Love is respect and Break the Cycle have teamed up for a one stop shop for everything you need to know about healthy dating relationships. Liz Claiborne is a proud sponsor of Love is Not Abuse and they recnetly revelead a study of dating abuse among college students. The results were shocking – 43% of women in college say they’ve experienced abusive dating behaviors.
From the website: According to the findings, a significant number of college women are victims of dating violence.
43% of dating college women report experiencing abusive dating behaviors including physical, sexual, tech, verbal or controlling abuse.
Nearly 1 in 3 (29%) college women say they have been in an abusive dating relationship.
More than half (57%) of college students who report experiencing dating violence said it occurred in college.
The results also show that college students generally do not know how to help their friends, or themselves, get out of abusive relationships.
You can connect live now on line for live help or contact 866-331-9474
RAINN NETWORK: The statistics of sexual assault arequite alarming and show one in six women and one in 33 men will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime. Approximately every two minutes someone is assaulted. Sadly, 60% of assaults aren’t even reported and two-thirds of victims know their attackers.
So what can you do to help? There’s a list of things you can do to get involved. Take a look at the GET INVOLVED category on RAINN’s website. RAINN also provides free online training for crisis centers and volunteers. The 24/7 hotline is staffed with counselors who care and want to make a difference.
If you are a victim, and you have not reported the rape, please take time to reach out.
Now through December 31, your tax-deductable donation to RAINN will be matched. According to the non-profit, every $10 raised will go toward helping one victim through their hotline and $90 enables the call center to operate for 30 minutes.
You can make a difference in the lives of victims this holiday season, and honor one of your loved ones.
Spring break festivities are still in full swing in Daytona Beach, Florida. What is supposed to be a time of rest, fun and relaxation has turned into a string of sexual attacks against women. Officials are learning of two more rapes on top of the six reported last week. Suzy Williams, Director of the Sexual Assault Recovery Team, says at least an additional four have been reported to their unit. Suzy says victims have the choice to report the attacks to counselors as opposed to the police. Forensic nurses are able to do a rape kit at their facility, and keep the evidence on file in case the victim decides to pursue charges in the future. The problem is if the crime isn’t reported to police right away, a lot of the evidence(i.e. surveillance from the attack location, witnesses, etc.) can be lost. Members of the team explain the options to victims, and Suzy notes, “rape cases are the hardest to prosecute.” Suzy’s team is composed of four women who take shifts and work around the clock to help victims in the Daytona Beach area. She says her team normally responds to 12-18 rapes a month, and so far for the month of March they are up to 23. For the attacks that have been reported to police, Jimmy Flint from the Daytona Police confirmed to me that one arrest has been made so far.
I spoke with Alice Dunkin this morning, Tonya Hobbs mother, and missing 7-year-old Aja Johnson’s grandmother. She told me she screamed bloody murder and blew up when she learned her daughter was killed. It is devastation to Alice especially because she said her son was murdered three years ago this October, he was shot 11 times, and now she has to go through this with her daughter. Along with losing both of her children, Alice fears what may happen to her granddaughter Aja, “Lester does not like Aja, he is mean to Aja, he’s made her eat jalapeño peppers, and has a paddle with her name on it. I’ve seen bruises he’s left on her little behind. I don’t know why or if it’s her medical problem or what. If she doesn’t take her medication, she’s climbing the wall.” Aja Johnson is still missing, and her life is in danger. Investigators believe the 7-year-old was abducted by Lester Hobbs, 47, after her mother’s murder over the weekend. The last time Aja or Hobbs were seen was Saturday, January 23, 2009 around 6 p.m. Lester Hobbs is a convicted felon, and at one point Aja’s mom reported to police that he wanted to kill his daughter with a hammer. Hobbs is currently wanted for a failure to appear warrant out of Lincoln County, Oklahoma for not showing up for his DUI case earlier this week, and there is now a warrant out for him for the murder of Tonya Hobbs and the abduction of Aja Johnson. Official cause of death has not been released, but it appears at this time Tonya died from blunt force trauma to her body, she may have been beaten to death.
Michelle Sigona is a crime fighting, victims advocate extraordinaire, but for Michelle -- the good fight doesn't stop there. In her spare time, she is a volunteer firefighter -- and now, she is tackling the issues and cases that mean the most to her....
So what can you do to help? There’s a list of things you can do to get involved. Take a look at the 
Now through December 31, your tax-deductable donation to RAINN will be matched. According to the non-profit, every $10 raised will go toward helping one victim through their hotline and $90 enables the call center to operate for 30 minutes. 
