WomensLaw.org Reports

Action Alert: Never Again! What just happened in Kansas?

2011-10-13T12:57:00.000-07:00

In September, Taylor announced that due to budget cuts he would no longer prosecute DV misdemeanors, which essentially decriminalized domestic violence and left abused women with severely limited legal protections. After an outcry from domestic violence advocates, including a strong response by KCSDV, the DA reversed his original position and said he would restart prosecuting DV at the county level.

Read Topeka’s announcement on Tuesday in the New York Times (10/11) and Taylor’s response on ABC News (10/12).

If you live in Kansas, read your legal protections on WomensLaw.org, contact a local shelter or write to our Email Hotline for individual support.

WomensLaw and NNEDV remain committed to ending violence against women. NNEDV President Sue Else stated, “It is unconscionable to attempt to balance budgets on the backs of victims of domestic violence, putting them in greater danger of serious injury or death. Holding perpetrators of domestic violence accountable is a cornerstone of public health and safety. We urge the local government to fully fund the prosecution of all domestic violence cases today. We cannot afford to wait."

DVAM!

2011-10-13T12:32:00.000-07:00

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). It is the month to remember the 1 in every 4 women who are abused by an intimate partner and the month to speak up about the issue! Now, more than ever, is the time to raise awareness that domestic violence still exists. At WomensLaw, a project of NNEDV, we are committed to doing just that: providing easy-to-understand legal information, responding to requests for help through the Email Hotline, and keeping you up-to-date with DV news through our blog, Twitter and Facebook pages. Thanks to the great efforts by similar organizations, this October stands out as a particularly informative month about domestic violence awareness. Many advocates and supporters are wearing purple, joining in rallies and marches, President Obama spoke about raising awareness, and Anderson Cooper did a television special. And there’s still over half of the month to go!

How can you support DVAM? Here are some ideas:

Wear purple and be sure tell people why.
Volunteer with a local organization.
Support a Clothesline Project.
Stay informed about local and national events by following #DVAM on Twitter.
Donate to WomensLaw!
Take the Courageous Bystander Pledge or one like it.

No matter which option you choose, you’ll be taking an incredibly important step in fighting to end DV. Despite all of this progress, there is still work to be done. The recent proposal to decriminalize domestic violence in Topeka, KS is a reminder of why raising awareness about domestic violence is so important. (Read more about domestic violence prosecution in Kansas on the New York Times and Huffington Post.) Domestic violence affects people’s lives every day.

Which leads us to the most important part, the reason we need to restart this blog: while devoting a month to raising awareness is something to be celebrated, our efforts cannot stop on October 31. Follow WomensLaw Reports as we highlight legal information, ways to find help for yourself or a loved one, and news about community organizations working to end DV. WomensLaw Reports will look at different parts of the movement to end violence against women, starting by featuring community events devoted to DVAM. November will bring a different focus. For now, we plan on wearing purple and working to ensure that officials in Topeka know we will stand together in the fight to end domestic violence.

Snapshot of Domestic Violence Services Across the U.S.

2011-02-01T09:18:00.000-08:00

A new survey conducted by the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) reveals telling information about domestic violence services in the U.S. On September 15, 2010 – one 24-hour period – domestic violence victim advocates served more than 70,000 adults and children and answered more than 20,000 emergency hotline calls. During the same 24 hours, more than 9,000 requests for services went unmet, largely due to lack of funding.

Though the economy does not cause domestic violence, factors associated with economic uncertainties can increase the severity and frequency of abuse. At the same time, options for survivors to escape can be more limited. More than 80 percent of local domestic violence programs reported an increased demand for their services while nearly the same number reported decreases in funding.

“The economy is exacerbating domestic violence, and victim advocates across the country are struggling to do more with less,” said Sue Else, president of NNEDV. “Despite the immense challenges, local programs are providing life-saving services to so many survivors of domestic and sexual violence.”

Each year, NNEDV conducts a 24-hour survey of local domestic violence programs. In addition to the number of victims served, more than 30,000 individuals attended 1,240 training sessions provided by local domestic violence programs to help prevent violence.

Across the nation on September 15, 2010, three women were murdered by their intimate partners. Thirty-six babies were born to mothers living in domestic violence shelters. Three-hundred-ninety-one survivors started new jobs. Three men committed suicide – one after murdering his wife, another after a failed attempt to kill his girlfriend, and the third after holding his partner hostage and a standoff with the police.

In 2010, 1,747 local domestic violence programs, or 91 percent, submitted their 24-hour counts for September 15. The full National Domestic Violence Counts 2010 are available online at http://www.nnedv.org/census.

"Love the Way You Lie" sending what kind of message?

2010-08-11T14:17:00.001-07:00

The recent release of “Love the Way You Lie,” Eminem’s new collaboration with Rihanna, has generated a heated debate over whether Rihanna is sending the wrong message to victims of domestic violence. The song’s graphic music video, which stars Megan Fox and Dominic Monaghan, has garnered nearly 20 million hits on you-tube and depicts a couple caught in a vicious, abusive relationship. The song has been both criticized and praised: for glamorizing domestic violence, and for shedding light on the issue.

Both Rihanna and Eminem have personal experience with abusive relationships, although from radically different perspectives. Eminem has been investigated for domestic violence and criticized for songs that glorify violence against women. Rihanna, on the other hand, was the victim of a high-profile assault in 2009 by then-boyfriend Chris Brown, and has since become an unwitting spokesperson for domestic abuse victims.

Rihanna sings the refrain “Just gonna stand there and watch me burn/that’s alright because I like the way it hurts.” Many people feel that these lyrics endorse the cycle of domestic abuse, rather than condemn it, sending a disempowering message to victims of abuse. Others feel that the song is attempting to convey the psychological difficulties faced by those trying to leave abusive relationships.

Rihanna justified her decision to participate in this song by saying, “It’s something that [Eminem and I have] both experienced on different sides, different ends of the table…It was authentic. It was real. He [Eminem] pretty much just broke down the cycle of domestic violence and it’s something that a lot of people don’t have a lot of insight on, so this song is really powerful.”

If you or someone you know is trying to leave an abusive relationship, visit WomensLaw.org for information on how to stay safe.

Report Clears Paterson, but Exposes NYPD Failures

2010-07-30T07:33:00.000-07:00

A report released by the NY Attorney General’s office this Wednesday, July 28, clears Governor Paterson of criminal charges relating to his alleged role in attempting to cover up domestic violence claims against a former top aide. The report investigated whether Paterson and the New York State Police became improperly involved in an incident of domestic violence between Paterson’s long-term aide David W. Johnson and his then-girlfriend, Sherr-Una Booker. The report, by Judge Judith S. Kaye, former chief judge of the State Appellate Court and independent counsel to the New York office of the Attorney General, says that while Paterson made “errors of judgment,” he did not break any laws.

Even though Paterson is criminally vindicated in this case, the report does highlight some revealing failures on the part of the New York Police Department which have serious implications for victims of domestic violence. The domestic dispute between Johnson and Booker occurred on October 31st, 2009, and allegedly involved Johnson physically attacking Booker: choking her, throwing her against a dresser, and tearing off her clothes. The report states that evidence reveals “errors in the NYPD response to the incident.”

In fact, Booker made three phone calls to the NYPD to report a domestic violence incident and request assistance. Booker’s 911 call was categorized as a “dispute” and therefore a “low priority call.” The patrol car assigned to respond to Booker’s request for assistance first attended a car accident (waiting for the car to be towed before leaving the scene) and then to a landlord-tenant dispute before finally moving on to Booker’s residence. Shockingly, but not unusually, it took the NYPD a full hour and a half to arrive at her apartment.

When they DID arrive, the NYPD patrol officers did not adequately respond to Booker’s reports that she was strangled. The incident was classified as "harassment" because the officers did not see visible injuries on Booker’s body. “Harassment” is a violation that is prosecutable, but is not considered a crime under New York Law. Because the NYPD officers saw no visible injuries and did not witness the altercation between Johnson and Booker, the only recourse they offered Booker was to file for a civil order of protection in the Bronx Family Court – even though Booker was afraid that Johnson would return to her apartment that night to “finish the job.”

This report highlights just a few of the obstacles faced by victims of domestic violence when they report an incident of abuse - delayed police responses, which could have a critical impact on the safety of the victim, and the difficulty for a victim to get the police to arrest an abuser whose actions are classified as harassment, before any visible bruising or markings appear that support a victims claim of choking or other assault.

For state-by-state legal information, to read the actual laws in your state, and to find resources for women living with or escaping domestic violence or sexual assault, please visit www.WomensLaw.org

Obama Signs New Tribal Law and Order Act into Law!

2010-07-29T11:17:00.000-07:00

Great news! A new Tribal Law and Order Act (TLOA) will be signed into law by President Obama today. The law, which revises the 1968 Indian Civil Rights Act, will clear up some obscurities in the relationship between federal and tribal laws, in order to combat the persistent problem of violence among Native Americans. It is a significant move forward in the effort to achieve justice for victims of violence on reservations, particularly women victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

In the most recent Bureau of Justice Statistics report on American Indians and Crime, a comprehensive study spanning most of the 1990s, Native Americans were found to be the victims of violent crime at more than twice the national rate. The problem especially affects women: according to Amnesty International, over a third of Indian and Alaska Native women will be raped in their lifetime. Enacted in response to these significant concerns, President Obama called this new law an “important step to help the federal government better address the unique public safety challenges that confront tribal communities.” The president said that in some Native American communities, the violent crime rates are more than 10 times the national average, the LA Times reports.

In the recent past, federal laws regulating Native American life have been few and far between. Tribal law differs significantly from tribe to tribe among each of the 560+ federally recognized Nations. The TLOA, first introduced in 2009, is designed to improve cooperation between federal, local, and tribal law enforcement. The law clearly authorizes collaboration between tribal and other jurisdictions. This means that if tribal law enforcement is in hot pursuit of someone who leaves their territory, they will be able to effectively coordinate with local law enforcement. Additionally, the TLOA gives tribal governments access to important national criminal databases, and creates a new federal office, the Office of Indian Country Crime, to improve communication between federal and tribal governments. The Indian Health Service, the federal department charged with ensuring Native American Health, will also be required to put consistent sexual assault protocol into operation.

Significantly, the new law also authorizes tribal governments to assign prison terms of up to three years. Under the 1968 law, tribal courts could impose criminal sentences of up to one year, but they were not bound by the 6th Amendment, which ensures the right to legal counsel. Under the new TLOA, tribal governments will have the option to assign longer prison sentences, however if they wish to participate in the three-year provision, they must provide attorneys for their defendants.

Signing the new TLOA into law will improve the efficiency of tribal governments to catch and prosecute criminals, will give tribal courts the ability to impose stricter sentences, and will establish more comprehensive rules regarding the collection of data on crime – all of which will contribute tremendously to the fight against domestic violence and sexual assault in Native American communities.

Visit www.WomensLaw.org to learn more about tribal laws, for information on tribal protection orders and to access other online resources for domestic violence on tribal land.

New Domestic Violence Laws Incorporate Use of GPS Technology

2010-07-20T14:59:00.000-07:00

GPS tracking is gaining traction in multiple states as a tool with which to fight domestic violence.

On Tuesday, a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that police acted legally in using GPS technology to track a man accused of stalking a woman. Police placed a GPS device in the car of the suspect, which enabled them to collect the evidence necessary to arrest him. The suspect appealed, arguing that the GPS tracking violated his constitutional rights, but his appeal was overruled, giving state police the authority to use GPS technology in their efforts to combat stalking, and other crimes.

Another use of GPS technology is being initiated in Connecticut. Starting on October 1, a GPS monitoring system will be activated to track abusers who violate protective orders against them. The program, called First Alert, will notify victims of domestic violence when their abusers come within a certain distance. The Connecticut GPS program gained support this spring after several high-profile domestic violence homicides which could potentially have been avoided had victims known that their abusers were breaching the proscribed buffer-zone of protection. The program will be piloted for 6 months unless more funding can be secured. Those offenders who can afford it will be billed for the cost of the GPS monitoring equipment.

A new law in Kentucky has just gone into effect that requires some domestic violence offenders to wear a GPS transmitter around their ankle. The transmitters notify the police if an offender penetrates what is called an “exclusion zone” - an area established to keep offenders away from victims. Like in Connecticut, if ordered to wear a GPS transmitter by a judge, the offender will have to pay for the cost of the device – at a cost of approximately $12 per day.

If you’re an advocate interested in learning more about how new technologies can be used to protect victims of domestic violence, as well as how new technologies can become tools of abuse in the hands of offenders, check out Safety Net Project.

Tapes of Mel Gibson Prove Domestic Violence is Everywhere. But Are They Admissible in Court?

2010-07-15T13:24:00.000-07:00

In a tape released Monday, actor Mel Gibson acknowledges an incident in which he hit former girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva twice while she held their baby daughter. In his verbally abusive tirade, Gibson not only admits to the incident, he tells Grigorieva that she deserved it. The legal admissibility of the tape is dubious, because in California, "both parties must consent to have a phone conversation recorded," according to the LA Times. But it may still be admissible in court, the Times adds, because some legal exceptions are made for victims of violence.

While it is important for victims of domestic violence to collect evidence against their abuser, each state has its own laws about what evidence you can use in court. And while aggressive, harassing phone calls are a form of domestic abuse, in most states it is considered a misdemeanor or felony to tape a phone conversation without the consent of the other party. In California, for instance, both parties must be aware that they are being taped, otherwise recording a conversation carries the same penalty as intercepting telephone or wire communications. So it has yet to be seen whether the tapes made by Grigorieva, however damning, will be admissible in court. And she may face penalties for making the tapes. (For state-by-state information on taping phone calls and conversations, go to: http://www.rcfp.org/taping/states.html)

And it is important to remember that there are other ways to build a strong domestic violence case in court. In most states, evidence can include:
• Testimony in court (from you or your witnesses)
• Medical reports of injuries from the abuse
• Police reports for when you or a witness called the police
• Pictures of your injuries (better if they are dated)
• Household objects torn or broken by the abuser
• Pictures of your household in disarray after an episode of domestic violence
• Weapons used
• Tapes of calls you may have made to 911
• Certified copies of the abuser’s criminal record (try to get these through the clerk of criminal court)
• A personal diary or calendar in which you documented the abuse as it happened
• Anything else that might help convince the judge.

The significance of this case for victims of domestic violence goes above and beyond the legal validity of the leaked tape, however. According to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, "nearly 5.3 million incidents of domestic violence occur each year among U.S. women ages 18 and older." Most of those incidents lack the high profile luster of a Mel Gibson or a Chris Brown, but they have the same destructive impact on individual lives and families around the country. The leaked tapes of Gibson may or may not ultimately be the evidence used to convict Gibson, but they certainly have shed a spotlight on domestic violence - which can only strengthen the fight against it.

Woman in Extra-marital Affair Denied a Protection Order in New York

2010-07-09T09:49:00.000-07:00

Last year, Jessica D. filed for a family court order of protection against a man with whom she was having an extra-marital affair. The man had become violent and had threatened to kill her, and she was concerned for her own safety, as well as the safety of her husband and child. The court acknowledged that Jessica D.’s relationship with this man met “the statutory standards of intimacy,” and she was granted a temporary ex parte order of protection on her first court date. However, at the next hearing, her petition was dismissed by the Family Court of Madison County on the grounds that it “violated public policy,” and she was encouraged to seek an order of protection in criminal court instead. Part of the court’s justification was that an order of protection was supposed to prevent family disruption – to help preserve the institution of marriage and “keep the family unit intact” – not sanction and protect someone having an extra-marital relationship. In other words, as a married woman, living with her husband and 6 year-old daughter, Jessica D.’s relationship with another man was socially unacceptable, and therefore the court refused to grant her legal protection.

The Law and Moral Judgment of the Court

At the heart of the issue is whether Family Court had the right to deny a petition made by a married woman against an individual with whom she was having a sexual relationship who was not her husband. Family Court has authority over certain crimes known as “family offenses” that take place between members of the same family or household, including people who are not married but have a child in common. And in 2008, this was expanded to include “intimate relationships” between people who were never married and never had a child in common, including same-sex and heterosexual dating partners. So when the Family Court of Madison County denied Jessica D.’s petition for an order of protection on the grounds of “public policy”, it was going against the letter and intention of the law.

Appealing the Ruling

Jessica D. appealed this ruling to the appellate court, and on June 24, 2010, she successfully had the ruling reversed! While the scope of the ruling is limited to the counties within that specific judicial district, this is a significant victory with important implications for victims of domestic violence in New York.

The ruling of the appeals court sets a precedent. Now, even in cases where a woman is living with her spouse/partner, she may receive an order of protection against an abuser with whom she has had an intimate relationship outside of this relationship.
Hopefully, this ruling will act as a deterrent to other courts that might have been inclined to similarly deny an order of protection based on the relationship between the victim and the abuser – and whether they considered it “socially acceptable” or not.

The Family Court of Madison County erroneously denied Jessica D.’s petition for an order of protection as a means of preserving the social unit of marriage, which it gave, in this case, more importance than the safety of the victim or her family. The reversal of this ruling is an important bolster to the legislation and its purpose: offering protection to victims of domestic violence, without placing judgment on the nature of relationship between victim and abuser.

States Move Forwards on Making Strangulation a Crime

2010-07-01T10:39:00.000-07:00

What do you mean? Strangulation isn’t already considered a crime?

So far only 29 states have passed legislation that classifies the act of strangulation as a specific crime and increases sentences for offenders who have non-fatally strangled a victim. This may soon be the case for Ohio and New York, 2 states that do not currently treat strangulation as a felony in and of itself, but rather place it in a general category of assault or domestic abuse.

Strangulation is used by abusers to assert control, power, and psychological terror over their victims. It can also easily lead to fatal results. Historically, one of the problems with prosecuting strangulation has been that in many cases there is no visible evidence of injury, and where physical evidence was lacking, strangulation was not treated as a serious offense. Yet 10% of violent deaths in the U.S. each year are due to strangulation, and the majority of victims are women.

Ohio lawmakers have recently moved to support legislation that makes strangulation a felony. Similarly, in New York, Democratic State Senator Eric Schneiderman has sponsored a bill entitled “The Strangulation Prevention Act 2010” which, when approved, will increase penalties for assaults that involve “impeding or impairing another person’s breathing or circulation.” This is great news: having a specific law against strangulation plays an important role in protecting victims of domestic violence.

Strangulation a warning sign for murder?

Research has demonstrated a link between assaults involving strangulation and fatal incidents of domestic violence. A 2008 study in the Journal of Emergency Medicine analyzed 300 murders in 11 U.S. cities and showed that 43% of women who had been murdered in domestic assaults and 45% of attempted murder victims had been strangled in the previous year by their male partners.

Victims of strangulation are at higher risk of being murdered by their partners in the future. Passing legislation that specifically designates strangulation as a crime is an important step towards decreasing the number of fatalities associated with domestic assault. But in addition to making legislative changes, states need to sensitize law enforcement officials to recognize the severity of strangulation and investigate and act accordingly, especially in light of the fact that so often there are no visible injuries.

Click here to read the “Strangulation Prevention Act 2010” in its entirety or here for more information on strangulation. Go to WomensLaw.org for state-specific legal information on domestic violence and sexual assault.

No-Fault Divorce and Domestic Violence

2010-06-22T13:32:00.000-07:00

Last week, New York’s State Senate approved a bill that puts New York on track to become the 50th state to adopt no-fault divorce. Supporters of the bill feel it’s about time. California was the first state to pass no-fault divorce legislation nearly 40 years ago, and since then, all states except New York have done the same.

So what is no-fault divorce? And what kind of societal impact could the adoption of a no-fault divorce law have in New York?

No-fault divorce gives married couples the ability to end their marriage without having to prove that one spouse or the other is to blame. Currently, in order to obtain a divorce in New York, one party must prove that the other is “at fault,” even if both parties agree that they want the marriage to end. In fact, one spouse must “consent” to the divorce by accepting blame for something like adultery, or abandonment, or cruel and inhuman treatment of their partner. The only other way to secure a divorce in New York is to be legally separated for a year.

But if the no-fault divorce legislation passes in the State Assembly, all of this will change. In the shift from consent-based divorce to unilateral divorce, proof of wrongdoing will no longer be required to end a marriage, making a divorce easier and less expensive (litigation-wise) to obtain.

And how does this help victims of domestic violence?

There is evidence that passing no-fault divorce legislation could have a significant impact on levels of domestic violence. In The New York Times, economist Betsey Stevenson writes of her research with colleague Justin Wolfers: “…we uncovered evidence of a large decrease in domestic violence among states that adopted unilateral divorce laws, relative to those (like New York) which did not. This decrease was not just because abused women (and men) could more easily divorce their abusers, but also because potential abusers knew that they were more likely to be left. We found a 30 percent decline in domestic violence – an effect that could only occur if violence decreased in marriages that stayed together.”

To learn more about divorce laws and domestic violence, read Stevenson and Wolfers’ full paper. For information on divorce laws on a state-by-state basis, visit WomensLaw.org.

VAWA Includes Same-Sex Relationships

2010-06-17T09:37:00.000-07:00

Great news! The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) now explicitly applies to domestic violence cases that occur in same-sex relationships. Although VAWA never excluded same-sex couples when it was first passed by congress in 1994, the recent memorandum from the Justice Department now clearly interprets VAWA as including violence perpetrated in gay and lesbian relationships, in addition to heterosexual ones.

David J. Barron, the acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department, argued in his memorandum that the language of VAWA offers protection even when the victim and the offender are of the same sex, and that federal prosecutors should enforce criminal provisions listed in VAWA regardless of the sex of the victim or the offender. In fact, even though the act is called the Violence Against Women Act, the language of VAWA is gender-neutral - - using terms like “intimate partner”, “dating partner”, “spouse” and “another person”.

This is an important decision for gay couples. The New York Time s quotes Brian Moulton, chief legislative counsel of a gay and lesbian advocacy group called the Human Rights Campaign, as saying: “It’s a step towards equality and recognizing that our relationships exist and are subject to the same sorts of issues that face other committed couples.”

To learn more you can read the memorandum or read about same-sex abuse on WomensLaw.org.

VAWA and U Visa for non-citizen victims of abuse

2010-05-11T07:43:00.000-07:00

VAWA is the acronym for the Violence Against Women Act, which was passed by Congress in 1994. VAWA is intended to help battered non-citizens who are married to, or recently divorced from US Citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents self-petition for Lawful Permanent Residence or to remove the condition on their 2-year Conditional Permanent Residence cards.

Self petitioning means that the victim of abuse can apply on her own without the knowledge of the abuser. In fact, the law is clear that the Unites States Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) may not inform an applicant’s spouse that a victim has applied for residency.

If a non-citizen victim of abuse is not married to or recently divorced from the abuser then a U Visa could be a good option for obaining legal status. The U Visa is designed to provide immigration status to non-citizens that are assisting or are willing to assist authorities investigating crimes. Non-citizens may be eligible for a U Visa if they are a crime victim who (1) have suffered substantial physical or mental abuse from criminal activity; (2) have information regarding the criminal activity; (3) assist government officials in the investigation or prosecution of such criminal activity; and (4) the criminal activity violated US law or occurred in the United States (including Indian country and military installations) or the territories and possession of the United States.

Please visit WomensLaw.org to read more about VAWA and U Visas including steps on how to petition.

*42 U.S.C.A. § 3796gg-0 (Retrieved from: http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/docs/ovw_establishment.pdf)

An Anthem of Empowerment

2010-04-21T08:58:00.000-07:00

On average, a woman will leave her abuser seven times before she finally leaves for good. You need both the strength and the knowledge to overcome hard things, which is why Grammy winner Gloria Gaynor's powerful voice, a beacon of hope for all women, and WomensLaw.org, are a perfect pair to continue the fight in ending violence against women.

Watch Gloria sing the 30th Anniversary tribute version of I Will Survive at the 10th Anniversary WomensLaw.org Benefit.

Share your story of surviva l on our website, and read what this song has meant to others.

Being a Woman is a Pre-existing Condition, No More!

2010-03-25T08:13:00.000-07:00

For whatever your opinion on the Health Care Reform bill, it will now prohibit insurance companies from classifying domestic violence as a preexisting condition and that is a very good thing.

As journalist Amy Davidson points out in The New Yorker, when being a domestic violence victim makes it harder for a woman to get insurance this could discourage her from telling her doctor about where those injuries really came from. And what about her children? If she cannot get insurance, then what does that mean for her kids? Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey told the House in the final debate of the bill that "We should be ashamed".

Lynn Rosenthal in The White House Blog writes,

"Yet until last night, insurance companies in eight states and the District of Columbia could still discriminate against victims by declaring domestic violence a preexisting condition. Domestic violence victims in those states faced the real risk of being denied health care at the very time when they needed it the most. Because of last night’s vote, domestic violence victims in those states will no longer face discrimination."

To read more about the bill and how it helps victims of domestic violence check out "For Victims of Domestic Violence, Health Care is a Lifeline" by Lynn Rosenthal.

Abusers Believe Abuse to Be More Common

2010-03-19T09:24:00.000-07:00

A study by the University of Washington discovered that men who commit abuse against their partners tend to significantly overestimate how common abuse occurs in other relationships. The study asked 124 men in batterer treatment programs how often they thought other men engaged in different forms of violence against their partners, such as pushing, grabbing, shoving or threatening a partner with a gun. Findings show that these men tended to overestimate by two to three times how frequently other men engaged in this behavior. Perceptions by batterers of how other men treat women tended to be directly related to the degree to which a batterer was abusive: the more abusive the man, the more common he assumed abusive behavior by others to be.

Why do abusers believe this? Abusers may convince themselves of this as a way to justify their own behavior. The researchers of this study propose that by changing the ideas about what abusers think is common behavior, it may help them understand that what they are doing is unacceptable, and encourage them to work towards stopping it.

This study also points to a larger issue in society - - why are men abusive? There are many ways to answer this question. In relation to the study findings, too many boys and men are getting the message that violence against women is a normally occurring experience. Changing this perception, means changing the messages we’re giving our boys. This can happen through better education about domestic violence in schools, changing the way women and men are depicted in the media, increasing counseling services for children who have witnessed violence in the home, and beyond anything else working towards a society that values women as much as men. When we change the way we think, we change the way we act.

To read more about domestic violence and where to get help please visit WomensLaw.org.

You can call the police if someone has committed a crime

2010-03-03T09:05:00.000-08:00

Even if you do not qualify for a restraining order, the abuser may have committed a crime. If you call the police, they may arrest him for a crime. Each state has its own list of crimes and definition of crimes. These definitions and explanations are usually located in the Penal Code or Criminal Code of that state's legal statutes.

Even if there is a crime of domestic violence, the definition of that crime may not be the same as the definition of domestic violence used for getting a restraining order. Whether or not a state has a specific crime of domestic violence, it will have other crimes that the abuser may have committed. Crimes in your state may include:

Assault

Threats (or menacing)

Endangerment

Criminal coercion

Kidnapping

Unlawful imprisonment

Sexual offenses (e.g. sexual assault, rape)

Trespassing

Harassment

Stalking

You may learn more about crimes by calling your local police department, sheriff's department, or district attorney's office. See our Sheriff's Departments page for the contact information for your local sheriff's department.

If you are a victim of domestic violence and have been charged with a crime, you can contact the National Clearinghouse for the Defense of Battered Women.

Other organizations for victims of crime are listed on our National Organizations page.

You may want to contact the Stalking Resource Center if you are being stalked or harassed: www.ncvc.org/src

Victims of DV with Disabilities

2010-03-03T08:58:00.000-08:00

Last month we did a post on Victims with Disabilities. Below are some sad statistics about this problem:

The rate of nonfatal violent crimes against people with disabilities was 1.5 times higher than the rate for people without disabilities.
Rates of rape and sexual assault were more than twice those for people without disabilities.
Youth with a disability ages 12 to 19 experienced violence at nearly twice the rate as those without a disability.
People with cognitive disabilities had a higher risk of violent victimization than persons with any other type of disability.
People with multiple disabilities accounted for about 56% of all violent crime victimizations against those with any disability.
Nearly 1 in 5 violent crime victims with a disability believed that they became a victim because of their disability.

Thanks to the Center for Independent Living of South Florida for this information.

New Documentary About Abused Women in Prison

2010-02-19T07:51:00.000-08:00

Inside the California Institution for Women, the first inmate initiated and led group in U.S. prison history, shatters the misconceptions of domestic violence.

Convicted Women Against Abuse (CWAA) was created in 1989 to help women inside prison break the silence about abuse and learn more about what they needed to do to help others stop the cycle of violence.

Instead of fighting a system that does not fully comprehend the complexities of abuse, the women of CWAA led an initiative to help educate the system. Through careful orchestration of letter writing campaigns, media coverage, and senate hearings a movement was born and laws for battered women were changed.

Financial Abuse a Form of Intimate Partner Violence

2010-02-17T13:29:00.001-08:00

Financial abuse is one form of intimate partner violence. Withholding money, stealing money and restricting the use of finances are some examples of financial abuse. Think about how you are being treated and how you treat your partner.

Does your partner:

Steal money from you or your family?
Force you to give him access to your accounts?
Make you feel as though you don't have a right to know any details about money or household resources?
Prevent you from working or attending school or skill-training sessions?
Overuse your credit cards or refuse to pay the bills (thus ruining your credit)?
Withhold physical resources including food, clothes, necessary medications or shelter from you?
Force you to turn over your benefit payments?
Force you to cash in, sell or sign over any financial assets or inheritance you own (e.g., bonds, stock or property)?
Force you to agree to power-of-attorney so he can sign legal documents?
Force you to work in a family business for little or no pay?

The Allstate Foundation's Click to Empower Campaign is working to provide financial education and training to victims of domestic violence. Through the website you can download a free copy of the Financial Empowerment Curriculum. For more organizations that provide Financial Info visit WomensLaw.org here.

Obama's 2011 Budget Makes Domestic Violence a Priority

2010-02-03T07:38:00.000-08:00

Shortly after Obama took office, he appointed Lynn Rosenthal as the White House Adviser on Violence Against Women, a new position created to work with the president and vice president on domestic violence and sexual assault issues. Since June, Rosenthal has worked with numerous federal agencies in the White House to make sure the needs of domestic violence and sexual assault victims are being met through funding, advocacy, program implementation and general advancement of services across the country.

One week after his State of the Union address on January 27, 2010, President Obama released the FY 2011 budget.

Parts of the $730 million total allotted funds for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault include:

Emergency shelter, transitional housing, and other local services: $100 million increase from the Crime Victims Fund, a fund comprised of penalties, bail money and other criminal fines.

Shelters and other services: $140 million

National Domestic Violence Hotline and Teen Dating Violence Helpline: $4.5 million

Sexual Assault Service Program, providing services to victims of sexual assault: $30 million

Legal assistance for victims, including services which help victims obtain protective orders and other protections: $50 million

STOP grants, aimed at working towards preventative programs: $188 million

Read more about Lynn Rosenthal and the work she is doing here: http://www.opposingviews.com/i/lynn-rosenthal-on-how-the-white-house-combats-violence-against-women.

Intimate Partner Violence: Sexual Coercion and Unintended Pregnancy

2010-02-02T07:24:00.000-08:00

Sexual coercion refers to ways in which male partners use sex to impregnate a woman against her will and/or sabotage contraceptives or other practices of safe sex. By forcing a woman to have a child or exposing her to STDs, a man is exerting power and control over his partner in ways which could increase financial, emotional and physical dependence, making it especially hard for a woman to leave. Sexual coercion could be a big reason why women in abusive relationships are more likely to have unintended pregnancies compared to women in healthy relationships. A new study entitled "Pregnancy Coercion, Intimate Partner Violence and Unintended Pregnancy," conducted by researchers at University of California David School of Medicine and Harvard School of Public Health, reveals that more women become pregnant against their will rather than by neglectful use of birth control, as previously perceived.

"This study highlights an under-recognized phenomenon where male partners actively attempt to promote pregnancy against the will of their female partners,” said lead author Elizabeth Miller, an assistant professor of pediatrics in the UC Davis School of Medicine and a practitioner at UC Davis Children's Hospital. “Not only is reproductive coercion associated with violence from male partners, but when women report experiencing both reproductive coercion and partner violence, the risk for unintended pregnancy increases significantly.”*

To read more about the study's key findings and methodology, check out The Family Violence Prevention Fund and The Advocates for Human Rights.

* http://www.endabuse.org/content/features/detail/1439/

NYC Happy Hour with WomensLaw.org!

2010-01-19T13:49:00.000-08:00

Victims with Disabilities

2010-01-08T08:21:00.000-08:00

Being in an abusive relationship can be traumatic for anyone, but for women with disabilities it can be even more so. An article written by a previous domestic violence advocate, published in the FWD/Forward blog, reports that “women with disabilities are at least twice as likely as able women to experience domestic violence and intimate partner abuse."

Women with disabilities can face different forms of violence and emotional cruelty than other victims. A disability can be physical, like MS, or something less obvious, like bipolar disorder or diabetes. Because of these handicaps an abuser could control a woman in different ways than what is normally recognized as abuse. For example, he may withhold medication or medical care, or take control of money, like disability paychecks intended for health care. A woman with a handicap may be even more dependent on her abuser for food and shelter compared to an able bodied woman. Additionally, a physical handicap like paralysis or trouble walking, for example, could be a real barrier in leaving. Legally there are challenges in the courts, like fighting for child custody since some judges can be reluctant to award custody to women with disabilities, especially if the disability is mental illness. Women with disabilities may also be afraid of being institutionalized, which could result from getting involved in the legal system.

There is one group in New York City called Barrier Free Living that is doing tremendously important work to help women with disabilities in abusive relationships. As stated on their website, "Barrier Free Living is our vision. We strive for a world free from abuse and bias, where people with disabilities live in a supportive physical environment. In this world, society values all its members; and individuals with disabilities are free of any internal barriers barring them from reaching their fullest potential." Barrier Free Living has an emergency shelter, a non residential domestic violence program and programs to help secure housing for the homeless. You can contact them for more information.

Its important to remember that every person's situation is special to their needs, desires and personal circumstances. This is why WomensLaw.org has an Email Hotline, to provide individual personalized help. Please email us at any time if you have legal questions or just need support.

Written by Angelica Sgouros, edited by Nina Gilbert

Someone is harassing me on Facebook. What do I do?

2010-01-06T10:12:00.000-08:00

"The most efficient way to report abuse is to do it in the same place it occurs on Facebook. For example, if you receive a harassing message in your Inbox, you can report the message by clicking on the "Report" link next to the sender's name as you are reading the message. If you receive a harassing message from a person who is a Facebook friend of yours, you should remove the person as a friend and report the message. Reporting the message as harassing will automatically add this person to your Block list. You can also use the "Report/Block person" link that appears at the bottom of the abusive user's profile. If you learn that someone is continuing to make abusive comments about you even after you've blocked them, you can ask a friend to report that person on your behalf. Reports are confidential and the user being reported does not know that they have been reported. After a report is submitted, we will investigate the issue and make a determination as to whether or not the content should remain on the site based on our Terms of Use. A Facebook administrator looks into each report thoroughly in order to decide the appropriate course of action." - The Facebook Privacy Page

Charlie Sheen arrested on domestic violence charges

2009-12-29T09:08:00.000-08:00

Charlie Sheen, one of the highest paid actors on television, is no stranger to scandal. On December 25 his current wife, Brooke Mueller, called 911 after Sheen held a knife to her throat and threatened to have her killed, she said. Sheen was arrested on second-degree assault and menacing charges, both felonies, and criminal mischief, a misdemeanor.

Even though recent reports say Brooke Mueller is now recanting her story, saying that she was drunk, it is still possible for the state of Colorado to prosecute Sheen. At WomensLaw.org, people often email us to ask if their abusive husband or boyfriend will be charged with a crime even if they don't want to testify against him or if they change their story, saying that it was an accident, for example. However, if the abuser is charged with a crime, generally, it is not up to the victim whether or not the charges are dropped. It will be up to the district attorney. Sometimes, the police and the prosecutor go forward with a domestic violence case, even if the victim didn't ask them to or asks them not to. The reason why this happens is that the abuser has broken the law and the prosecutor has a duty to the state to prosecute those who break the law. Even though someone is the victim of the crime, the prosecutor represents the state’s interests, not theirs.

Some states or counties have a specific policy against victimless prosecution. But if I state does not, then there is not a cut and dry policy, whether they go forward will likely be determined by either how much other evidence they would have against the abuser without the victim's testimony -- such as a police officer's testimony, medical records from the hospital, witnesses' statements, etc.

To read more about domestic violence laws in your state, including filing for a restraining order or navigating the court system, please visit WomensLaw.org.

Seeking Social Media Intern

2009-12-22T12:42:00.000-08:00

Are you excited about social media? Are you an advocate for women’s rights? If so, you may be the intern we’re seeking to compliment our dynamic team.

At WomensLaw.org, we believe the Internet is the most powerful tool for communication and information sharing. The Mission of WomensLaw.org is to provide easy-to-understand legal information and resources to women living with or escaping domestic violence or sexual assault. By reaching out through the Internet, we empower women and girls to lead independent lives, free from abuse.

We are looking for someone that is excited and passionate about what we do and can convey that to any audience. The position is responsible for creating awareness of the WomensLaw.org website through social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and a blog to name a few. The ideal candidate for this position must have a deep passion for social networking, strong written communication skills and must be an active participant in the social media sphere.

Responsibilities include:
• Work on projects related to online marketing, publicity, and research
• Assist in the development and execution of online marketing and promotion campaigns, including contributing to brainstorming sessions and conducting market research
• Work with Director of Outreach and Operations to manage WomensLaw.org on Twitter
• Read and engage with related blogs, write biweekly posts about domestic violence in the news
• Identify additional marketing opportunities, including developing forward-thinking strategies for penetrating social networking opportunities
• Other administrative duties and responsibilities as assigned

Requirements:

Personal or professional experience using social media• Exceptional interpersonal, communication and organizational skills
• Excellent research and writing skills
• Familiarity with social networking: facebook, twitter, blogging etc
Established connections to women’s rights blogs, etc
• Strong computer skills
• Must be pro-active, detailed oriented (No typos in tweets!)
- Ability to work independently
• Candidate must be reliable
• Internship require a commitment of at least 20 hours per week/ anytime between 9am – 6pm Mon - Friday
• Must love to engage with others online through a variety of mediums
• Self-starter/ entrepreneurial spirit
• Exceptional organizational skills, including ability to excel in multi-task environment, good follow through and high attention to detail.

Our office is located in DUMBO, Brooklyn; however some of the job responsibilities could be conducted from your home or office. This can be discussed at a later date pending your advancement in the interview process.

To be considered for the position please email Nina Gilbert, Director of Outreach and Operations, at nina [at] womenslaw.org. Please include a resume, your Twitter account, and any blogs you have contributed to or manage, including a Tumblr account if applicable. This is an UNPAID position -- neither health benefits nor salary will be provided.

Gloria Gaynor Tips Her Crown to WomensLaw.org!

2009-12-21T09:58:00.000-08:00

A Quick Overview of the Legal System

2009-12-14T11:33:00.000-08:00

The legal system can be confusing. That's why WomensLaw.org is here to help you navigate your way through laws which can sometimes feel like a complicated maze. Read more on the website or send us an email and we'll respond to you within 3 business days.

The legal system is divided into two areas: civil law and criminal law. Separate courts govern (control) these two areas of the law.

One of the most confusing things about the legal system is the difference between civil cases and criminal cases. In domestic violence situations, there may be both civil and criminal cases occurring at the same time as a result of the same violent act. You may want to pursue both civil and criminal actions for maximum protection. The major differences have to do with who takes the case to court and the reason for the case.

Civil Law
In a civil domestic violence action, you are asking the court to protect you from the person abusing you. You are not asking the court to send that person to jail for committing a crime. However, if the abuser violates the civil court order, he may be sent to jail for the violation. In a civil case, you are the person bringing the case against the abuser and (in most circumstances), you have the right to withdraw (drop) the case if you want to.

Criminal Law
The criminal law system handles all cases that involve violations of criminal law such as harassment, assault, murder, theft, etc. A criminal complaint involves your abuser being charged with a crime. In a criminal case, the prosecutor (also called the district attorney) is the one who has control over whether the case against the abuser continues or not. It is the county/state who has brought the case against the abuser, not the victim. It is possible that if you do not want the case to continue (if you do not want to “press charges”), the prosecutor might decide to drop the criminal charges but this is not necessarily true. The prosecutor can also continue to prosecute the abuser against your wishes and could even issue a subpoena (a court order) to force you to testify at the trial.

Safer Cyber Shopping

2009-12-14T11:10:00.000-08:00

WomensLaw.org is dedicated to helping people learn about internet safety. You can read tips on Internet Security page on our website. Below are some tips for shopping safely online this season from Examiner.com.

Here are five tips for staying safe online this holiday season (and the rest of the year too):

1. Shop From a Secure PC

If possible, avoid using the family PC that your teens or children use to chat with their buddies and play games online. Those machines, especially if they're a Microsoft Windows computer, are often already infested with spyware. An infected system will undermine all of the other precautions you might take to avoid online fraud.

Before you start shopping online, make sure your system is running with up-to-date anti-virus software, and that you're using a firewall to block potential intruders. Just as important, be sure that your computer has the latest Microsoft software security updates installed.

2. Shop Smart, and Only at Sites You Know & Trust

Avoid search-engine shopping, which can often lead to random merchants you've never heard of. For the safest and most hassle-free online shopping experience, it's best to stick with merchants you know and trust. Most importantly, make sure you have read and understand the merchant's shipping and return policies before making any purchases.

Be sure to print a copy of each receipt or confirmation e-mail you receive. Keep all of your receipts in a folder and filed away in a safe place.

Never buy anything advertised via unsolicited e-mail. Such offers are almost always a scam. Criminals even build attractive storefronts for fake businesses that close up shop within days of accepting your online order.

Research unfamiliar sellers. The Better Business Bureau and RipoffReport may offer insights on otherwise legitimate companies that have generated more than their fair share of consumer complaints.

3. Shop with Your Credit Card

Most online merchants accept both credit and debit cards. Under federal law, credit card issuers can only hold customers liable for the first $50 of fraudulent transactions, and most issuers will waive even that amount.

While debit card issuers have largely adopted that same approach, your bank account could be overdrawn while you dispute fraudulent charges, particularly if you don't notice the fraud immediately. Experts say credit cards still present less potential for hassle when dealing with your financial institution should unauthorized charges show up later on a monthly statement.

"It's still harder to get your money back from fraudulent transactions on a debit card unless the process is transacted in exactly the way the bank wants to be, and a lot of times consumers have no way of knowing whether a given purchase meets those requirements," said Avivah Litan, a fraud analyst with research firm Gartner Inc.

Never, I repeat, never, shop at sites that ask you to wire your payment or send money orders.

4. Consider Alternative Payment Methods

For the truly fraud-wary online shopper, there are still plenty of alternatives to entering your account number at multiple Web sites. Many financial institutions and card issuers -- including Bank of America, Citibank, Discover, and PayPal -- offer customers the ability to generate unique, "virtual" or "one-time use" account numbers that are good for a single transaction or a handful of specified transactions only and cannot be reused.

While virtual account numbers may make shoppers feel safer online, they may be more hassle than they're worth, Litan said. "These virtual numbers generally are there to protect [the card issuer] more than the consumer, but they do give some online shoppers more peace of mind."

Gartner's recent studies show online shoppers are starting to turn to other alternative payment methods, such as pre-paid gift and credit cards, and services like billmelater.com. The latter allows online shoppers to shop online at some well-known retail outlets without ever having to enter a credit card number (the company requests your name, address, date of birth and the last four digits of your Social Security number to decide whether to grant you instant credit). A number of participating sites are offering perks for purchases made through billmelater.com, such as free shipping and deferred payment for up to six months.

5. Get a Handle on Spam

If you worry that giving away your e-mail address at multiple online merchants might wind up cluttering your inbox with more junk mail, consider creating a new address for each new Web site that requires you to enter one as part of the registration process. This allows you take action if a merchant you're doing business with sells or rents your e-mail address to marketers.

You don't really need to create a brand new e-mail address for each site: Some free Webmail providers -- most notably Google's Gmail -- will allow you to create as many "aliases" for the same e-mail address as you want.

Here's how it works. Let's say your Gmail address is janedoe@gmail.com, and you're being asked to enter an e-mail address at widgets.com as part of their online ordering process. Simply enter the name of the retailer as part your real e-mail address by using the "+" sign. In this case, you'd enter janedoe+widgets@gmail.com. That way, future communications from that retailer or any company that happens to share that particular marketing list will come addressed to janedoe+widgets@gmail.com.

Later on, if a particular online merchant generates a wave of junk e-mail offers, you can create e-mail filters to automatically send all e-mail addressed to the custom address you created to the virtual trash bin.

Happy Shopping!

Please consider supporting WomensLaw.org

2009-12-10T10:47:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

In today’s economy, more women are experiencing domestic violence, a direct effect of the country’s soaring unemployment rates. Far too many women remain in abusive relationships simply because they don’t know about their rights or the legal protections created to help them.

Through a website, email hotline, and community workshops, WomensLaw.org empowers domestic violence victims with vital legal information and support, touching the lives of nearly one million individuals across the U.S. each year. We give women the information they need to take concrete steps towards escaping abuse.

Nearly 75% of the victims we help are mothers. Here is one mother’s story:

Today, we heard from a mother whose husband’s emotional abuse became violent soon after their baby was born. She wants to leave, but she is afraid he will charge her with abandonment and gain custody, as he’s promised he’d do. Through our email hotline, we explained complicated custody laws to her in a compassionate and plain-language manner, helping her think through the safest way she can leave and making certain that her chances for custody are not compromised. She is now feeling ready for the long road ahead. WomensLaw.org will be there to support her, helping her navigate a confusing legal system, for as long as she needs.

In the last twelve months alone, we have seen traffic to our website increase by more than 60%. In 2010, tens of thousands more women will be counting on us to provide them with the information they need to escape abuse. Similarly, hundreds of shelters, domestic violence coalitions, and other service providers will be relying on us to provide the information they need to help their clients.

We are deeply committed to supporting women and their families, especially at a time when they need us more than ever. We need your help to make this possible. Our goal is to raise at least $50,000 through this end-of-year campaign so we can keep up with the demand for our services. Please help us by making a tax-deductible donation today. Thank you!

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Martin
Executive Director

2009 HIGHLIGHTS

WomensLaw.org had a very productive 2009! This year, we:

Celebrated with Gloria Gaynor, the Queen of Disco! Gloria Gaynor and hosts Celerie Kemble, Boykin Curry, Bronson van Wyck, Mariska Hargitay, Amanda Brooks and Moby, put on a Night of Disco for WomensLaw.org. The party featured performances by The Little Death and Gloria Gaynor, celebrating the re-launch of her eternal hit “I Will Survive” and the 10th Anniversary of WomensLaw.org. (Our 10th Anniversary is technically in February, but we thought it was a perfect time to start celebrating!) Look for Gloria Gaynor in the press and take a closer look at her wrist where you’ll see a sparkly bracelet emblazoned with the words “SURVIVE” and WomensLaw.org. We’ll send you one, too, when you make a donation to WomensLaw.org! Check out the pictures and read more here: WomensLaw.org/survive

Received a Webby Award- Jury Prize for Best Website in the law category. The Webby Awards honor excellence on the Internet and are presented by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. (Some, including us, say it is like the Oscars for websites, only we didn’t get to wear gowns.)

Served 5,281 women through our Email Hotline, reaching all 50 states. Through our Hotline, we talked women through complicated legal information, such as custody and divorce, eligibility for restraining orders, and parental kidnapping (impacting a parent who may want to take her children out of state). We also continued to provide a first line of support, providing tips for safety planning, helping victims think through their decisions, and making referrals for local assistance.

Provided community workshops for 130 women in New York City. Through our Latina Outreach Project, we partnered with two local organizations, Voces Latinas and the Jewish Board of Family and Children Services, to educate their clients about their rights and provide in-person support.

Trained more than 60 lawyers in North Carolina to represent victims of domestic violence. Through a partnership with the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence, we supported advocates and helped to improve legal support for domestic violence victims around the state.

Women continually tell us that we are providing them with the information and personalized support they need to escape abuse:

I just wanted to express that I love you guys and I don't even know you. I just submitted some questions, but I have been following your site for years. Whoever wrote it did an EXCELLENT METICULOUS and SENSITIVE job explaining some pertinent details regarding domestic issues in a way that most women can understand. Thank you so much to those writers and editors. XXOO

I have to tell you I am so pleased to see this website for women! Having been a police officer for 16 years, now retired, however having gone through a horrendous custody battle from an abusive spouse, there was not this type of resource available back then. I found this while researching a paper for college that I am doing on domestic violence! Thank God for you guys, bravo!

Please vote in Chase Community Giving on Facebook

2009-12-01T07:20:00.000-08:00

The Chase Community Giving program invites Facebook users to nominate nonprofit organizations with operating budgets of no more than $10 million working in the areas of education, housing, the environment, health and human services, arts and culture, and animal welfare to receive a grant from Chase. The initiative is in addition to Chase's traditional philanthropic efforts to higher-profile nonprofits. If the effort is successful, the bank will likely commit more of its annual giving through this method of crowd sourcing nominations of smaller local charities. The one hundred organizations that receive the most votes by December 11 will each receive $25,000 from Chase.

Making Changes to a Custody Order

2009-11-30T13:57:00.000-08:00

Remember that a custody order is never permanent. If circumstances change or if your ex violates the custody order, you can always file to modify or amend the custody order. To change a custody order, you need to file a petition to modify (change) the custody order and you have to prove a "substantial change in circumstances" has happened since the order was issued. If the court believes that there has been a substantial change and that modifying the order would be in the children's best interests, the court could changed the order. Having a lawyer help you prepare the paperwork and represent you in court is usually best since it can be difficult to do it on your own. Here is a link to lawyer's in your state: http://www.womenslaw.org/gethelp_type.php?type_name=Finding%20a%20Lawyer

Happy Friday from WomensLaw.org!

2009-11-20T08:06:00.001-08:00

Shannon Lambert for L'Oreal's WOMEN of WORTH

2009-11-16T13:23:00.000-08:00

As a 15-year-old victim of acquaintance rape, Shannon Lambert felt isolated and scared. After four years of keeping her attack a secret, Shannon finally reached out online to seek help and eventually created a Web site telling her story. Shannon was asked to appear on 20/20 to share her story of healing and, in anticipation of abuse survivors seeing the show and needing support, Shannon started a small message board. This board eventually became Pandora’s Project, an online resource that connects survivors with others facing similar issues across the globe.

One of the best aspects of Pandora’s Projec t is that it is wide-reaching, providing support for the estimated one in six people who will experience rape or sexual abuse in their lifetime. The survivor-to-survivor support offered within the message board is vital, especially for people who live in rural areas and may not have access to conventional support groups. Pandora’s Project often serves as the first place for survivors to shed shame and truly talk about their experience, leading them to real help in their lives.

Pandora’s Project, funded entirely by donations, facilitates a chat room for its members, hosting guest speakers who share information and answer questions in their field of expertise. Survivors also have access to the lending library, a program that provides free books and DVDs via mail about healing from rape and sexual abuse to any survivor living in the United States. New in 2009, Pandora’s Project will host its first sexual violence recovery retreat to offer support and workshops on topics including stress relief and building intimacy in relationships. With Shannon’s successful fundraising, Pandora’s Project has been able to offer financial assistance to more than half of the attendees at this year’s retreat.

What started as a simple message board has transformed into Pandora’s Project, the largest international online sexual abuse survivor community, serving more than 20,000 survivors worldwide. That’s why Shannon is a 2009 Woman of Worth.

Please vote for Shannon on the right side of this page: http://www.womenofworth.com/Honorees/Honoree2009Detail.aspx?nomid=5657c940-425b-47a2-879d-ed3c2d82b56f

Know Your Rights Thursday

2009-10-08T09:32:00.000-07:00

"I've got all my life to live. I've got all my love to give. I'll survive. I will survive." - Gloria Gaynor

A beacon of hope, strength and empowerment for all women around the world - - watch the music video of I Will Survive. You have the right to live, love and survive!

Interview with our Program Director

2009-10-02T09:28:00.000-07:00

Denisse Wolfenzon, Program Director, has been a pivotal part of the WomensLaw.org team since 2006. We asked her a few questions about womens rights.

Q) What do you think is the most important thing we can do to end violence against women?

A) Violence against women groups and organizations should work together so that they do not duplicate efforts and achieve more concrete goals and we should continue to advocate for a more effective and responsive legal system for victims of violence. Most importantly however, we should involve men and boys in these efforts.

Q) What can someone do if they are trying to leave their abusive relationship?

A) It is important for victims to make his/her own decision about leaving the abusive relationship. They know better when anyone about when it is right to leave. Advocates should consider every person's situation individually and create a safety planning that is right for them. Safety planning is to think of practical ideas/tips to try to stay safe while still in an abusive relationship, when they are about to leave or after they left the relationship. Talk to a social worker or an advocate about their options.

Q) What can friends and family do to help someone in an abusive relationship?

A) If family and friends want to help someone in an abusive relationship, they can start by listening. Showing their unconditional support and letting them know that they are available whenever they need to be. Never judge someone who is in an abusive relationship if she/he is not yet ready to leave it. Leaving an abusive relationship takes courage, support, resources and time.

Q) How did you get involved in helping victims of domestic violence?

A) My interest started when I was an intern at Madre, an international women’s human rights organization in NYC. I assisted in a research project about Violence against Indigenous Women. Then, I realized the tremendous impact of the legal system in issues of domestic violence and the urgent necessity to provide and disseminate accurate legal information to ensure victim’s safety. WomensLaw.org is a comprehensive website that contains crucial information about domestic violence and sexual assault, and, I believe, a crucial resource for helping women and men who are in abusive situations.

Know Your Rights Thursday!

2009-10-01T08:14:00.000-07:00

"If you are afraid that the other parent will take your children away without your consent, you can ask the judge to issue an emergency custody order, which most states provide."

You can ask the judge to include in the order that the other parent cannot take the children out of the state, or that the other parent may only have supervised visitation. Custody and Parental Kidnapping issues can be very complicated so it is always a good idea to talk to a lawyer in your state. Find a lawyer in your state or read more about Custody and Parental Kidnapping on WomensLaw.org.

How Paternity Can Effect Custody

2009-09-29T08:30:00.000-07:00

WomensLaw.org receives hundreds of emails to the Email Hotline every year asking about what a father's custody rights are if the mother and father are not married.

Whether the father has custody rights already or whether he would have to go to court to file for custody rights depends on whether his paternity has been established. Establishing paternity is when a biological father does something to legally declare himself the father. A mother's custody rights are automatically established at birth but a father has to do something to declare his custody rights if you are not married. Was the father there at the hospital during delivery? Did he ever sign the birth certificate or any other papers at the hospital? Is he paying child support through the state? If so, you may have already acknowledged that he is the father. If not, he may have to go to court to file a petition to establish his paternity. The specific laws for this are different in each state which is why is can be extremely helpful to talk to a lawyer who specializes in custody to find out if his paternity has been established and, if so, what your rights are under your state's law. You can find lawyers in your state on Finding a Lawyer pages of WomensLaw.org.

Even if his paternity was established, if you disagree with giving him the visitation he wants, you may want to make him file for visitation in court. However, sometimes this could backfire because he may end up with more visitation than you want him to have (or even shared custody). Therefore, it is sometimes better to try to work something out regarding visitation rather than leaving it up to a judge. Talking to a lawyer about what type of visitation you want him to have and what he may realistically end up with if you leave it up to a judge may help you decide whether you want to go forward with a court case or whether you want to work out something informal with him.

Once his paternity is established, it may allow him to have visitation or custody rights to the child but it could also allow you to go to court to get child support from him.

If you need more information about your specific situation please write to the Email Hotline.

About WomensLaw.org

2009-09-22T07:46:00.000-07:00

Watch our new video on YouTube!

Spotlight: NC Legal Empowerment and Advocacy Project

2009-09-15T09:23:00.000-07:00

The North Carolina Legal Empowerment and Advocacy Project, a joint project between WomensLaw.org and the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCCADV), is in its second year of service providing help to victims of abuse and their families.

Under the direction of Brenda Rivera-Sanchez, the Legal Project Coordinator, pro bono lawyers in NC are recruited and trained to represent domestic violence victims in court about issues like restraining orders, custody, divorce and housing laws. The project also helps domestic violence victims through the WomensLaw.org Email Hotline and the NCCADV telephone helpline (1-888-232-9124).

Read more about the laws in North Carolina on WomensLaw.org or contact Nina (at) WomensLaw.org for more information about the project.

Know Your Rights Thursday

2009-09-03T11:21:00.000-07:00

"You have the right to your own privacy."

To read more about your rights visit WomensLaw.org.

Know Your Rights Thursday

2009-08-20T08:22:00.000-07:00

"If you are in an abusive relationship and need to break your lease or you are facing any difficulty with your land lord, there may be rights in your state that can protect you."

You can read about your specific rights if you live in New York or D.C., otherwise please contact us with your situation and we can provide information for you.

Call for Photographs

2009-08-18T11:51:00.001-07:00

We are looking for people to send us head shots of themselves to be used in our Annual Report (due out in October), which is basically a catalog about WomensLaw.org and the work we do. Your head shot would appear in a photo strip like the one pictured above. The strip will run through the tops of the pages of the report and there will be about 40 different faces. NO identifying information (except your face) will be published in the report.

If you are interested in sending a photo of yourself please email an image to Nina Gilbert at Nina@WomensLaw.org. The picture does not need to be high quality since it will be relatively small. It could even be your Facebook photo or a cell phone pic. The picture does need to have you looking straight into the camera and preferably convey the feeling of being serious, determined, proud and strong.

Nina will send you back a model release to sign (digitally or by hand) which will let us use your photo.

Thanks to everyone who can help out!

What's New on WomensLaw.org

2009-08-17T11:45:00.001-07:00

We are constantly updating and adding information to WomensLaw.org. To stay up to date check out the What's New on this Site page. Here are some things we recently added:

Protect yourself with Pepper Spray / Mace.

If you live in New York, read about what to do if you need to break a lease and what your rights are as a tenant on the new Housing Laws page.

Learn about Marital / Partner Rape. It happens to people of all races and classes. You always have to right to say NO, even if its your boyfriend or husband.

If you are looking for information on WomensLaw.org that we do not have or you cannot find, please email your questions or suggestions to the Email Hotline.

Know Your Rights Thursday

2009-08-13T08:23:00.000-07:00

"You have the right to take control of your own life and change it if you are not happy with the way it is."

If you need help knowing what your options are for leaving a situation that is harmful to you, please visit WomensLaw.org for info and resources.

Our Webby Award Arrived

2009-08-11T09:15:00.001-07:00

Take a look at the awesome Webby Award that arrived at our office today. WomensLaw.org won the Webby in the Law category back in May and we are still beaming with pride. Thanks everyone who helped us get here!

Know Your Rights Thursday

2009-08-06T08:26:00.000-07:00

"You have the right to make mistakes."

Spot Light: Office Interns

2009-08-03T08:52:00.000-07:00

Under the direction of Legal Director, Stacey Sarver, interns Amy Durrance (front) and Tracie Palmer joined us for the summer from Georgetown Law School and UPenn Law School. Amy and Tracie helped research, update and write information for WomensLaw.org.

Check out some of their contributions by reading the Marital / Partner Rape pages, Protective Orders for Stalking in Virginia and Parental Kidnapping in Pennsylvania. Find out what else is new on WomensLaw.org by visiting our What's New on this Site page.

Also joining us this summer was Angelica Sgouros from
Connecticut College. Angelica brings her expertise in social
media to WomensLaw.org and has helped us maintain this blog and engaged the domestic violence and women's rights groups on Twitter. She has also written information about Pet Safety, which will be posted on the website shortly.

We are sad to see our terrific interns return to their respective academic institutions, but we are so grateful for their contributions to WomensLaw.org.

If you are interested in becoming an Intern please email me your resume and a brief summary about yourself to Nina@WomensLaw.org.

Know Your Rights Thursday

2009-07-30T08:55:00.000-07:00

"You have the right to be angry and protest if you are treated unfairly or abusively by anyone."

If you want to know your legal options or just need some support, please contact us and someone will respond to your question within 3 business days.

Spot Light: Nina Gilbert, Program Associate

2009-07-29T08:31:00.000-07:00

During Nina Gilbert’s two years with WomensLaw.org, Nina has expanded the organization into social media, accessing communities like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and creating WomensLaw Reports. By working proactively on the forefront of media trends, Nina has been able to reach more people across the country who are in need of the support and information on WomensLaw.org. With a deep dedication to women’s rights, Nina’s education and expertise support the organization in numerous capacities.

Listen to Nina talk about WomensLaw.org in a podcast on Hey Brooklyn!, on the radio at Lite106.7FM or watch her on television on "Toxic Love" (coming soon!).

Media Hit: WomensLaw.org in NYTimes Bestseller

2009-07-28T12:52:00.000-07:00

Looking for a new read? Check out Lady Killer by Lisa Scottoline, and find WomensLaw.org cited on page 84.

Safety on Facebook

2009-07-28T09:30:00.000-07:00

Ever Google yourself? What's on the Internet that others can see? Knowing the principles of Internet Security can not only keep you safe from Identity Theft, but can also be an important part of leaving an abusive relationship.

Here are some things you can do to keep yourself safe on the Internet:

Using a made-up name and email address when you post any sort of comments on blogs or other sites that are accessible to the public can cut down on sites that the abuser can find if he searches for you on the Internet.*

Before buying anything off of the Internet, check to make sure that the site is secure. The site’s web address should start with https:// and there should be a lock icon on the page somewhere (a little picture of a padlock). If you only put your information into a secure website, you can decrease the chances that an abuser who knows how to get information from an unsecured site can get access to your personal information. To be extra secure, you can choose to not buy things off the Internet. If there is something that can only be purchased on-line that you really need, ask a family member or friend to buy it for you using his/her name and address.

If asked by a website if they can share your information with “associates of the site” or “selected partners,” say “No.” If you agree to let them share your information, you will have no control over how any site that is given your information will use it.

Be aware of how much indentifying information you are posting on any of your social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, or blogs. Remember to consider what information you want everyone, including an abuser, to be able to see.** If you moved to get away from the abuser, there is a possibility he could identify your location through pictures, videos, or general information on profiles.

Also, anytime you buy a magazine subscription, give your name and phone number to a cashier at a store, or provide your personal information to any company, that information could find its way onto the Internet. Think carefully before giving out your personal information to anyone.

Read about deleting your Facebook profile, keeping your home address confidential and other Internet Security tips at WomensLaw.org.

Know Your Rights Thursday

2009-07-23T10:22:00.000-07:00

"You have the right to call the police if the abuser shows up to your home uninvited, even if you do not have a restraining order."

Visiting WomensLaw.org Staying Safe page to read more about what you can do.

Spotlight: Stop Family Violence

2009-07-22T07:43:00.000-07:00

Stop Family Violence was founded in July 2000 after the Violence Against Women Act - crucial federal legislation providing $3.5 billion in funding for domestic violence and sexual assault programs nationwide - looked as if it were about to expire. In just 3 months time, Stop Family Violence organized people from across the nation to lobby Congress for VAWA's re-authorization.

The stories people sent into Congress through Stop Family Violence have been entered into the Congressional Record, incorporated into a brief to the US Supreme Court, and used to shape national policy guidelines. Stop Family Violence’s action campaigns have been instrumental in securing passage of the Violence Against Women Act, have blocked advancement of dangerous “fathers rights’ legislation, influenced US Attorney General decisions on refugee status for battered immigrant women, and helped ensure safety provisions in welfare reform legislation so that abused women aren’t forced to participate in marriage promotion programs.

Check out the website to see how you can contact leaders in Washington to tell your story or support helpful legislation. The website also provides detailed information about getting help and getting involved with the organization.

Drop Dead Diva on Lifetime

2009-07-21T12:43:00.000-07:00

Come on, admit it. You've probably spent at least one solid day of your life watching marathon movies on Lifetime. I know I have. They are generally heartbreaking thrillers which feature a strong female figure who survives something traumatic only to come out triumphant in the end.

Now you can satisfy your need for drama and female empowerment with Lifetime's new movie, "Drop Dead Diva". When beautiful-but-vapid model wannabe Deb (Brooke D’Orsay) has a fatal car accident, she suddenly finds herself in front of Heaven’s gatekeeper, Fred (Ben Feldman), who declares her a self-centered “zero.” Outraged, she attempts to persuade Fred to return her to her shallow existence but is accidentally relegated to the body of the recently deceased Jane Bingum (Brooke Elliott). A brilliant, thoughtful and plus-size attorney with a loyal assistant, Teri (Margaret Cho), Jane has always lived in the shadow of her more comely colleagues whereas Deb has always relied on her external beauty. Now, by a twist of fate and a bolt of divine intervention, Deb must come to terms with inhabiting Jane’s curvier frame in the ultimate showdown between brains and beauty.

Guest stars throughout the first season of Drop Dead Diva include Rosie O’Donnell, Tim Gunn, Liza Minnelli, Paul Abdul, Delta Burke, Sharon Lawrence, Kathy Najimy, Nia Vardalos, Jorja Fox, Teri Polo, Elliott Gould, Chuck Woolery and Diedrich Bader.

Tune in Sundays at 9pm to see what happens! WomensLaw.org is a fan and we know you will be too!

Help Allstate Choose A Charity to Award $100,000

2009-07-17T09:52:00.000-07:00

Beginning July 15 and running through September 13, The Allstate Foundation is asking Allstate Employees and the public to vote for the recipient of a $100,000 grant through its Web site www.ClickToEmpower.org and Facebook Fan Page.

The organizations competing to receive the grant share The Allstate Foundation’s goal of economically empowering domestic violence survivors. Participating organizations are Charity Cars, Family Justice Center Alliance, Safe Horizon, and YWCA USA.

Visitors to the Web site can increase the chances of their favorite charity by “voting” once a day. The organization that reaches the most votes at the end of the campaign will receive $100,000 and the remaining three will each receive a $10,000 grant. Visitors to the site can also learn more about each of the highlighted organizations and their domestic violence programs. Just a few clicks of your mouse can help support those in need, so don’t forget to vote once every 24 hours until September 13.

Know Your Rights Thursday

2009-07-16T07:08:00.000-07:00

"You have the right to say NO to any sexual acts, even if its to your husband or boyfriend."

Read more about Marital / Partner Rape on WomensLaw.org.

WomensLaw.org on LiteFM

2009-07-13T08:56:00.000-07:00

Check out Nina Gilbert, Program Associate, and Stacey Sarver, Legal Director, talk about WomensLaw.org and domestic violence on Lite 106.7 FM. The show aired Sunday June 12, 2009.

Emotional Abuse - What Is It?

2009-07-10T09:25:00.000-07:00

Emotional Abuse, also called Psychological Abuse, is characterized by one person subjecting another person to behavior which is psychologically harmful. This behavior is intended to threaten, humiliate or de-grade someone for the purposes of control. Victims of emotional abuse may feel depressed, anxious, insecure and worthless.

What does Emotional Abuse look like?

Being called names by your partner.
Using words to shame
Critical, sarcastic, mocking words meant to put you down either alone or in front of other people.
Yelling, swearing and screaming.
Using threats to intimidate.
Your abuser may blame you for his/her loss of control.
Your feelings are dismissed. (Ex. Refusing to discuss issues that upset you.)
You often wonder why you feel so bad. (Ex. You feel depressed and have even wondered if you are crazy.)

Find help in your state from the American Self Help Group Clearinghouse or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.

Know Your Rights Thursday

2009-07-09T09:46:00.000-07:00

"You have the right to be human - NOT PERFECT."

Read more about your rights on WomensLaw.org.

The ROSE Fund

2009-07-08T08:22:00.000-07:00

The R.O.S.E. Fund (Regaining One's Self Esteem) is a national non-profit organization supporting survivors of domestic violence by helping them regain their confidence and independence. The Rose Fund provides free plastic surgery to fix physical injuries caused by abuse and can also help women earn a college degree through a scholarship program.

Medical procedures range from scar revisions and dental work to cosmetic reconstructive surgery for the head neck, and face. Physically scarred by the experience of abuse, The R.O.S.E. Fund gives women a fresh start and helps them to regain their self-esteem.

Click here to apply for surgery or an academic scholarship. The Rose Fund is located in Boston, but provides help to people across the country.

Tips for Economic Empowerment

2009-07-01T13:49:00.000-07:00

Here are some helpful tips from The Allstate Foundation for someone who has suffered economic abuse to get their financial security back:

• Get a copy of your credit report and monitor your credit often. Contest false charges.
• Open a post office box (PO Box) and change your mailing address for all financial information you receive before or after leaving the abuser.
• Change PIN codes and passwords on: utilities accounts, cell phone service, ATM/debit cards, online banking, email.
• Make changes to documents such as insurance plans, wills, or trusts and appoint a new person if the abuser was the designee.

For more information on economic empowerment after domestic violence, go to ClicktoEmpower. For some ways to help the economic empowerment of domestic violence survivors in your community, check out these tips.

Economic Abuse: What Is It?

2009-07-01T09:44:00.000-07:00

A new poll conducted by The Allstate Foundation and The National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) reveals 44% of people surveyed say the most difficult barrier to leaving an abusive relationship is financial security, yet 86% of Americans do not associate “economic abuse” with domestic violence.

Money can be one method an abuser uses to control and manipulate someone. Abusers may demand control of their partner’s earnings or government benefit payments, or deny her access to money in order to make her wholly dependent on him. Sometimes this financially controlling behavior takes the form of stealing or punishing someone when they spend money. Other times the abuser may directly prevent their partner from being independently financially secure by destroying the victim’s credit rating by running up debt by failing to make payments.

Domestic violence is about an abuser’s need for power over his victim, whether that takes the form of bruises or creating financial instability so crippling she cannot leave him. When women consider leaving their abusers, lack of financial resources can be a major obstacle . Working towards financial empowerment for women who have left or are preparing to leave their abusers is one of the ways that domestic violence advocates can help victims of domestic violence.

The NNEDV and The Allstate Foundation created a Financial Empowerment Curriculum as a way to help domestic violence survivors navigate the challenges of economic abuse as well as the added stress of the recession. For more information, check out their website, ClicktoEmpower . For more information, look at this factsheet on economic abuse or check out the Financial Information/Economic Empowerment section of our website for national resources that can help.

If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse of any kind, WomensLaw.org can help. Ask us a question through our website and we will respond within 3 business days.

New White House Adviser on Violence Against Women

2009-06-30T08:41:00.000-07:00

Last week, Lynn Rosenthal was announced as the White House Adviser on Violence Against Women. This is a new position created to aid efforts in the fight to end violence against women in this country.

Lynn Rosenthal previously worked as the Director of the National Network to End Domestic Violence, the Director of the New Mexico Coalition Against Domestic Violence as well as with WomensLaw.org in 2008.

Read more about Lynn Rosenthal's work and the new position from the White House Press Release or from ABCNews Blog.

Teen Power and Control Wheel

2009-06-29T12:15:00.000-07:00

Dating Violence Among Teens can look like:

Intimidation: Bullying you to get their way
Anger: Controls you with her/her anger
Threats: Threatens you, your friends or your family
Social Status: Using popularity to control relationship
Blame: Blames you for his or her anger
Peer Pressure: He or she spreads rumors or secrets about you
Sexual Coercion: Deliberate pregnancy or forced sexual acts
Isolation: Prevents you from spending time with you friends or family

To read more about dating violence among teens visit WomensLaw.org Teens page or more about what abuse can look like in Teen Relationships check out ABC's Teen Dating Violence: Warning Signs.

When She Doesn't Want to Leave

2009-06-25T14:02:00.000-07:00

What safety factors can advocates consider when helping someone who wants to stay with her abuser? In “When Battered Women Stay: Advocacy Beyond Leaving,” Jill Davies emphasizes a need to expand the current approach used by DV advocates by creating strategies that protect and empower women who want to stay with their abusers.

A woman might choose to stay in her abusive relationship because the risks of leaving outweigh the risks of staying. Statistics show that women are in the most danger directly after they leave an abusive relationship. Leaving may also create more stress and difficulty for a victim and her children, like financial barriers or relocating her home. A woman may also choose to stay because she wants to fix her relationship and hopes her partner will stop his abusive behavior.

Domestic violence advocates can support these women by:

1) working with the victims to develop strategies to increase their safety while still in the relationship
2) ending violent and controlling behavior while not demonizing the abusive partner and supporting them to change
3) better understanding children’s needs and build opportunities for their well-being and prevent future harm.

Domestic violence advocates may consider more creative strategies when helping a woman who wants to stay in her relationship. Its important for domestic violence advocates to be aware of respecting a woman's choices and empowering her to navigate and define her own relationship, no matter if she stays or leaves.

For more information on preparing to leave check out our pages “Getting Ready to Leave,” "Leaving,” and “After You Have Left.” More information for domestic violence and sexual assault advocates is located on our “Helping Others – Advocates” page.

Signs of an Abuser

2009-06-25T09:53:00.000-07:00

Some of the subtle warning signs include:

They do not take responsibility for their actions and blame others for everything that goes wrong.
They are extremely jealous.
They insist on moving too quickly into a relationship.
They criticize their partner’s appearance and make frequent put downs.
Their words and actions don’t match.
They insist that you stop participating in leisure activities or spending time with family and friends.
They many times seem too good to be true.

To read more about Domestic Violence visit WomensLaw.org.

Know Your Rights Thursday

2009-06-25T09:43:00.001-07:00

"You have the right to see your family and friends, wear the clothing you choose and speak your mind."

If your partner is discouraging you from any of these things, your relationship could be abusive. To find out more read the Am I Being Abused? checklist on WomensLaw.org.

New “Anti-Stab” Knives

2009-06-17T14:00:00.000-07:00

A knife with a new tip (see photo above) is to be released in the UK this fall, reports the BBC.

Many factors of the typical knife design have been re-considered. These new knives have blunt rounded tips which make it difficult to successfully injure another person. In the worst case scenario, these changes make stabbing injuries less severe and less likely to be fatal.

British police have noted kitchen knives as the most common weapon in fatal stabbings. Doctors have also been advocating for re-engineered kitchen knives to make stab wounds less fatal. One doctor explains the danger of common household knives:

“[They] are freely available to the very young and very old, and used by people who may be clumsy, short tempered, drunk or mentally or physically unwell. Most people fit into one or more of these categories at some time in their lives."

Domestic violence in homes can escalate out of control rapidly, so modifying a regular household item to make it less dangerous and reduce the potential for harm to women and their families is an important development. It is not hard to imagine the severity of the threat in which potentially lethal weapons are commonly used as objects of intimidation or worse. Let’s hope to see this in the USA as well as the UK!

To read more about Safety Planning if you are in an abusive relationship visit WomensLaw.org.

$1.3 Million Not as Easy to Ignore as Rape in Prison

2009-06-16T10:02:00.000-07:00

In Denver, a female inmate won a lawsuit for $1.3 million after being sexually assaulted by a Colorado Department of Corrections officer. She filed a lawsuit against the officer after suffering sexual abuse by him for over 5 months. The federal judge on the case, Judge David M. Ebel, awarded the female inmate $354,070 in compensatory damages for her medical costs and emotional suffering and $1 million in punitive damages against her assailant. It is a huge sum in order to make a point.

Judge Ebel wrote in his ruling “he hoped the damages would be a deterrent to other correctional officers” because “he believes the DOC does not effectively enforce a zero-tolerance policy on sexual abuse of inmates.” After pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of unlawful sexual contact, the guard only received a sentence of 60 days in jail.

For five months the female inmate was sexually assaulted. The assailant only spends 60 days in jail. The disparity is telling. $1.3 million tries to make up the difference.

Sexual assault is common in both men and women’s prisons across the US. In 2007, the Bureau of Justice Statistics surveyed over one million inmates across the country in state and federal prisons and found that 4.5% had been sexually abused in the previous year alone.

It is not news that the reform system in this country is in need of a serious overhaul, but it is deeply disturbing that human beings, albeit criminals, are being abused by the very people whose duty it is to protect them. Similar to domestic violence in the home, violence in prisons is another reflection of the deeply rooted nature of brutality and rape for power and control.

I’d agree with Judge Ebel: something more needs to be done to protect prisoners from the unchecked abuse of power that leads to rape.

For more information on rape in prisons check out here and here. Also read this interesting NYTimes piece “ReThinking Prison Design".

How To Report Child Pornography

2009-06-12T07:52:00.000-07:00

If you see a website that you believe is child pornography, there are some things you can do to have it shut down:

Call or email an FBI office near you.
Call FBI's Innocent Images National Initiative at 1-800-843-5678 or visit their website here.
Or make a report through the Cyber TipLine, an online reporting form.

And of course you can always email WomensLaw.org for more information about your situation.

Know Your Rights Thursday

2009-06-11T09:41:00.000-07:00

“When you are injured by someone else you have the right to seek what the law refers to as "damages".”*

*Each state has their own laws about this. For more information about what you can do in your state you can call The National Center for Victims of Crime at:

1-800-FYI-CALL (1-800-394-2255)

TTY 1-800-211-7996 (for deaf and hard of hearing only, please)

Monday-Friday
8:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. ET

“Boys will Be Boys?” Frat Culture and Sexual Violence

2009-06-10T13:05:00.001-07:00

In the fascinating article, “Bros Before Hos: Fraternities and Sexual Exploitation”, Nicholas L. Syrett explores the link between Greek life on college and university campuses and sexual violence.

From the earliest fraternities in the 1820s to the development of the current frat scene of parties, girls, and booze, Syrett describes how this progression reflects the evolution of cultural attitudes towards sexuality over time. By the 1920’s heterosexuality was the accepted norm for men. After the sexual revolution of the 1960’s, college-aged women became more sexually permissive. As historical sexual attitudes changed, frats did too, eventually developing an atmosphere in which men proved their masculinity and gained social status by sleeping with women. The more women a frat boy slept with, the more respect he gained from his brothers.

This emphasis on sexual conquest creates a predatory attitude towards women and sex in frat houses. Syrett comments that research in the past “has shown that fraternity men are more likely than their non affiliated classmates to rape women, and some studies have estimated that as many as 70 to 90 percent of reported campus gang rapes are committed by members of fraternities.”

To maintain their social status, frats encourage their members to have frequent casual sex and to report on their experiences. This “places pressure on men who are not otherwise having sex to do so in order to save face, and this can lead to sexual assault.” Frat parties, with their steady supply of booze and college women, are “designed to supply intoxicated women who will either consent—or succumb—to sex.”

As a part of frat culture, frat boys encourage each other to dominate women and intentionally create circumstances in which these men can perpetrate sexual violence against their female classmates. In this hyper-masculine frat culture, where the sexual conquests of men are linked to status, rape as a display of power is not far removed.

Find more on fraternity culture and sexual violence, here and here.

"Stockholm: An Exploration of Love"

2009-06-09T09:19:00.000-07:00

This wins the award for Most Disturbing Media in 2009. Recently released for sale on Amazon (and then quickly banned), "Stockholm: An Exploration of Love" is an interactive video games which puts the player in position of kidnapper with the goal of physically and mentally torturing a woman in order to get her to fall in love. The game is named after Stockholm Syndrome, a psychological disorder that happens when a victim becomes emotionally attached to his/her captor.

Visit the official website to read letters from the creators about what they call a "masterpiece". Here is an excerpt from the Director of the game,

"By portraying men as weak and docile, [TV shows like Friends] suggest to us that men are supposed to be weak and docile. By portraying love as sacrificing the dominance of spirit that makes a man, and instead opting for extreme domestication, they trick us into thinking that love is supposed to be domestication. I’m not really comfortable letting something like that stand unchallenged, and that was one of the primary reasons I made Stockholm. The point of Stockholm is not that kidnapping is the true path of love. The point is that the sugar coated nonsense that TV and movies are forcing down our throat is not the only true path."

So is he suggesting that the opposite of domestication is rape and torture? Or that a domesticated man is an equivalent victim to a raped woman? I'm not totally sure. But what I am sure about is that this video game is horrifying and I would be seriously afraid of men who play it.

To read more about the relationship between video games and real life crime, read here, here or here.

Teens Make PSAs About Abuse

2009-06-04T11:35:00.000-07:00

After the highly-publicized violence between singers Chris Brown and Rihanna, Gerry Leone, the District Attorney of Middlesex County, MA, created a competition for high schoolers to create PSAs about Teen Dating Violence to talk back against the media blitz.

Sparking the involvement of more than 200 high schoolers across the county, six finalists were chosen by a group of DV experts, school personnel and members of the District Attorney’s office. Today, 800 high students across Middlesex County will watch the videos in health class and vote on the winner. The winning PSA will be submitted to Boston television stations for possible airing.

Some stats about teen dating violence from the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office:

• 1 in 3 teenagers report knowing a friend or peer who has been hit, punched, kicked, slapped, choked or physically hurt by their partner
• Youth, specifically between the ages of 16 to 24, experience the highest per capita rate of intimate partner violence in the nation
• Following news reports on the alleged incident between Chris Brown and Rihanna, a survey of Boston teens revealed that 46% of respondents believed that Rihanna was in some way responsible. In addition, 44% said that fighting was a normal part of a relationship.

Teen dating violence is something that so many have experienced and many more have witnessed. It’s important for teens to know their rights so they can be empowered to take a stand, for themselves and for each other.

What a creative project that empowers teens to resist overwhelming media representations that harm women, perpetuate male dominance, and blame the victim of abuse! Imagine the conversations had by each of those 200 students in the process of making those films as they learned more about the violence that affects their lives, their friends and their classmates. Through these projects these teens learned how to better support each other and how to question harm that seems “normal,” whether it is fighting in a relationship or appalling portrayals of violence against women in the media. Way to go, DA and high school students!

Most of all, who better to speak out against teen dating violence than the people it affects? Let’s continue to encourage them to do so.

Watch two of the submissions below or go here to watch the rest:

“End the Cycle of Abuse”

“A Cry for Help”

Which one would you vote for?

For more information on Teen Dating Violence, including legal information and where to find help, check out the Information for Teens section of WomensLaw.org.

Brandon Marshall, Bronco's Player

2009-06-01T10:45:00.000-07:00

ESPN did an interview with the ex-girlfriend of Bronco's football star, Brandon Marshall, about the abuse she endured during their relationship. Besides shedding light on what it means to be in an abusive relationship, the comments section on the website shares a different story: the ignorance which still exists so strongly in our culture about domestic violence.

Here are just a few of the comments:

"This B is crazy.. she reportedly tried extorting money from him twice? and her parents want the $ just as much as the girl does!.. She stayed with him for a paycheck! And for the father to say the NFL cares for anything outside of championships, umm isnt that the football business??.. can't believe i even watched this."

"I think that both parties are at fault here. One thing that I don't understand, that after the first and especially the second incident, why they stayed together. Why would MS Watley and her parents go to the NFL about this? She should have gotten out when this first happened, as this would and has escalated. She probably stayed because of his money, this seems to be all about the money with MS Watley."

"i only have one question, if he hit her and beat her this many times, the why the F%$# is she still there with him. Not setting blame here, but i mean you leave yourself in a bad situation, bad things happen. If her parents are so concerened, then why havent they gone and got her? Why hasnt she moved away from Marshall? And one other part i found interesting is the fact that she has asked for maney, not once, but twice. Can you say golddigger."

"Absolutely poor reporting again from the OTL crew. In the attempt to paint Marshall as an abuser, they conveniently whispered the parts where she says she attacked him first, repeatedly dismissed charges or recanted her allegations. Her parents should be ashamed for trying to blame everyone but her daughter for her poor decisions. The parents and daughter appear to be on board for a meal ticket or air time and their actions do nothing but set back all the progress that has been made in helping battered women. OTL continues to prove that sensationalism has replaced journalism in today's media."

What these comments show is a lack of understanding in many capacities. First, it is NEVER the fault of the victim of abuse. Second, there are many things which make it difficult (if not nearly impossible) for someone to leave an abusive relationship. Also, as Rasheeda points out in the video, she loved him and that was one big reason she stayed. Generally abusers are not abusive 100% of the time, and can be quite lovable and charming at times. Rasheeda loved Brandon, but not his abuse.

What do you think? Watch the video here.

Check Us Out on Hey Brooklyn!

2009-05-29T08:02:00.000-07:00

Click here and listen to our Podcast on Hey Brooklyn!

Know Your Rights Thursday

2009-05-28T12:36:00.000-07:00

"You have the right to say NO to any sexual acts you don't want to do."

To read more about Sexual Assault visit WomensLaw.org.

Know Your Rights Thursday

2009-05-21T09:12:00.001-07:00

"You have the right to request temporary custody of your children when you file for a restraining order against the abuser at the courthouse."

To read more about how restraining orders can help you visit WomensLaw.org.

Eileen Fisher: Celebrating Women

2009-05-15T10:17:00.000-07:00

Eileen Fisher, who gave their support to WomensLaw.org for our new Email Hotline Technology, which makes it safer for people to contact us, has made 2 terrific videos celebrating women which we wanted to share.

Established
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1HPCG6S4ps

Emerging
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBaHqKCveR0

The videos are calming, inspirational and show the power of women.

Know Your Rights Thursday

2009-05-14T08:08:00.000-07:00

"If your ex-partner takes you to court and requests visitation of your child and you are fearful for the child's safety, you have the right to ask for supervised visitation from the court."*

*An agency or trusted relative/friend may be able to supervise visits between your child and ex-partner. Supervised visitation is granted by the court for varying reasons depending on what state you are in, and will most likely last for a set amount of time.

To read more about custody and visitation in your state on WomensLaw.org click here.

"That will be $1800, please"

2009-05-12T11:38:00.000-07:00

If someone broke into your home you would probably expect the police to do an investigation. You would probably not expect the police to ask for personal payment for this investigation, but that is exactly what is happening to sexual assault victims in Texas, and other parts of the country (previously Alaska and North Carolina). Victims are being asked to pay for their own rape kits, which can cost up to $1800 .

The Vancouver Sun reports, "Texan women have to hand over a credit card before their investigation can commence - or face debt collectors afterwards."

Hopefully the uproar from the media will pressure Texas to reverse this practice the same way it did in Alaska and North Carolina.

You can read more about this issue here, here or here.

Know Your Rights Thursday

2009-05-07T09:18:00.000-07:00

"You have the right to feel safe in your home."

If you don't feel safe, you have the right to seek help. Read more on our Staying Safe page.

Prostitution and Domestic Violence

2009-05-07T08:55:00.000-07:00

WomensLaw.org recently posted new information to the website about prostitution, and some people asked, "What does prostitution have to do with domestic violence?"

This is an excerpt from a New York Times article called, "Girls on Our Streets" by Nicholas D. Kristof.

“If you don’t earn enough money, you get beat,” said Jasmine, an African-American who has turned her life around with the help of Covenant House, an organization that works with children on the street. “If you say something you’re not supposed to, you get beat. If you stay too long with a customer, you get beat. And if you try to leave the pimp, you get beat.”

Read more about this issue at WomensLaw.org.

Mention in Glamour Mag

2009-05-05T09:03:00.000-07:00

From the May 2009 Glamour issue.

Know Your Rights Thursday

2009-04-30T11:13:00.000-07:00

"Even if a woman sells her body for sex (which is illegal), she still has the right to seek legal protection for crimes committed against her, like rape and abuse."

Read more about prostitution and domestic violence on WomensLaw.org.

Abuse of "Rape" Part II

2009-04-29T08:38:00.001-07:00

Alternet.org came out with a story called, "'I was Raped' Should Horrify - But Our Culture Has Stripped the Word of Its Power".

This is very similar to the post we did a few weeks ago about people twittering the word "rape". Opp, here's another one my TweetDeck just informed me of - posted by rynedude233, "This week has been going by so fast. At this rate all of my finals will sneak up and gang-rape me sometime soon."

What is it with people equating tough exams with rape? Difficult geometry exam or unwanted sexual acts? I don't see the common thread.

I do like that this issue is getting more attention, however. Thanks Alternet.org for the article.

Knightley PSA Banned

2009-04-27T09:20:00.000-07:00

I'm sure most of you have heard about the PSA Keira Knightley acted in a few weeks ago which received over 1 million YouTube hits. In case you haven't, it depicts Knightley coming home to a violent boyfriend and graphic scenes of him beating her.

The Independent Media reports that British TV, which had planned to show the ad, will only air it if the most violent scenes are cut.

There is much controversy about this.

On one hand, it is important to unmask the mystery of domestic violence and educate people about an issue which deserves serious understanding and attention.

On the other hand, is it necessary to depict such a violent scene as the one in the PSA to achieve this goal? This PSA is incredibly violent. As someone who gets queasy just seeing blood, I was so distracted by the violence that the purpose for me was nearly lost in my nausea (of course, since I work in the field I don't need much more education on the subject.)

However, others argue that the need for such graphic depiction is essential to the message. Rook22 says in his blog, "Perhaps seeing Knightley knocked down will resonate with someone who's neighbor is a victim of domestic violence, but they have been reluctant to help."

Necessary or needlessly graphic? What do you think?

Bureaucratic Error Endangers Woman and Kids

2009-04-24T09:43:00.000-07:00

ABC Local news reported yesterday about a bureaucratic error which put a woman and her three children in danger by giving the children's father (an abuser) their confidential home address on a government form from child services.

After getting numerous restraining orders and divorcing her now ex-husband, the woman moved to Long Island with her three children and tried to make sure her new address was keep confidential on all court documentation. Due to a failure in the system, which does not mark custody paperwork as having come from a domestic violence situation, her ex husband was sent a letter with her home address printed on it.

In a fair and just world, the state of NY would pay for this woman and her family to relocated to a new home, where her abuser will not know her address. Unfortunately, the System simply apologized for the error and recommended she move into a shelter.

WomensLaw.org recently wrote a new page called When the Legal System Fails You, in case you or someone you know needs a different kind of help than the courts can provide.

Know Your Rights Thursdays

2009-04-23T09:17:00.000-07:00

"You have the right to fire a court-appointed attorney even if you are not paying him/her – however, think carefully BEFORE you do this because the judge might not appoint a second attorney for you."

Read more about things you can do When the Legal System Fails You at WomensLaw.org.

What Is Domestic Violence?

2009-04-20T13:01:00.000-07:00

Know Your Rights Thursday

2009-04-16T12:32:00.000-07:00

"You have to right to legal protection from the United States if you are a victim of crime (including domestic violence) regardless of your legal status."

Read more about UVisas here.

Please vote!

2009-04-14T13:47:00.001-07:00

WomensLaw.org was nominated for a Webby Award! This is like the Oscars for Websites! Please vote for us here. (Click website and then Law category). We are thrilled! Thank you to everyone who made this possible!

A Few Things About the Word "Rape"

2009-04-14T11:29:00.001-07:00

As the white knight of Twitter, WomensLaw was busy this afternoon getting out the word about our services, when we came across the most horrendous uses of the word "rape" in users' tweets. Twitter has this fantastic search function where one can search keywords and all tweets containing those words will appear in the search listings. WomensLaw uses this function to find people in cyberspace who are looking for information about domestic violence, and then tweets them an appropriate link to our website.

I digress. Here are some examples of the way people are carelessly and harmfully throwing around the word "rape":

"If you force sex on a hooker, is it rape or shoplifting?"

"Oh thats it. Im a republican now. I just had to pay even MORE in taxes than the rape i have endured all year!!"

"The test didnt rape me, but i didnt like it."

"One nice thing i've noticed about NIN is they don't rape you on ticket cost, unlike Depeche Mode who want $90 a ticket."

Okay, so you get the idea. These were also the tamest of the ways which the word "rape" is misused. I am incredibly disturbed by this. Rape is a serious and terrible assault on someone's human rights; the severity of which is undermined when people use the word as common slang. If someone can say "That test raped me" then it takes real power away from someone else saying "That man raped me". See?

Adding to further despair, I happened to see Observe and Report with Anna Faris this weekend, which portrays a very real date rape scene, which the media is in a frenzied debate over at the moment. Some say its humorous, and others say offensive.

What do you all think? Have you heard the word "rape" misused, or seen other instances where sexual assault is devalued?

Know Your Rights Thursdays

2009-04-09T10:08:00.000-07:00

"You have just as much a right to decide the custody arrangement as the other parent. If you disagree with what the other parent wants, you have the right to ask a judge for what you want."

Read more about Custody rights here.

Women's Economic Equality

2009-04-08T10:56:00.000-07:00

What does the stimulus package mean for women? And how does it affect victims of domestic violence?

Legal Momentum helped answer these questions last week at a panel discussion titled "Women's Economic Equality: The Next Frontier in Women's Rights" at Cornell University's NYC campus. The panel included Irasema Garza, President of Legal Momentum, Heather Boushey, Senior Economist, Mimi Abramovitz, Professor of Social Work, and Linda Hirshman, professor of women's studies and self proclaimed "feminist mouthpiece".

Even if the economy were not in such a sorry state, inequality for women in the workplace has always been an issue; and one that generations of feminists have fought to see improved. For example, pregnancy and family responsibilities have hindered women's jobs significantly more than men's, and nearly 90% of people receiving government assistance are women.

In what is being hailed by Heather Boushey as the "worst economic crisis in this lifetime" there has been a disproportionate impact on gender, in terms of both jobs lost and how the stimulus package provides help. Here is how:

1) Four out of every five jobs that are being lost in this recession are men's jobs, which means women are re-entering the workforce or becoming the sole breadwinner. Since women still make about .78 cents to every $1 men can earn, their earning power is much less. This is a problem.

2) The stimulus package, as Linda Hirshman points out in her NYTimes OpEd, "Where Are the New Jobs for Women", is mostly aimed at creating new jobs in infrastructure and alternative engergy - - for construction workers and engineers, both areas where women make up a small percentage of the workforce.

Furthermore, the stimulus package leaves out plans to help areas of the economy where women make up the majority of workers, such as teachers, nurses, caretakers, etc.

Now what about women who are already disadvantaged by abusive relationships? We have discussed in the past that economic hardship can lead to an increase in violence, but what does the current economy mean for women who are trying to leave their abusers and become self sufficient? With enough obstacles already in front of them, now there is the disadvantage of hardly any jobs available and not much aid from the stimulus package.

Now is the time to draw attention to women's economic equality issues, while we re-make the economy through policy and practice. To read more about the work Legal Momentum is doing, check them out here.

Why Do Men Hit?

2009-04-04T09:16:00.000-07:00

How frequently have you heard people ask, "Why do women stay with men who hit them"?

Progressive feminist writer and women's studies professor, Shira Tarrant, author of The Man Files at Girl With Pen, raises this exact point in her most recent article "Serious Talk About Men's Violence".

Tarrant writes, "The most effective way to end violence against women is to stop the problem before it happens. Doing so means we need men on board. We need men taking responsibility, getting in on the conversations about male violence, and refusing to be silent bystanders to the problem."

Domestic violence has traditionally been treated as a women’s issue. Besides constituting the majority of victims, women make up the greater part of the workforce in the field. Additionally, the focus of the work has been on helping victims leave their abusers and restore their sense of agency and independence.

To stop violence before it begins, attention needs to be directed towards young boys and men, specifically those who show a predisposition towards violence. This can happen by researching risk factors, as well as providing better rehabilitation for proven abusers. Additionally, men need to be involved in the movement to end violence against women. Men like Jackson Katz are leading the movement in this way.

Since the cycle of abuse hurts everybody, domestic violence is a societal issue, not just a woman's problem.

So why then, do men hit? And why aren't we asking that question?

Know Your Rights Thursdays

2009-04-02T09:09:00.000-07:00

We're starting a new tradition here at WomensLaw Reports - Know Your Rights Thursday. For our first posting:

You have the right the call 911 if your abuser violates the restraining order.

You can read more about how a restraining order can protect you here.

What's Feminism Got to do with Rihanna?

2009-03-31T08:50:00.000-07:00

The Huffington Post has an interesting article today by Patrick Souer. Apparently a notable majority of teens and reporters blame Rihanna to some degree for the abuse she experienced at the hands of Chris Brown.

How could this be? Isn't Barack Obama a sign of the times? A time where progressive mentalities dominate the racist and sexist ideologies of past generations? Perhaps feminism took a wrong turn somewhere down the line, or the movement still has much further to go, evident by our young women's attitudes about Rihanna.

Souer conjures that some people could construe feminism as the culprit for the misconceptions by teens about whose at fault for Chris Brown beating Rihanna because feminism has confused the established gender roles and made women believe that they are equal to men -- included in that is taking equal responsibility for abuse that happens to them at the hands of men.

Mocking those who could believe this, he writes, " . . . when teenage girls are unclear as to whether a man punching, biting and choking a woman so badly that she lands in a hospital is inhuman? Is it because women are too often cast as victims, which their male counterparts don't accept...because they have been taught the genders are 100% equal?"

I was highly disturbed when I began hearing more and more about the support and personal defense Chris Brown was receiving from his fan base and teenagers, specifically. Did the work of my grandmothers, my aunts, my mother, and my own 25 years of activism not affect any change?

Women's rights and issues like domestic violence and sexual assault are receiving more public attention and legal protection than ever before, but there is a still a long way to go before our society changes the gender stereotypes and learned faslehoods which can lead a notable majority of Americans to stand in ignorant support of a man who abused his girlfriend. I believe feminism is not the culprit of these misconceptions, but the answer to healing them.