Reunion Online

This Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we announced a new campaign to share domestic violence survivors’ stories of healing and support. Using the hashtag #SupportAfterDV, we invited survivors in our community to share the ways they were best supported after their experiences on social media or through our anonymous online survey.

It can be difficult for any person experiencing sexual and domestic violence to seek support and find the resources they need. For some Latin@ survivors, cultural and language barriers can add to these challenges. One in three Latin@ women has experienced physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. And 50% of survivors never report their abuse.

Each October, we join hundreds of other organizations to recognize Domestic Violence Awareness Month. DVAM is an opportunity to deepen our understanding of these issues, share resources, and most importantly, support survivors.

In the age of smartphones and smart homes, using technology to harass and abuse has become increasingly common.

Lyzanne Malfitano has been a hotline shift supervisor at the Chicago Rape Crisis Hotline for five years. She is the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning) staff trainer for the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago 40-Hour Sexual Assault Crisis Intervention Training. She is also a mental health counselor and provides counseling to women and LGBTQ adults at the Chicago Women’s Health Center, focusing on feminist-relational, trauma-informed counseling.

June is LGBTQ Pride Month, when lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning people and their allies celebrate diversity, progress, and pride. This month Joyful Heart reaffirms our support for survivors of all sexual orientations and gender identities or expressions.

Sexual and domestic violence can happen in all different relationships and to anyone, and respecting survivors’ diverse identities and experiences is essential. We support healing practices that recognize and affirm different aspects of survivors’ lives, including whether they identify as LGBTQ.

NPR called it the “assault epidemic no one talks about.” Each year, people with disabilities—physical, mental, intellectual, and others—face disproportionate rates of sexual and domestic violence. And too often, they do not receive the support they need.

Joyful Heart’s website now offers Spanish-language resources to make our educational materials about sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse accessible to those who speak Spanish, including the more than 40 million Spanish speakers in the United States.

Parents who suspect their child is in an unhealthy relationship may not know how to help. Parents can begin discussing healthy relationships and signs of dating abuse with their children before they even begin dating. Here are six tips on how parents can navigate having conversations about dating violence with their children.

1. Educate yourself.