Community Solutions to Sexual and Domestic Violence: VIRGINIA

BUY SPECIALIZED PLATES TO HELP AVALON

Virginia residents can now sign up to purchase a special license plate that will benefit Avalon: A Center for Women and Children. Proceeds from the Drive Peace Home license plate program support the prevention of domestic violence and sexual assault in communities across Virginia by building the Healthy Futures Fund, started by the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance. For Avalon to receive some of these funds, the nonprofit needs to collect at least 25 pre-paid license plate orders.

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DESIGN HOUSE TOURS TO BENEFIT CHARLOTTESVILLE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTER

CHARLOTTESVILLE--A house in Albemarle County is a beacon of hope for victims of domestic violence. It was opening weekend at the Design House - which benefits the Shelter for Help in Emergency. People came out in droves to tour the Design House Sunday. Their visit is helping women and children in need of the comforts of a home. Simple touches, fresh coats of paint and thoughtful themes drew visitors to the 2013 Design House in Farmington. Organizers say the house is a reminder of the value of having a place to call home.

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PLATES FOR PEACE

Sales of Peace Begins at Home license plates that were recently approved by the Virginia General Assembly will help pay for prevention programs targeting kids.

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Red Flag Campaign Featured at University of Wisconsin-Superior’s Annual Speak Out

Dou­glas County scores high in the num­ber of reported sex­ual assaults among the 72 coun­ties in the state – rank­ing fifth in the num­ber of reported sex­ual assaults per capita, accord­ing to 2010 data pro­vided from the Wis­con­sin Office of Jus­tice Assis­tance. Nearly 90 per­cent of Wis­con­sin sex­ual assaults reported in 2010 were com­mit­ted by some­one known to the vic­tim. Being that April is Sex­ual Assault Aware­ness month, April 25 is the date that the Cen­ter Against Sex­ual and Domes­tic Assault, Inc. (CASDA), and the UW-Superior Gen­der Equity Resource Cen­ter have set aside for a march to bring pub­lic­ity to this issue and pro­mote aware­ness. Other aware­ness activ­i­ties include tabling in the YU each day last week to bring up the issue of red flags in dat­ing relationships.

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Virginia Recognizes National Crime Victims’ Rights Week April 21-27, 2013

In recognition of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services will host an event to pay tribute to victims of crime and the important role of advocacy demonstrated by victims’ services providers in the Commonwealth. Several state leaders will be participating in the event, which will be Thursday, April 25th from 11:00am until Noon at the Bell Tower on the Capitol grounds.

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SEXUAL ASSAULT RESOURCE AGENCY FACES FUNDING CRISIS

The Charlottesville Sexual Assault Resource Agency (SARA) is in danger of disappearing due to funding cuts. With a staff of 12, plus two dozen volunteers and a budget near $500,000, SARA depends largely on state and federal grants. But the funding for the organization's prevention and education program relies heavily on local support. SARA's executive director says one local foundation decision to cut its funding to SARA, means the outreach program will be operating with about half of its funds.

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MILITARY SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIM WANTS REGS CHANGED

Rep. Jackie Speier, a California Democrat, introduced a bill Wednesday that would take convening and prosecuting authority in sexual assault cases out of the chain of command and put it instead into the hands of a specially trained office within the military. Speier introduced similar legislation in the last session of Congress; that bill, also called the Sexual Assault Training Oversight and Prevention Act, or the STOP Act, gained more than 130 co-sponsors, but died in committee.

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UVA STUDENTS TAKE STAND AGAINST SEXUAL ASSAULTS WITH ‘TAKE BACK THE NIGHT’

University of Virginia students took a stand Thursday night against what they call a "silent epidemic." All this week, they were working to raise awareness about sexual assault and domestic violence. "We do have problems with domestic violence and sexual assault right here in our home," said organizer Staige Davis. The community rallied at Lambeth Field, raising awareness about sexual assault and offering support to survivors.

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Choosing the Right Options

Representatives of the new Culpeper County Options pilot program “Do You,” which provides anti-violence awareness to local youth, recently attended an event against abuse in the nation’s capital in February. The “Do You” campaign addresses youth violence such as dating and sexual violence, sexual harassment and bullying in a safe environment by “confronting its root causes and building resilience to promote positive development and healthy relationships.” Participants 13 to 16 years old complete 10 sessions in small, same-gender groups where Anderson said they “engage in discussion and activities using creative expression to design their own ‘zine.”

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National Domestic Violence Census 2012: Over 64,000 Victims of Domestic Violence Served in One Day

For the seventh consecutive year, the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) conducted its annual National Census of Domestic Violence Services on September 12, 2012 and today released their analysis of that data in the report: Domestic Violence Counts: A 24-hour Census of Domestic Violence Shelters and Services. The report revealed that reduced funding for domestic violence services means that programs are unable to help survivors with shelter, attain legal help, or leave abusive partners.

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