October Awareness....

[klreese]

Hope i'm not crossing any lines with this awareness...just a spot close to home

I support and understand Breast Cancer Awareness... but please let's not forget that October is also Domestic Violence Awareness Month. So in addition to wearing the pink and supporting the Ta-Ta's let's also wear purple and support the true meaning of LOVE.

I'm an advocate for Domestic Violence Awareness. My mother, sister and brother are survivors of DV. If you know someone or are yourself a victim, please seek help.

Some alarming DV stat's:
* Approximately 1.3 million women and 835,000 men are physically assaulted by an intimate partner annually in the United States. (1)

* Intimate partner violence made up 20% of all nonfatal violent crime experienced by women in 2001. (2)

* In 2000, 1,247 women and 440 men were killed by an intimate partner. In recent years, an intimate partner killed approximately 33% of female murder victims and 4% of male murder victims. (3)

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, between 1998 and 2002:

* Of the almost 3.5 million violent crimes committed against family members, 49% of these were crimes against spouses.
* 84% of spouse abuse victims were females, and 86% of victims of dating partner abuse at were female.
* Males were 83% of spouse murderers and 75% of dating partner murderers
* 50% of offenders in state prison for spousal abuse had killed their victims. Wives were more likely than husbands to be killed by their spouses: wives were about half of all spouses in the population in 2002, but 81% of all persons killed by their spouse. (4)

From National Coalition Against Domestic Violence:

*One in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime.
*85% of domestic violence victims are women.
*Historically, females have been most often victimized by someone they knew. *Females who are 20-24 years of age are at the greatest risk of nonfatal intimate partner violence.
*Most cases of domestic violence are never reported to the police.


For more information or to get help, please call:
TTHEHE NNATIONALATIONAL DDOMESTICOMESTIC VVIOLENCEIOLENCE HHOTLINEOTLINE at 1-800-799-7233
THE NATIONAL SEXUAL ASSAULT HOTLINE AT 1-800-656-4673
THE NATIONAL TEEN DATING ABUSE HOTLINE AT 1-866-331-9474


(1)Patricia Tjaden & Nancy Thoennes, U.S. Dep't of Just., NCJ 183781, Full Report of the Prevalence, Incidence, and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women: Findings from the National Violence Against Women Survey, at iv (2000), available at Full Report of the Prevalence, Incidence, and Consequences of Violence Against Women: Findings From the National Violence Against Women Survey | National Institute of Justice

(2) Callie Marie Rennison, U.S. Dep't of Just., NCJ 197838, Bureau of Justice Statistics Crime Data Brief: Intimate Partner Violence, 1993-2001, at 1 (2003), available at [url]http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/ipv01.pdf

(3) Callie Marie Rennison, U.S. Dep't of Just., NCJ 197838, Bureau of Justice Statistics Crime Data Brief: Intimate Partner Violence, 1993-2001, at 1 (2003), available at [url]http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/ipv01.pdf

(4) Matthew R. Durose et al., U.S. Dep't of Just., NCJ 207846, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Family Violence Statistics: Including Statistics on Strangers and Acquaintances, at 31-32 (2005), available at [url]http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/fvs.pdf

 

[sydkat7]

Thanks much for this post, kleese. I'm a big supporter of Domestic Violence Awareness too, especially as I'm a survivor of it (my ex-husband was very abusive). I think many more people need to be aware of the pain that many women, children, and even some men endure in their own homes.

 

[ElGatoLoco]

I'm on board. My big sis was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 34 and pregnant with her third child. Her third child was unplanned but during her regular visits to the doctor, they found the cancer. So it ended up being a blessing in disguise. She had a healthy baby girl and immediately started treatment. A few surgeries and wigs later, my sister is now cancer free!

It really can happen to anyone.

 

[marlene]

And just so everyone knows, Oct. 24-30 is National Respiratory Care Week. Some quick statistics off the top of my head:

100% of people breathe.
100% of people will stop breathing at some point in time.
100% of people will likely need the intervention of a respiratory therapist for one thing or another at some point during their lifetime.

Have you ever been treated in a hospital/emergency room for a breathing or coughing problem? Thank a respiratory therapist. Have you ever had surgery and gone home without suffering the complication of post operative pneumonia? Thank a respiratory therapist. Have you ever survived being on life support? Thank a respiratory therapist. Have you ever survived a heart attack, an asthma attack, congestive heart failure, an exacerbation of COPD, or lung cancer? Thank a respiratory therapist.

It's like I always tell my patients... If you can't breathe, nothing else matters.

p.s. Please support your local legislation to allow school children to carry their rescue inhalers with them. A rescue inhaler doesn't help a child if it's locked up in an office. They need to be able to take it IMMEDIATELY. This is serious business - children can and do die because they don't have fast access to their inhalers. I've seen it.

 

[Candys]

Great Information!I am a survivor of domestic violence. It can happen to anybody, rich/poor, fat/skinny, lawyer/clerk - ANYBODY.

 

[klreese]

El Gato Loco- Thank God your sister and the baby survived! What a Blessing!

sydkat7 & Candys - So glad you ladies made it out safely!! (and your naked babies are happy too!!)
Did you know on average it takes a victim up to 7 attempts to successfully leave their abuser IF they make it to the 7th time?

Marlene- thank you for that info! info i did not know. A BIG BIG thank you, because i have asthma

 

[ckutkuhn7]

Thank you so much for posting this. I too am a Survivor and support my local shelter every chance I get. This issue defintley needs more exposure everywhere.

 

[Candys]

Yes Marlene, THANK YOU. My aunt came down with rheumatoid arthritis and it went into her lungs. She is working at getting on the transplant list. Has to keep losing weight and it is hard when you are out of breath all the time and exercise is not an option. She is at 45% lung capacity and has serious bouts of shingles due to her comprimised immune system.

 

[klreese]

Christina- that's wonderful to hear!

Candys- wow. i hope she gets her transplant. Sorry to hear she's going through that.

 

[Inferno12]

Thank you for posting this. This also hits home for me. I was a victim and it doesnt have to be your "normal" types of relationships. DV happens so much more than people realize. Its a terrible thing and something I never hope to go through again.

I also want to thank you for posting the facts of DV. Its amazing how many men are victims too

 

[klreese]

Dawn- you're right... men are victims as well. Along with children!! a few years ago i took part in a Silent awareness at a hospital. They cut out life size peices of wood, painted BRIGHT red with the stories of each person who was KILLED due to DV. It was such a small handful of people murdered by anger.
The person i held up was a little 2 year old boy, beat to death by his mother's boyfriend still makes me so sad....
I wish i could find that cause again... it was so inspiring.

 

[susi794]

Great Information!I am a survivor of domestic violence. It can happen to anybody, rich/poor, fat/skinny, lawyer/clerk - ANYBODY.

Me too......

 

[MissMySphynxBoys]

Thanks for sharing everyone.

 

[klreese]

Glad you are ok and well now Susi! you have unconditional LOVE from your naked babies!