Volunteer of the Month Finds Home with BTS

By Sunny Lim Volunteers form the cornerstone of Break the Silence, a survivor-led organization. Our volunteers devote their time, passion, and effort to aid and empower domestic violence survivors. They support survivors in many ways–operating our helpline, advocating for BTS through social media pages, sharing stories, and engaging communities. Because our volunteers make a difference […]

Speaking Out Against Abusers

By Rebecca Lynn What would our world be without communication? Communication is essential for society to function. Communication, regardless of what form it takes, allows us to have social relationships, ask questions, understand others, inform, and gain knowledge. Communication has always been a part of society, primarily through storytelling. Telling a story is powerful; it […]

Signs You’re in Healthy Relationships

For many domestic violence survivors, dating might seem daunting after surviving abusive relationships. For survivors, a time will come when they’ll feel comfortable dating again, but do not know the signs of healthy relationships. However, some survivors might fear dating again because they fear future partners might be similar to their abusers. Some survivors struggle […]

Why Saying “It’s Not Bad” is Dangerous

By Jenn Rockefeller Language is at the core of what we are as a society. It’s how we communicate our wants, needs, thoughts, and emotions. Sometimes using a slightly different word to convey something can give a statement an entirely different meaning. When we talk about something as serious as domestic violence, sometimes we use […]

What is Reproductive Coercion?

By Jenn Rockefeller It is not gender specific. It can happen to men, women and non-binary  victims of domestic violence. It can happen at any time within relationships. It doesn’t discriminate – it can happen to the rich or poor, and to all those with differing racial backgrounds. What is “it?” It’s called reproductive coercion […]

When Abuse Escalates

By Jamey Sheesley Escalation in abusive relationships is very dangerous. Victims tend to experience a steep increase in the abuse as part of the abusive cycle or if they find any sort of independence from their abusive partner. What is the cycle of abuse? Even though every abusive relationship is different, there is always a […]