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.

While it [New York] has seen its homicide rate halved over the past 15 years, murders involving family members and romantic partners have barely budged, NYPD statistics show. Now, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio wants to change that. On Friday, he is set to announce the creation of a task force charged with developing an ambitious, citywide plan to tackle domestic violence.

The head of student services at St. Francis Xavier University says a new campus sexual violence policy should help shift the focus onto perpetrators rather than victims of violence. The university in Antigonish, N.S., officially launched its new sexual violence policy last week, after 18 months of consultations. The policy informs students of resources and support available in the community, and sets out the university’s reporting procedures on incidents of sexual violence.

The Center for Family Justice’s Training Institute is hosting numerous classes this month, aimed at teaching people more about domestic and sexual violence.

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.

Choking or otherwise blocking someone's breathing will become a felony in some instances in Pennsylvania under a new law being hailed by supporters as a valuable weapon against domestic violence. Choking often leads to escalating violence in abusive relationships, according to victim advocates and prosecutors, who say victims have trouble proving they were choked. Physical injury is not necessary to charge an alleged perpetrator under the bill that Gov. Wolf signed into law Wednesday.