BEFORE MY TRANSFORMATION Before my transformation, I was very unhappy with myself when I looked in the mirror. I didn’t like going clothes shopping because I had to settle for “cover-up” clothes to hide what I didn’t like about myself. I dreaded doctor visits, too, because the first thing I had to do was weigh […]
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By Kelly Hawkins One in four women and one in seven men have been victims of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, which is staggering. Domestic violence often is stigmatized and misunderstood, resulting in fear of coming forward for those affected and in […]
In 1997, I met a handsome and charming guy while we were stationed at Osan Air Base, South Korea. In August 1998, we were married, and the military relocated us to Virginia. We began what I’d hoped would be a happy life. We rented a townhouse, met friends and settled into being a married couple. […]
By Kay Daneault Victims of domestic abuse, as well as perpetrators, can be any gender or age. They also can come from any demographic, social status or level of education. The relationships of intimate abuse can be complicated by feelings of love and affection for the other person. Typically, the perpetrator exhibits a level of […]
With increasing life expectancy, senior adults are a growing segment of our population, and they are living active, independent lives that are longer than in previous generations. Dating, marriage and intimate relationships in later life are now commonplace, yet we often fail to consider or recognize the signs of dating or domestic abuse among our […]
Mark walked into my life when I was a naïve, sheltered 20-year-old. He was exciting. He was daring. And he introduced me to unchartered waters. Abusive people can always identify the vulnerabilities in others that allow them to move in and take control. Mark found my feelings of missing something from life and a need […]
By Sarah Jones When I started as a victim advocate with the Gulf Coast Center for Nonviolence, it never occurred to me that my advocacy would extend to working with abusers. What I quickly came to realize was that promoting victim safety and moving toward our ultimate goals of reducing and eventually ending future violence […]
