Put stickers with the Name and Number for Domestic Violence hotline on stall doors and bathroom mirrors in women's rooms.
Get hair/nail style salons to post number (stickers on mirrors, etc.)
Put the stickers at bus stops--on benches, bus stop shelters, posts, in
buses.
Put the stickers on the handles of shopping carts, at the checkout stand
on the register or where checks are written or other prominant eye-resting
spots in grocery stores.
Speak to the clerks at the local courthouse about the National
Domestic Violence Hotline. Ask for their cooperation in informing the
public about the availability of the Hotline.
Contact the local fire department, and tell them about the
Hotline. Ask them to post the number on their firetrucks. Also, many
fire stations serve as resource centers for runaway youth. Alert the
personnel at the fire station of the referral services available.
If you are a member of your local Parent Teacher Association, ask
for an opportunity to address the group about dating violence. Work
with the local police and prosecutor’s offices on the presentation --
many police departments have DARE officers in place who can
provide you with valuable resources in the school system.
Contact your local school board and ask them to address dating
violence. Perhaps schedule a fundraiser for the local shelter at the
school.
If you have contacts within the police department, use them to
disseminate information about domestic violence and sexual assault --
review the Department’s policies and procedures for handling domestic
violence and sexual assaults
Identify and meet with staff from your local shelter -- meet with
their Board of Directors and support the staff needs.
Contact your local paper, radio station, and television station
and remind them that October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Ask
them what they plan to do. Tell them about the National Hotline, and
ask them to publicize it.
Start a newsclipping program, where you keep track of stories in
the local media about violence against women. At the end of each month,
review the news stories and determine if they fairly and accurately
reflect the perspective of the victim. Discuss your evaluation with
the editors of the stories.
Contact your local high school and college and inquire about the
availability of computers to students. If students have internet
access, let them know about the resources available on the internet
concerning violence against women.
Ask businesses in your community if they would be willing to
contribute used computers to the local shelter.
Ask your local police department to train officers about domestic
violence at roll calls. Ask if you can be a guest speaker.
Become familiar with the shelters for battered women and children in your
area, and the women who are involved with them. Be aware their needs and
struggles are, as well as the stories they can share of transformed lives as
families move from violence and victimization to vision and voice.
Listen to a woman who has revealed abuse, and believe her. Assure her
that abuse is not her fault.
Get the facts. Call your state domestic violence coalitions,
NCADV,(303-839-1852) and the Seattle Center (206-634-6388) for lists of
books, videos, and curricula on the topic.
Invite your minister, and church groups to engage in reflection that
makes connections between theology/praxis and abuse.
Ask your priest, pastor, or rabbi to have a special service devoted to
violence against women and children. Encourage church leaders to print
the telephone number of your local shelter and sexual assault hot line.
Plan a 3 hour helpshop and show "Broken Vows", an excellent video study
on religious responses to violence in the family. Call the Center for the
Prevention of Sexual and Domestic Violence, ( Dr. Marie Fortune, founder)
and ask for their list of resources available on all aspects of family
violence in the "Keeping the Faith" series. Address Cemter. 936 North 34th
St., Seattle,WA 98103, (206-634-6388)
Read Witchcraze: A New History of the European Witch Hunts, Our Legacy
of Violence Against Women, by Anne Llewellyn Barstow [Harper-Collins, 1994]
to gain insight into the religious sanctioning that undergirded "the burning
times" as over 200,000 women were persecuted over a 200 year period in the
middle ages.
Start an arts empowerment program by inviting local artists, musicians,
and actors,etc... to work with residents in shelters. Activists & artists
UNITE! for healing and social change through expressive mediums.
Collect the artwork, poetry, stories, and music that women written by
battered women create anthologies, collections, etc. The intensity of the
experience sometimes brings out great art. Always ask for permission, and
include the women in the process.
Do not let misogynist, racist, anti-semitic, or homophobic jokes or
behavior go unchallenged--even if not directly promoting violence against
women. These problems create the conditions that let violence flourish.
The words themselves are hateful and abusive.
Encourage boy children to express emotions, to cry, to be gentle when
they want to. Likewise, make it OK for a girl to run, jump, yell, and be
strong without risk of being chastised for unladylike behavior. Teach
children to respect all living things. Don't just teach boys that
"gentlemen" don't hit women--that one is easy to unlearn. Let them know
why all people deserve respect.
Believe the survivor.
Contact as many business with marquis signs on the main street of
your town and ask them to post an anti-DV fact or statement for one day.
Spend some time with a women who's in prison for killing her abuser.
When discussing popular movies, point out the negative ways that
>women are portrayed. E.g., in Independence Day, why was the hero's
>girlfriend a stripper? Contact your local paper's film critic and ask
>them to discuss this.
Contact your local shelter. Ask them what they would like to post
>on FAVNET. Post it for them. If they have internet access, invite them
>to subscribe.
Contact your local police department. Ask them to post the National
>Domestic Violence Hotline number in a prominent place in the police
>station, where the public can see it. Ask them if they will post it on
>the bumpers of their police cars. 800-799-SAFE. (Where can we get
>bumper stickers?)
Contact your neighborhood veterinarian. Ask her/him to display the
>Hotline number. Injuries to animals may be warning signals of violence
>in the home. Invite the vet and her staff to subscribe to FAVNET.
Encourage colleges and universities who have social science faculties to
teach Family Violence 101 or Violence in America 101. Make it mandatory
like english 101 and history of the US 101.
Men, volunteer at your local women's shelter; it's happening in Texas.
Dads, model non violent behavior for your kids; catch them copying your
behavior, praise them and tell them how proud you are.
Put the National Domestic Violence Hotline name and number on our
personal checks; (1-800-799-SAFE)
Put the Hotline number on our business cards.
Put the name and number on part of the voice mail message on our
answering machines.
Put the name and number on personal correspondence.
Visit your local emergency room and share the number with them.
or visit your local police precinct. Talk to the Watch
Commander. Ask her (or him) to post the number in the lobby
See if local radio stations will donate time to broadcast domestic
violence hotline numbers.
Use local civic including the Red Cross, Chambers of
Commerce, etc. to assess some of the ways which might be effective in
educating people about dv.
Work with day care centers to publicize information to their
customers.
Meet with the local chapters of professional associations including
doctors, lawyers, firefighters, beauticians to ask for their help in
identifying strategies.
Seek volunteers who will stand on the corners of busy intersections,
at bus stops, and subway stations with posters and leaflets.
Request Dept. of Parks and Recreaction staff to assist in reaching
parents at playground and recreational facilities.
Contact your local newspaper and ask them to advertise the
availability of the National Domestic Violence Hotline
(1-800-799-SAFE)
Contact your local library and ask them to have a display of books
about domestic violence.
Contact your local movie theater and ask them to display the
Hotline number on the screen during the previews.
Volunteer time as mentor with a child in public school; role models are
powerful teachers.
Call your local law school and ask if they teach any seminars or courses
in domestic violence law.
Encourage your community to initiate a DV Advocacy Council, to meet once
a month to talk about the agency interfaces, so that one won't hurt what
another helps. DA's, a judge, magistrate, Probation& Parole, DV Shelter,
Public Housing, DSS, city/county police, legal services, women's commission,
batterers' program, family services, rape crisis, hospital patient & family
services.
These ideas were all compiled through members of FAVNET. Thanks to all the contributers. .
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