Empowerment Through Self-Defense
By Rebecca Lynn The word self-defense is often defined by stereotypes and myths. To a domestic violence survivor, it may bring to mind the movie Enough. Jennifer Lopez transforms from a defenseless victim into a lean, mean killing machine. She seeks revenge against her abuser and in the end, gets it. Like most movies, she […]
Survivor Story: Devine Faith
By Jamey Sheesley Devine Kelly grew up in a home with domestic violence. Her brother was abusive to his girlfriend and Devine heard the screams and the punches. She saw his girlfriend run out of her brother’s room with a bloody face. It was then that she knew that she did not want to be […]
Social Media Director Named Volunteer of the Month
By Jenn Rockefeller Visionary. Hardworking. Creative. Inspirational. These are just some of the words that Break The Silence Against Domestic Violence founder Kristen Faith used to describe our April Volunteer of the Month. Brian Nguyen, the Social Media Director, joined BTSADV about three years ago and, as Kristen explained, “paved the way for what our […]
Survivor Story: Rosie’s Triumphant Happy Ending
By Jill Crowner Rosie Love had her first encounters with abuse at an early age. In the second grade, she was continually chased down on the playground by a boy who she thought to be her friend. He would isolate her on the far side of the playground, pin her to a chain-link fence and […]
Why Survivors Don’t Call the Police
By Jill Crowner Survivors are often asked why they didn’t “just call the police” when faced with domestic violence. The answer to this question is complicated and varies from case to case. Abusers frequently use fear and manipulation to maintain control over the person they are abusing. Survivors are told that calling the police won’t […]
PTSD in Children
By Jenn Rockefeller Has your child ever experienced something so horrible or scary that it gave them nightmares? Has your child ever avoided anything that reminded them of the experience? Does your child feel detached from others around them? If you answered yes to those questions, your child might have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). […]