VAWA Posts:
Does Domestic Violence Really Increase on Super Bowl Sunday?
New Repulic
Jan 30, 2015
In the 1990s, reporters began circulating a chilling statistic: Super Bowl Sunday was the most dangerous day of the year for women in abusive relationships. Riled up watching the violence onscreen and often under the influence of alcohol, male football fans were said to unleash their aggression on their partners—leading to a spike in women’s calls to crisis hotlines and visits to the ER. The AP labelled Super Bowl Sunday the “Day of Dread.” The Boston Globe reported that women’s shelters were always inundated on the day of the big game. Just a few months ago, Mika Brzezinski told her Morning Joe audience that Super Bowl Sunday has the highest rate of domestic violence of the year.
Recent events have done little to dispel the idea that there’s a link between football and domestic violence—but this particular stat isn’t substantiated. In fact, the idea that Super Bowl Sunday has the highest rate of domestic violence of all the days in the year was debunked long ago. In 1993, Washington Post reporter Ken Ringle tracked down the researchers cited by the various reporters, and all of them said they had been misquoted or misunderstood. “I proved that all their assertions and demographics were fraudulent,” Ringle told me over email. “But the myth persists. It's harder to kill than a vampire. … It resurfaces every year at this time.”
And the question of whether Super Bowl Sunday is particularly risky for partners in abusive relationships continues to attract researchers’ attention. In fact, new research has suggested that there may be an increase in domestic violence on Super Bowl Sunday, though it’s no greater than the increase on other holidays that revolve around drinking and spending time with family.
In a paper published this past summer in the Journal of Family Psychology, a team of researchers led by Randy McCarthy analyzed data on nearly 25,000 incidents of “partner maltreatment” (defined as physical, sexual, or emotional abuse or neglect) involving members of the U.S. Armed Forces. On the week-to-week level, rates of domestic violence were highest on Saturdays and Sundays—a trend that didn’t surprise McCarthy and his colleagues, since those are the days couples tend to spend the most time together. For the same reason, they predicted an increase in domestic violence on holidays: As they expected, rates of domestic violence reach annual highs on New Year’s Day and the Fourth of July. But they also rise on New Year’s Eve, Memorial Day and, yes, Super Bowl Sunday.
In a 2007 paper in the journal Human Organization, Kathryn Ochs and Tara Robertson used another type of data—calls to a local women’s shelter—to examine temporal trends in domestic violence. They analyzed 2,387 calls to a shelter in Tuscaloosa, Alabama over a three-year period, supplementing the phone data by conducting interviews. Unlike McCarthy, Ochs and Robertson found no increase in calls during alcohol-centric holidays like the Super Bowl, New Year’s, and Independence Day. They did observe a significant increase in the summer months, which, they speculate, may be driven by mothers thinking about the upcoming school year and looking for a safe environment for their children.
Jane Shivas, the Executive Director of the New Jersey Coalition for Battered Women, confirmed that the Super Bowl isn’t an especially busy time for shelters in New Jersey. “In New Jersey, the Uniform Crime Reports from the NJ State Police have shown that, for at least the last two years, the highest number of reported domestic violence incidents occurred on Sundays, but do not support the belief about Super Bowl Sunday, specifically,” she says.
Domestic violence experts have been exasperated by this claim for over two decades. “When people make crazy statements like this, the credibility of the whole cause can go right out the window,” a psychologist who treats battered women told Ringle. “The reality is that domestic violence occurs every day in the US,” says Kenya Fairley, a director at the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence. “That’s what the conversation needs to be about.”
Joe Biden, We Need to Talk About the Way You Touch Women
Gawker
February 19, 2015
This week the Vice President and Social Chair of the United States groped the wife of Ashton Carter as he was sworn in as Secretary of Defense. This was funny—Joe Biden, he's wacky!—but also sort of not funny and indicative of a creepy, creepy trend.
Biden's questionable "hold your shoulders from behind while I whisper in your ear" maneuver might've been merely funny if it were a one-off, or prom:
But it wasn't either of those things: it was Joe Biden acting in his capacity as veep, and just the latest installation in a long collection of Groping Joe Moments:
He's creeped on a senator's young daughter.
He's creeped on a congressman's wife.
He's creeped on a biker.
He's very fond of the touching from behind—generally frowned upon with strangers.
He clutched two elderly woman at once.
You're not supposed to touch children like that if they aren't your children.
He was very affectionate at a soldier's funeral.
He touched this other little girl who was in turn touching her stuffed dog (that last part is OK).
Did he really need to kiss this elderly supporter on the lips while touching her with both hands? I can't be certain but probably not.
Hm.
Senator Chris Coons' daughter looks uncomfortable in this clearer view.
Joe Biden went in for the kiss with an usher at the Little League World Series.
Maybe he's just a very warm man. Maybe he's more affectionate than almost all other adults. But ask yourself this: if this were any other male politician, would we be so quick to add it to the meme pile? Try this: look at all of those photos and imagine, say, Paul Ryan's face instead of Biden's.
US Labor Department expands its support of victims of human trafficking and other crimes
US Department Of Labor
April 02, 2015
Department will begin to certify 'T' visas and expand 'U' visa certifications
SEATTLE — U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez today announced that the labor department's Wage and Hour Division will begin to exercise its authority to certify applications for trafficking victims seeking "T" visas. The division will also certify "U" visa requests when it detects three additional qualifying criminal activities in the course of its workplace investigations: extortion, forced labor, and fraud in foreign labor contracting. The announcement was made at a roundtable on new American integration in Seattle hosted by OneAmerica.
"The Labor Department is taking important steps to provide more support for workers who have been exploited significantly because of their immigrant status," said Perez. "These actions will protect workers, and help law enforcement protect our communities and public safety."
These efforts build on the work the department began 2011, when it started to certify U visa applications for victims of five qualifying crimes found in its workplace investigations: involuntary servitude, peonage, trafficking, obstruction of justice and witness tampering. By expanding its U visa certifications to include extortion, forced labor, and fraud in foreign labor contracting and by completing T visa certifications, the department is providing additional support to workers it believes are victims of the relevant crimes and are willing to cooperate with law enforcement.
The Wage and Hour Division enforces several critical federal workplace laws, including the federal minimum wage and overtime laws. Many Wage and Hour investigations take place in industries that employ vulnerable workers so the division is often the first federal agency to make contact with these workers and detect workplace exploitation. Such activities may then be referred to the other appropriate authorities.
These efforts will assist significantly the victims of these crimes who qualify, and who are seeking immigration relief from the Department of Homeland Security and access to the range of victim services they need to recover and rebuild their lives.
The Wage and Hour Divisions' protocols and procedures for U and T visas and frequently asked questions and answers can be found at http://www.dol.gov/whd/immigration/UTCert.htm. To request a certification contact your local WHD regional office. Contact information can be found at: http://www.dol.gov/whd/immigration/utvisacoordinators.htm.
Agency Wage and Hour Division
Date April 2, 2015
Release Number 15-0550-NAT
Lori Jackson Domestic Violence Survivor Protection Act - S.1834
S.1834 - 114th Congress (2015-2016)
July 22, 2015
This bill amends federal firearms provisions to expand the definition of: (1) "intimate partner" to include a dating partner or former dating partner; and (2) "misdemeanor crime of domestic violence" to include a misdemeanor offense that has, as an element, the use or attempted use of force, or the threatened use of a deadly weapon, by a dating partner or former dating partner against the victim.
The bill prohibits the sale or other disposition of a firearm or ammunition to, or the possession or receipt of a firearm by, a person subject to a court order, or an ex parte order, that restrains such person from: (1) harassing, stalking, threatening, or engaging in other conduct that would put an individual in reasonable fear of bodily injury, including an order issued at the request of an employer on behalf of its employee or at the request of an institution of higher education on behalf of its student; or (2) intimidating or dissuading a witness from testifying in court.
SEC. 4. LIST OF PERSONS SUBJECT TO A RESTRAINING OR SIMILAR ORDER PROHIBITED FROM POSSESSING OR RECEIVING A FIREARM EXPANDED.
Section 922(g)(8) of title 18, United States Code, is amended—
(1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking “that”;
(2) by striking subparagraphs (A) and (B) and inserting the following:
“(A)(ii) in the case of an ex parte order, relating to which notice and opportunity to be heard are provided—
"(B) that restrains such person from—
“(i) harassing, stalking, threatening, or engaging in other conduct that would put an individual in reasonable fear of bodily injury to such individual, including an order that was issued at the request of an employer on behalf of its employee or at the request of an institution of higher education on behalf of its student; or
“(ii) intimidating or dissuading a witness from testifying in court; and”; and
(3) in subparagraph (C)—
(A) by striking “intimate partner or child” each place it appears and inserting “individual described in subparagraph (B)”;
(B) in clause (i), by inserting “that” before “includes”; and
(C) in clause (ii), by inserting “that” before “by its”.
Bill stops dating partner abusers from getting guns
Detroit News Washington Bureau
July 22, 2015
Washington — A new bill by U.S. Reps. Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn, and Bob Dold, R-Illinois, aims to include dating partners in the category of domestic abusers who are prohibited from purchasing or owning firearms under federal law.
Federal law currently prohibits people from owning or buying firearms if they are convicted of abusing a spouse, someone they lived with or had a child with, but not those who abused current or former dating partners.
“Abuse of a dating partner is as unacceptable as domestic abuse,” Dingell said Wednesday when introducing the bill.
The Zero Tolerance for Domestic Abusers Act is a companion bill to one by Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota, in the Senate.
Dold said, “This is not about lawful gun ownership but about trying to make sure we have a bipartisan solution to get the guns out of the hands of convicted abusers.”
They point to crime data to make their case.
More non-fatal violence against women was committed by a current or former boyfriend (39 percent) than a current or former spouse (25 percent), according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics.
Michigan has recorded 341 domestic violence homicides from 2003 to 2012, with more than half involving gun violence, according to state data.
Dingell touts legislation to keep guns out of hands of abusers, stalkers during Ann Arbor visit
MLive
Nov. 12, 2015
Updated: Apr. 03, 2019
U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn, speaks openly about her childhood experiences with domestic violence.
The congresswoman recalls many ugly fights between her parents, including one particular night when her father almost shot her mother. She remembers stepping between them and trying to grab the gun.
She said her father was a troubled man with mental health issues, possibly bipolar disorder, and having guns in the house wasn't a good situation.
"Emotions in volatile and mentally unstable situations are unpredictable and far too often have disastrous outcomes," Dingell wrote in a letter to Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder earlier this year. "I will not forget the nights of shouting. The fear. The dread that my brother, my sisters and my parents would die. I will not forget locking ourselves in closets or hiding places hoping we wouldn't be found."
Two days after Dingell sent the governor that letter, Snyder vetoed legislation approved by the Michigan Legislature and backed by the National Rifle Association that Dingell had argued would have allowed concealed-weapons permits to be issued to individuals with a history of violence and abuse.
Dingell is now fighting the issue in Congress.
During a Thursday afternoon visit to the Ann Arbor area, Dingell met with the staff of the SafeHouse Center for survivors of sexual and domestic abuse.
"I've lived some of what you all are helping people through," Dingell told the center's staff. "My father tried to kill us. I called the police; they didn't come."
Dingell also recalled how her now-deceased sister was in a physically abusive relationship.
"I want you to know that I'm an advocate for you," she told the SafeHouse staff, asking what she can do to help.
Dingell has introduced legislation, the Zero Tolerance for Domestic Abusers Act, that she says would close loopholes that allow abusers and stalkers to access guns.
The legislation has remained in committee for months, but Dingell is hoping to see Congress take action on it at some point.
While federal law prohibits someone from owning a gun if they are convicted of abusing a spouse, or abusing someone with whom they live or with whom they have a child, it does not include people who have abused a dating partner.
Dingell said her legislation would close that loophole and ensure people who have abused dating partners are prohibited from buying or owning guns.
She said it also would make sure that convicted stalkers cannot legally purchase a gun. She said stalking is sadly an accurate predictor of future violence.
With an annual budget of nearly $2 million, SafeHouse serves survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence, and their children.
The agency served more than 5,000 survivors last year, providing counseling, shelter, support groups, and personal protection order assistance.
"And we know we're not meeting everybody's needs," said Barbara Neiss-May, SafeHouse's executive director of the last 13 years. "We know there are thousands more out there who need our support."
Neiss-May said the agency has roughly 30 staff members and 150 volunteers who work around the clock to serve the people who come to them.
"If you do the math, it's a pretty darn good deal for increasing safety in our community," she said.
The agency is primarily intended to serve Washtenaw County, though it also helps survivors of abuse from surrounding counties. Neiss-May said the shelter, which includes 50 beds in 23 rooms, is pretty much always full.
A large share of the agency's funding comes from private contributions, while $751,455 came from government grants last year.
Neiss-May said the agency receives federal funding, but it doesn't receive any state funding. It also received $54,168 from the city of Ann Arbor this year.
"Funding is needed to be able to support the survivors that we serve," Neiss-May said. "The needs that they have have not gone away. The numbers continue to increase, and it's not getting any cheaper to provide the services we need to provide."
She added, "So, the business case is we need funding to have the very best people we can have in front of people who are in crisis, so their lives, their children's lives, can go on in a much better way."
During a roundtable discussion on Thursday, the SafeHouse staff shared stories and accounts of the challenges they face in trying to help survivors of abuse.
Dingell said she left the meeting with some practical ideas for how she can take action at the federal level, including pushing for more funding.
She said it also seems apparent that more needs to be done in terms of training in schools to sensitize teachers and counselors to the presence of abuse in families, and to make sure teenagers know they should never accept abuse.
The SafeHouse staff also spoke of the need for an expansion of community mental health services, and the need to get rid of the stigma around mental illness.
A shortage of affordable housing in the area was identified as another issue, as the ability to have a place to live is essential for escaping domestic violence.
"For many, the reality is that they're low-income women, and the only place they have to live is affordable housing," Dingell said.
Dingell said the SafeHouse staff's perspective was helpful and she plans to talk more with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
"We sometimes get such tough federal regulations that we forget the human aspect and how things don't fit into cozy little boxes," she said.
"I'm going to go talk to HUD next week when I'm back about how can we address situations that need to have compassion, a heart and a soul."
The SafeHouse staff thanked Dingell for her work on the issue and for being a voice on behalf of survivors of abuse.
"Thank you for what you do," Dingell said, returning the praise. "You are the heroes. You are the ones on the front lines."
