May is Older Americans Month, honoring the value that elders contribute to our communities. It also provides an opportunity to elevate the rights of elders to live free from abuse. Although research on the incidence and prevalence of elder abuse is still very limited, it is estimated that as much as 11% of US elders report experiencing some type of abuse or neglect. Older victims may be abused by intimate partners, adult children, grandchildren or other family members, caregivers or others in positions of authority. In a majority of cases, the perpetrator is the victim’s family member, most often an intimate partner (Acierno et al., 2009; Lifespan of Greater Rochester, 2011). Advocates in programs addressing domestic and sexual violence often serve older adults and seek support in the continual process of enhancing their services, outreach efforts, and educational programs to best respond to their unique needs and experiences.
On June 15th, people across the globe will come together to bring attention to this important issue by observing World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD). First launched in 2006 by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA) and the World Health Organization at the United Nations, WEAAD has served as a call-to-action for individuals, organizations, and communities to raise awareness about elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
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There is a lot to talk about when it comes to understanding child development in general. With childhood sexual development, things seem to be even trickier! While it’s not uncommon in our culture to shy away from talking about sex with our children, it’s incredibly important to do so. Increasing children’s knowledge about their bodies, sexuality, and development is one piece of the puzzle in preventing child sexual abuse. These sometimes scary conversations (many of you may refer to it as “the talk”) play a role in increasing protective factors against experiencing abuse and may decrease risk factors for future perpetration.
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Thanks to concerned activism, including a flurry of creative social media efforts, domestic violence advocates across the country are getting the buzz about this year’s National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Given advocates’ interest in observing the day (March 10, 2013), requests for additional information on the connection between intimate partner violence and HIV/Aids have increased. Research highlights and resources are included here to provide advocates with information and tools to more effectively address the co-occurrence of domestic violence and HIV/AIDS.
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Recently, a request came in from someone who wanted to include information on the cost of sexual violence in an upcoming training. Having this information can be helpful in your advocacy work and conversations with employers, legislators and funders. Although a difficult social issue to quantify, several studies have examined the costs of sexual violence based on factors like the overall social cost of responding, loss in income or productivity, or in examining the change in quality of life for people living through and healing from sexual violence.
The best available research tells us that crime victimization costs the United States $450 billion annually (National Institute of Justice, 1996). Rape is the most costly of all crimes to its victims, with total estimated costs at $127 billion a year (excluding the cost of child sexual abuse). (NAESV, 2011)
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One simple connection can give a child hope. (Children of Domestic Violence, 2012)
It’s true. For a child whose home is a scary, unpredictable place, one simple connection can be transformative. Betsy McAlister Groves, founding director of the Child Witness to Violence Project at Boston Medical Center, emphasizes relationships with caring, supportive adults as the single most important factor to promote healing and resiliency in children exposed to violence. You could be the person that makes a key difference in the life of a child exposed to domestic violence. Or better yet, you could support and help strengthen their relationship with their non-abusing parent or caregiver.
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Pop quiz: You’re having a party, and your fridge is stuffed with canned drinks – Coke, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Sprite, the works. You turn to your guests and ask, “Hey does anybody want a…
(a) Soda
(b) Pop
(c) Coke
(d) Other
If you grew up in the U.S., your answer probably reflects where you’re from.
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