Survivor's Revolution: Why We Never Told

I was in and out of hospitals as a teen and saw many therapists and shrinks, but it wasn't until recently that I finally started telling the truth. I really struggle with this because it makes it much more difficult to alleviate my guilt when I know ... This list is not exhaustive and certainly not specific to childhood sexual abuse. I write from that perspective because its the main focus of my blog, but it is also applicable to domestic violence, rape, sexual assault, ...

 
Survivor's Revolution - http://survivorsrevolution.blogspot.com/

Safe & Secure Domestic Violence Social Network

A new social network just for domestic violence victims, survivors and advocates!  This network is just getting started but offers the same features as other social networks, with the only difference being that ALL members of the network are screened, making this a safe environment for victims, survivors and advocates alike to gain information and resources, share with each other, and support each other through peer-based support groups and forums.

We do have a TEEN group that is safe and secure.  Restricted to teens only!  For teens to share with others about their experiences and to gain info about dating violence and abuse of all types.

Visit United Angels Against Domestic Violence

Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week - Feb 2 - 6, 2009

February 2 - 6 is National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and
Prevention Week for 2009. In 2006, Congress passed legislation that
the first week in February would be designated to focus on this
important issue facing our teens. Less than one week after its first
observance, Jennifer Ann Crecente - a high school honors student, was
murdered by her ex-boyfriend. Jennifer Ann’s group is dedicated to her memory.

For ideas on what you can do to promote awareness please visit their
website:
http://jenniferann.org/national-teen-dating-violence-awareness-and-prevention-week.htm

Thank you for your interest and support of efforts to STOP Teen
Dating Violence!

"Jennifer Ann's Group" - Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week - Feb 2 - 6, 2009

Teen Dating Violence and Awareness Week: What are your plans? - Canada

In reading this article, many things hit me at once, and with this article being so long and full of important information, I'm going to ask you to please take a few minutes out of your day and read it.  It's that important.....Why you ask?'

Simple, this is NOT something that is only happening in Canada.  This is NOT something that is only happening in the US, but all around the world.  Teen Dating Violence is NOT being taken as seriously as it truly needs to be, for it's a pre-cursor to Domestic Violence.  If we can only get them while they are young!

In this article, it shares that there's ONLY 2 states in the ENTIRE US that have taken the steps to increase risk prevention in teens by going to legal lengths.

Two states in the entire United States of America, Texas and Rhode Island, have taken the steps to increase risk prevention in this vulnerable group of teenagers by going to legal lengths such as implementing policies that address Teen Dating Violence, even requiring that it be taught at certain grade levels. New York is beginning to realize the serious problem for teenagers and has finally expanded its laws to allow teens in abusive relationships to obtain restraining orders in family courts instead of from the long and drawn out criminal justice system.

HELLO OUT THERE!!!  Is anyone seeing a problem with this????

Too many teens are suffering, too many are dying because they don't have the help and support needed.  Too many are then getting into Domestic Violence relationships because they don't have the support or the Empowerment to know that they can have better!  Too many signs are not being seen, and too many parents are out there trying to protect their children without the help from a system that continues to be blind to their needs. 

Again, read through this article, I know that it's for a week of awareness for the teens there, but there's a lot of good information in there that I feel can be used anywhere. 

What steps will you take where you live to help protect the teens that are at risk in your area?  What will it take for you to open up your blind eyes and to take part in being part of the solution?

Original Article

Medical Mall Teen Summit to Deal with Pregnancy

Too often we hear bad news, but this is something that I feel that those in the area of Jackson, MS should take advantage of if they are able too.  "Empowering Minds, Saving Lives", a upcoming Teen Summit is something that is very important to be involved with, and very important to get Teens involved with.  Below is the information, and I hope that many get to go to this, and that it helps reach out to the teens in that area and effect change...

An open mike is being offered to give voices to the issues that teens face, giving them a chance to speak out and have a voice, something so many teens don't have. 

Jackson, MS - The Mississippi State Health Department and others will join the Jackson Medical Mall Foundation for a news conference on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. at Center Stage of the Jackson Medical Mall Thad Cochran Center to announce plans and activities for "Empowering Minds, Saving Lives" Teen Summit 2009.  Partners will unveil the agenda that helps high school students develop prevention and intervention skills to deal with issues they face on a daily basis.  A display of competing projects from high school students about their experience with the issues will also be revealed.

"Empowering Minds, Saving Lives" Teen Summit 2009 is February 26, 2009 from 9 a.m. until noon in the UMC Auditorium at the Medical Mall.  It will feature social service professionals and high school students passionate in their fight to win back our young people at risk for dropping out of school, teenage pregnancy, violence and abuse, disease, and more.  Students will have open mike for them to talk candidly with professionals about issues and problems as well as an opportunity to win prizes for themselves and for their school during a competition that focuses on the core issues.  The teen summit is in conjunction with the Medical Mall Foundation's "Fresh Start" 2009 Career and College Fair.

For more information on “Empowering Minds, Saving Lives” Teen Summit 2009 or “Fresh Start” 2009 Career and College Fair, call the Jackson Medical Mall Foundation at (601) 982-8467 or log on to http://www.jacksonmedicalmall.org.
Teen summit partners include My Brother’s Keeper, Inc., the Mississippi Department of Education, the Mississippi Urban Research Center, the Metro Jackson Community Prevention Coalition, Hinds Behavioral Health Services Children’s Services Division, the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated Stork’s Nest, United Way of the Capitol Area, Mississippi Children Home Services, the Perico Institute for Youth Development and Entrepreneurship (PRIYDE), MADDRAMA, PIP Printing, OurGlass Entertainment, Junior Achievement of Mississippi, and the Jackson Public Schools Safe & Drug-Free Division..

Original Article

VIOLENCE: Mother of teen victim starts 'Kari's Candle of Hope'

"There were little signs, small clues that something wasn't right." stated April Amandon of the Lockport Union-Sun & Journal.


Kari Gorman 18 was killed by her boyfriend Shawn Wolf 19 on July 26, 2008 at Shaw's home on Balmer Road.  After an argument, he reportedly shot and killed her, then drove to a cemetery in Youngstown and took his own life.

"It was only when the relationship ended in tragedy that all the warning signs came together." stated Kari's family.

For those of us who have survived domestic violence we recognize the symptoms.  The alienation from friends and family, the constant checking in making sure of the person's every move, the threats of suicide if you want to end the relationship with them; things like this we are told are red flags of domestic violence.  So why then in the year 2009 with all the supposed information regarding this topic freely available, are we loosing so many women to Domestic Violence?  Only after the tragedy occurs do people wonder what could have been done differently for the outcome to have been altered.  It confuses me why society constantly wonders at the murder of these women, when domestic violence has been a serious problem in very country since as far back as we can trace our roots.  Yet society wants to do nothing to change this serious problem; in fact they turn the other way when confronted with family, friends or just acquaintances who are going through abuse.  So how then do we combat this ever growing issue that no one wants to face and address?

How do you kill a cancer when it threatens to spread to the roots of the trees, you kill the cancer before it even gets started.  So how do you stop domestic violence BEFORE it gets started?  Education and awareness.  We must educate our youngest children and the oldest adults.  We must not be afraid to talk about it and discuss it openly, and we must not shun those who have gone through its effects.  For those women who are going through it and who have survived its life long horrendous affects, talking about it is one way to break the cycle.

The sudden violence was a shock to Kari's family and friends, who never expected the teen's life to end so abruptly.


"Your mind only lets so much in at a time, and then I think it goes backwards sometimes, too," she said.  "There's still times I look at her picture, and I'm just waiting for her to come in (the door)."

This feeling has been felt by more families both in the United States as well as countries around the world, then should ever be felt.  Domestic Violence is a cancer that is spreading throughout the United States and countries abroad, it is time we kill that cancer and save future victims and families from such a horrible tragedy as this.  Kari's Candle of Hope is one of the ways this is being done.

Kari's Candle of Hope, was began by Kari's family out of the tragedy and loss of her life.  Out of tragedy came an organization in the grass roots stages; hoping to become a non-profit group that educates young people on dating violence.  This is one of the biggest areas of education we need to target, our young people.  Our hope is that this organization goes far and becomes great!  We also hope that they get as many young people to listen as they can, this will cut down on the amount of teens and young adults killed due to dating and domestic violence!

Teen sentenced in fatal stabbing

This isn't something that we want to see, or even recognize is out there, but wanted to share with you what is going on with this teen that was in an abusive "relationship", and how it ended...

This young woman has been sentenced to 2-4 years in state prison, followed by six years probation in the stabbing death of her boyfriend during an argument that turned physical. 

Brittany McCoy, who was 17 at the time of the incident, pleaded guilty in November to voluntary manslaughter, reduced from third-degree murder.

Johnstown police charged that she stabbed 21-year-old Bruce Dickenson Jr. once in the chest last Jan. 18 at their apartment in the Coopersdale Homes.

The judge, at the request of defense Attorney Thomas Dickey of Altoona, agreed to recommend to the State Department of Corrections that McCoy be held at a state prison in the Philadelphia area to be closer to her family, including her 2-year-old daughter.

"The family's desire was not to have two victims in this case," Langerholc said.

It's not only sad that a life was taken by DV, but that this young woman's daughter is growing up without the bond of her mother.  I'm glad to see that the parents of the previous boyfriend are thinking of this rationally, and don't want vengeance against a young woman that was over her head.  

I recently did a blog on those victims in prison who had killed their abusers (Gov. Blunt Commutes Sentences on Stacey Ann Lannert & Charity Sue Carey), and here's yet another one, younger then the ones shared before.  This is happening too often, too many victims on both sides of DV are occurring.  How can so many yet state that this is a family issue, and that only family is affected?? 

Dickey said that the defendant had decided to enter the plea rather than chance conviction on the more serious offense, even though there had been a history of abuse in the relationship.

"This is not a situation where my client planned this attack or fight.  There was no premeditation.  She has no criminal record and nothing to indicate violence in the past," Dickey said.

Dickey had suggested that McCoy had acted in self-defense or that possibly the stabbing was accidental when Dickerson - who had thrown her against a bunk bed - had run at her.

Thankfully, Brittany McCoy will not be facing life or even that many years in prison, and that the courts saw this for what it was. 

Our prayers go out to the families of both victims, and I pray that Brittany McCoy gets the help she needs so that she can later have a happy and healthy relationship. 

Teens, and the parents of teens, need to see that this is something that not only happens to adults, but teens as well.  There IS DV in teen relationships!  Too often teens go without the help that they need because too many believe that domestic violence doesn't happen in the younger generation, but all too often it does.  Too often it ends in tragedy, and the ones that don't, the victims of teen dating violence then go on to become adult victims of domestic violence.  This is something that needs to be taken very seriously, and teens and parents need to be aware of the signs and symptoms of Teen Dating Violence and how to get help when a teen needs it.  Knowing the signs and symptoms, having an open relationship with your teen about their relationship are two things that can save teens from having to go through something like this.  Take it seriously, and please, get the help that is needed before it ends badly...

Original Article