Is it Teen Drama or Teen Trauma?
Teen Relationships in Media Adolescence is the time to get to know yourself in and out of a relationship, but if all you see on screen and in books is red flags, how are you supposed to [...]
Shining a Light on Emotional Manipulation
What Does Gaslighting Really Mean? The term gaslighting is currently used a lot, but many people do not really understand what it really means. In fact, Gaslighting was the Word of the Year according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. Gaslighting [...]
Love You, Love Your Partner
How loving yourself can enhance your relationships with others. “Love yourself before others can love you” - This is a common suggestion for healthy relationships, but what if you are already with someone? Is there a test you must [...]
Dating Violence Awareness Month – Starting the Conversation at Home
Dating Violence Awareness Month is a national effort to raise awareness about the impacts of dating abuse and encourage communities to support teens and young adults in seeking healthy relationships. Though these conversations are important to have year-round, February [...]
How Does Violence Affect a Community?
So, What is Violence? Violence is any behavior that has the intent of hurting someone. Violence is stressful on our bodies. Chronic stress increases the chances of heart diseases, mental health issues, and increases the engagement of risky behaviors [...]
The COVID Effect – Increased Demand for Shelter and Community Support
In 2021, the United Nations coined the phrase “shadow pandemic” in a report that examined the unprecedented increase in violence against women that occurred during the COVID pandemic. The American Journal of Emergency Medicine estimates that domestic violence cases [...]
How to Safely Support Someone in an Abusive Relationship
When someone you know is in an abusive relationship, it may be difficult to know how to help. We want the people we care about to be loved, respected, and safe. Unfortunately, sometimes even in our best attempts to [...]
Silent Victims: The Impact of Domestic Violence on Children
Domestic violence comes in many forms including physical assault, emotional/psychological abuse, intimidation, sexual abuse, and the systematic power of control perpetrated by one intimate partner to another. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, “1 in 15 children [...]
A Call to Masculinity
1 out of every 4 women 18 years or older have been the victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. All too often this violence ends deadly. But violence against women is not just [...]
More Than a Purple Ribbon – The Importance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Currently, there are almost 500 recognized awareness months. They range from the well-known (Breast Cancer Awareness Month) to the obscure (Workplace Eye Wellness Month). Domestic Violence Awareness is recognized every October although it is often overshadowed by Breast Cancer [...]