Reunion Online

As Domestic Violence Awareness Month begins, I am filled with hope and encouraged that people everywhere are talking about violence and abuse.

Today, The Accountability Project, an initiative of our ENDTHEBACKLOG program, released our first findings about the extent of the backlog in four cities—Las Vegas, Milwaukee, Seattle and Tulsa.

These are daunting obstacles to creating a safe, supportive environment so that our community members are safe and those aren’t can come forward and seek help. But there are practical steps that Christian leaders and congregation members should consider when dealing with domestic violence victims-survivors and offenders.

Whether you are picking up the paper, watching the news or following the conversation on Twitter, it’s clear that all of us are searching for how to respond, for language to talk about these crimes, to express our feelings, and for what to do next. What we know for sure: it's time for change. And we know that change will only come when we all work together.

When we interact with our environment, it can awaken memories of a past experience—your own or a loved one’s—that can affect us in the moment. Here are some resources that can support you at this time and in your broader healing process.

When addressing situations of domestic violence, we offer the best possibilities for victim-survivor safety and offender accountability when we work in partnership with individuals from a wide variety of disciplines—medical, legal, spiritual, mental health, criminal justice.

It is with a full and grateful heart that I pause—mid-way through our tenth anniversary year and at the beginning of our new fiscal year—to reflect on the special blessings of the past twelve months.

Viacom and its Velocity division had the privilege to work on a series of public service announcements addressing domestic violence and sexual assault. The mission of the PSAs is to dispel the stigma and disrupt the silence around these issues that are so critical and relevant for our audiences.

Today, June 30 marks a crossroads for the Joyful Heart Foundation—a time of reflecting on all that we have accomplished this year together and of navigating the road that lies ahead of us. The destination? The end of violence and abuse.

Let’s consider the story of one Christian survivor, Mary, who filed for divorce because her husband was abusing her emotionally, physically, psychologically and spiritually. The response of her pastor is shocking.