Domestic Violence Resources and Info

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National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)

General:

Violence Against Women State Resources:
http://womenshealth.gov/violence/state.cfm

Violence Against Women Online Resource Library:
http://www.vaw.umn.edu/library/

National Coalition Againt Domestic Violence:
http://www.ncadv.org/

NIH Medline:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/domesticviolence.html

Domestic Violence Info Center:
http://www.feminist.org/other/dv/dvhome.html

Screening
Are You Being Abused?
http://www.acog.org/departments/dept_notice.cfm?recno=17&bulletin=198

Identifying Domestic Abuse:
http://www.abanet.org/domviol/mrdv/identify.html

Legal:

Know Your Rights Domestic Violence (ABA)
ttp://www.abanet.org/domviol/knowrights.pdf

Womens Law:
http://www.womenslaw.org/

Statistics:
http://www.ncadv.org/resources/Statistics_170.html


The Cycle of Abuse:

http://www.domesticviolence.org/cycle.html

http://www.mvwcs.com/cycledomesticviolence.html
http://www.mhc.ab.ca/programs/con_studies/womens_rights/Chpt2.htm

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Witnessing abuse harms children's mental health

URL of this page: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_28963.html (*this news item will not be available after 02/03/2006)

Reuters Health Information
Wednesday, January 4, 2006

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Children who see their mothers physically abused may often suffer their own emotional and behavioral problems in response, new study findings show.

The study, according to the researchers, adds to evidence that witnessing violence in the home can have serious consequences for children's mental health and ability to function in daily life.

"The findings suggest that systematic efforts are needed to ensure that mental health needs are identified and addressed appropriately in children exposed to this violence," they report in the journal Pediatrics.

The researchers, led by Dr. Andrea L. Hazen of the Child and Adolescent Services Research Center in San Diego, based their conclusions on data collected from 2020 U.S. families who had been investigated by Child Protective Services for suspected child abuse or neglect.

They found that mothers who said they'd been seriously abused by their partner -- beaten, choked or threatened with a weapon -- generally reported more emotional and behavioral problems in their 4- to 14-year-old children.

A mother's own behavior did play a role in this association, the study found. That is, women who were physically abused were more likely than other women to be aggressive toward their children or to use physical punishment, and this partially explained the higher rates of depression, anxiety and aggressive behavior among their children.

However, there was still a clear effect of simply witnessing abuse, Hazen and her colleagues found.

The findings, they conclude, highlight a need for child-welfare agencies and programs aimed at intimate partner violence to ensure that they address the mental health needs of children who witness violence.

Pediatricians, they add, also need to do their part by routinely screening mothers for intimate partner violence, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

"To provide optimal care for the overall physical and emotional well-being of children," the researchers write, "providers in these settings must have a comprehensive understanding of children's home lives."

SOURCE: Pediatrics, January 2006.

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How an Abuser Can Discover Your Internet Activities:
http://www.abanet.org/domviol/internet.html

American Bar Association
Commission on Domestic Violence
WARNING
Taking all of the actions on this page may not prevent an abuser from discovering your email and internet activity. The safest way to find information on the internet is to go to a safer computer. Suggestions are: a local library, a friend's house or your workplace. Other safety suggestions: change your password often, do not pick obvious words or numbers for your password, and pick a combination of letters and numbers for your password.
HOW AN ABUSER CAN DISCOVER YOUR INTERNET ACTIVITIES
email: if an abuser has access to your email account, he or she may be able to read your incoming and outgoing mail. if you believe your account is secure, make sure you choose a password he or she will not be able to guess.

If an abuser sends you threatening or harassing email messages, they may be printed and saved as evidence of this abuse. Additionally, the messages may constitute a federal offense. For more information on this issue, contact your local United States Attorney's Office.

history / cache file: if an abuser knows how to read your computer's history or cache file (automatically saved web pages and graphics), he or she may be able to see information you have viewed recently on the internet.

You can clear your history or empty your cache file in your browser's settings.*

* Netscape:
Pulldown Edit menu, select Preferences. Click on Navigator on choose 'Clear History'. Click on Advanced then select Cache. Click on "Clear Disk Cache".

On older versions of Netcape: Pulldown Options menu. Select Network Options, Select Cache. Click on "Clear Disk Cache".

* Internet Explorer:
Pull down Tools menu, select Internet Options. On General page, under Temporary Internet Files, click on "Delete Files." If asked, check the box to delete all offline content. Still within the Temporary Internet Files section, click on Settings. (This next step may make it harder to navigate pages where you'd like your information to be remembered, but these remaining cookies do show website pages you have visited. Therefore, use your own judgment as to whether or not to take this next step). Click on "View Files." Manually highlight all the files (cookies) shown, then hit Delete. Close that window, then on General page under History section, click on "Clear History."

* AOL:
Pulldown Members menu, select Preferences. Click on WWW icon. Then select Advanced. Purge Cache.

Additionally, a victim needs to make sure that the "Use Inline Autocomplete" box is NOT checked. This function will complete a partial web address while typing a location in the address bar at the top of the browser.

If you are using Internet Explorer, this box can be found on the MS Internet Explorer Page by clicking on "Tools" at the top of the screen, then "Internet Options," and then the "Advanced" tab. About halfway down there is a "Use inline AutoComplete" box that can be checked and unchecked by clicking on it. Uncheck the box to disable the feature that automatically completes an internet address when you start typing in the internet address box.

* This information may not completely hide your tracks. Many browser types have features that display recently visited sites. The safest way to find information on the internet, would be at a local library, a friend's house, or at work.

For help call the National Domestic Violence Hotline:
1-800-799-SAFE 1-800-787-3224 (TTY)

Contact information:
ABA Commission on Domestic Violence
740 15th Street, NW, 9th Floor
Washington, DC, 20005-1022