to increase the state’s marriage license fee by $5 and begin fining domestic violence offenders.

“Children and very young babies can sense the fear in their parent and that has a profound impact … the relationship between the baby and the child’s primary carer, usually the mother, is critical to that child’s development,” she said.

“Research shows that there’s a number of harmful effects on children [including] behavioural problems, learning difficulties, anxiety, [and] some children show signs of post-traumatic stress disorder [as well as] a whole range of learning behaviours,” he said.

One woman comes forward in an effort to rethink and change the conversation surrounding sexual assault. Fuchs said “it was OK to speak out. Just as importantly, she had come to think of those who saw her being raped not as accidental accomplices in a horrific crime, but as victims themselves.”

As many as 80 percent of the girls in some states’ juvenile justice systems have a history of sexual or physical abuse, according to a report released Thursday. The report, a rare examination of their plight, recommends that girls who have been sexually trafficked no longer be arrested on prostitution charges.