A few weeks ago, I was having a discussion on the dynamics of abuse with a survivor.  Mid-conversation,she stopped me and asked,“Are you sure you’ve never been abused?”  “Well,no,I mean…” I stammered.  “No,it’s not whether or not I’ve been abused,but the fact that I’m a woman.  I think many women are able to deeply understand the injustices in abusive relationships because we’ve experienced smaller tastes of the same injustice on some level in our own relationships.”  What an “Aha!” moment that was for both of us and one that led to a fruitful discussion. You see,the thing about patriarchy (broadly defined as control by men of a disproportionately large share of power) is that it does play a role in many women’s lives and relationships.  For instance, many women are in relationships with men who, while they would deny such an accusation, are undoubtedly taking steps to control their partner.  [...]

Children are far too often the silent witnesses of domestic violence.In fact, 15.5 million children in the United States live in families in which partner violence occurred at least oncein the past year.* I spoke with Daaiyah H., PADV’s Gwinnett Safe House Children’s Advocate, to find out how domestic violence in the home impacts children. Children are often left out of discussions about intimate partner violence if they are not targets of abuse. Why is it harmful for children to witness domestic violence?  Witnessing domestic violence can mean seeing actual incidents of physical and/or sexual abuse. It can mean hearing threats or fighting noises from another room. It can also mean observing the aftermath of it all, such as blood, bruises, tears, torn clothing, and broken items. Witnessing intimate partner violence is the single best predictor of juvenile delinquency and adult criminality. It can also have potential emotional, behavioral and [...]

On July 30, Kilpatrick Stockton donated backpacks full of school supplies to the children participating in PADV’s programs. Each year, this generous firm provides backpacks to children in need in metro Atlanta and the group selected PADV’s children to be a benefactor of this year’s drive. Donations like these provide a vital step to empowering the children involved in our programs. The children in our safe houses, transitional housing and community outreach programs can hold their heads high knowing that they have everything they need as they walk into a new school for the first time. We thank Kilpatrick Stockton for their generosity and the ability to help our children move on from the violence they’ve witnessed and live happy, successful and violence-free lives.