The Victim Assistant 🐼

According to the FBI, in 2011, 20% of the reported 6,222  hate crimes resulted from sexual orientation bias. I watched a wonderful documentary, Bridegroom, last night on the Own Network. It was about a gay man speaking about his relationship full of love, trust, and respect and how his partner's family never accepted their son being gay or his relationship. His partner's untimely accidental death and being shunned from the funeral lead to his message of acceptance and unconditional love for all. There are so many unhealthy relationships out there, how can people be bothered by ones that are free from violence and healthy just because it involves two people of the same sex? Don't understand! See the documentary!

So this morning I was watching the national news and again, violence in our school system. An 11 year old boy brought over 400 rounds of ammunition and guns to school and is now charged with attempted homicide. I, like many other concerned parents, are worried when their child goes to school everyday. An article in Gallup Politics states a pole shows that 25% of U.S. parents "frequently" worry about their child being harmed at school. The article states that the worry is up because of the Nevada attack on Oct 21st. The increased fear also comes from the Newtown event last year. What can parents do? I always safety plan with my daughter. For example, we talk about what to do in an event of an abduction because last month there were two attempts in two weeks in our area. In addition, every parent should know what the school's response and prevention plan for school violence. Every school should have a safety checklist and description of what happens during an emergency/lock

Thank you Chris Harris Jr. from the Denver Broncos for speaking out against Domestic Abuse last week! Read about his perspective on how he sees Domestic Violence and the importance of being a positive male role model to our youth. Kudos! We need more men in our world to show vulnerability and less machismo; especially, in sports. Love this article!!!!  http://www.thehotline.org/2013/10/i-see-dv-as-an-issue-that-can-be-resolved-if-we-can-come-together/

Do your part to STOP Domestic and Sexual violence! Check out the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence website and their support for the NO MORE campaign at  www.nomore.org . Celebrities, athletes, and advocates have joined together to raise awareness. Visit the website with your teen and encourage healthy relationships. It's all about the education!