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An Abused Women's Affirmation I celebrate my courage in coming here. I was alone, but now I am not alone. I was victimized, but I am no longer a victim. I name the violence in my life--and declare it wrong. I name that I need help, and that I am willing to give help. Nothing I do provokes the violence. Nothing about me causes the violence. Nothing gives one person the right to abuse another person. Abusers can change themselves, but I cannot change them. Nothing I can do will change my past. Everything I do changes my future. I have protected myself and my children. Resistance to violence, defending myself or my children, is not abuse. I believe myself; I believe my sisters. I can ask support; I can give support. I can change myself; I can change the world. My being here helps others. I am not here to judge my sisters, but to support their healing. I will take the risk to trust other women here. I affirm the privacy and confidentiality of every woman in this group. Every time a sister resists, she creates a space for resistance around her. I am here in solidarity with my sisters of all persuasions, all colors, all orientations, and all faiths to say NO to violence!! We will not be divided by our diversity--we will be strengthened by it. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- If you are a battered woman, THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:------------------ YOU MAY BELIEVEyou are the only woman who is being battered. YOU SHOULD KNOW that a woman is beaten every 15 seconds in the United States. Woman abuse is the most common and least reported crime in this country. YOU MAY BELIEVE, or be told by others, that it is your fault. YOU SHOULD KNOW that you are not the cause of someone else's violence. YOU MAY BELIEVE all relationships involve violence. YOU SHOULD KNOW that all relationships involve conflicts but dealing with those conflicts and anger does not have to result in violence. YOU MAY BELIEVE that if your partner promises that the violence will never happen again, it won't. YOU SHOULD KNOW that if nothing is done to stop it, over time, battering tends to happen more often and becomes more severe. YOU MAY BELIEVE there is nothing you can do to change things. YOU SHOULD KNOW that you are not alone and there are things you can do. Sorting through your options may be overwhelming, but by reaching out for the help that is there... you can do it! ______________________________________________________________________ This group is here for those that have been or currently are in an abusive relationship, or those who wish to help. We are a safe haven, not here to judge only to listen and support. There are a lot of great people in this group who are fighting to help stop Domestic and Child Abuse! I hope you will come join us, as we strive for a peaceful future for all that are or may suffer at the hands of abusers! We hope you will feel free to share, your story , you may find the help you need, or be able to give someone else the help/strength they need. For those of you that have asked to join just to help, but haven't been in this type of situation, I would appreciate if you would introduce yourselves and share with the group your desire to help. We can only stop Society's disease of Abuse if we bring it out of the darkness and into the light! ______________________________________________________________________ We believe domestic violence results from the use of force or threat to achieve and maintain control over others in intimate relationships, and from societal abuse of power and domination in the forms of sexism, racism, homophobia, classism, anti-Semitism, able-bodyism, ageism and other oppressions.--------------------------------------------------- We recognize that the abuses of power in society foster battering by perpetuating conditions, which condone violence against women and children. Therefore, it is the mission to work for major societal changes necessary to eliminate both personal and societal violence against all! ______________________________________________________________________ In 1970, there was no such thing as a shelter for battered women. Today there are over 2,000 shelter and service programs, forming a national movement based on the belief that women and their children are entitled to a safe environment free from violence and the threat of violence. _______________________________________________________________________ Contacting Congress Contacting your Member of Congress can be as simple as writing and email or making a telephone call. Members of Congress have local district offices as well as offices in DC. You are encouraged to contact both offices and may find information about those locations at the sites below. To make inquiries please visit these links or call the telephone numbers listed below. Online: www.congress.org www.house.gov www.senate.gov www.access.gpo.gov www.thomas.loc.gov Telephone: US Senate Democrat- 202-224-8541 Republican- 202-224-8601 US House of Representatives Democrat- 202-225-7400 Republican- 202-225-7430 _____________________________________________________________________ If you need immediate assistance, dial 911. The National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Operated by the Texas Council on Family Violence. _______________________________________________________________________ Domestic violence is a pervasive problem in virtually all countries, cultures, classes and income groups. It is a complex and multifaceted problem with individual solutions that are appropriate for different women in different socio-cultural contexts. Both short and long-term measures must be considered. Short-term measures consist of assistance programs that protect the individual woman who has been or is being abused. They often focus on the critical period after a woman leaves her home, providing her with food, shelter, and guidance. This is the period when a woman is most at-risk from the perpetrator seeking retribution, or when she might return to the home out of a sense of hopelessness. Long-term measures seek to educate the public and empower the woman to re-establish her life without violence. Any response should involve an interrelationship between the health, legal and social sectors, so that the woman is not continually referred to another agency. One innovative approach is the use of "family crisis centers," or "victim advocates" to act as the woman's link to the various sectors. Support can come in various forms: Crisis Intervention: crisis intervention services crisis hot lines shelters or other emergency residential facilities medical services transportation networks laws that allow either victims or perpetrators to be removed from the home Emotional Support: self-help support groups assertiveness training self-esteem and confidence-building sessions parenting skills courses Advocacy and Legal Assistance: access to and custody of children property matters financial support restraining orders public assistance benefits help with immigration status Other Supportive Services: housing and safe accommodations child care access to community services
