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Domestic Violence: Children are the Collateral Damage of Domestic Violence
By Laurel Davis Those Who Experience Domestic Violence Growing Up Can Repeat the Cycle of Violence This article shares the story of a young girl whose experience growing up with domestic violence ultimately caused her to repeat the cycle of violence. UNICEF calls Childhood Domestic Violence (CDV) "The single best predictor of children becoming either perpetrators or victims of domestic violence...
Choosing Compassion Over Resentment After Childhood Domestic Violence
By Marcus Laster, professional, father, husband Childhood Domestic Violence Causes Fight or Flight Like a tripwire, the fight-or-flight mechanism in my 12-year-old brain was triggered. My hands were shaking, and my heart pounded as if it was going to come out of my chest. Tunnel vision made it seem like I was looking through a pipe as I focused on the sandy-haired boy in front of me. He was a...
3 Simple Ways to Help a School Address Childhood Domestic Violence
Last month, we told you about the millions of children who were looking forward to going back to school because it offered a much-needed escape from the violence they see daily in their homes. We also shared some examples of innovative schools that were making noble efforts to help these children who are experiencing Childhood Domestic Violence (CDV). But what happens to the children of domestic...
Be The Change; You Are Not Alone
By Christian Axios, Guest Blogger Dealing with Childhood Domestic Violence is Life Changing This is the hardest thing in my life that I have had to overcome. Childhood Domestic Violence (CDV) is no joke and should not be taken lightly. Don’t let anyone ever tell you that you are overreacting or that this is not a serious subject; it can and will take over your life...if you let it. To give a...
Creating the Life I Deserved After Childhood Domestic Violence
By Cris Chocolat, Guest Blogger, Entrepreneur, Artist, and Advocate Sometimes We Feel Like Giving Up We all go through moments in our lives when we feel like giving up. It is in those moments when a recurring memory comes to me: a vision of my mother sewing my kindergarten graduation dress at 2 a.m. with so much love and care. Despite feeling pain in her hands, she sewed tiny beads piece by...
Community Heroes Supporting Children of Domestic Violence
We Rarely Ever Hear About Children Who Experience Childhood Domestic Violence Why is it that when domestic violence is in the news, we rarely ever hear about the children who are growing up with it in their homes – those who’re experiencing Childhood Domestic Violence (CDV)? And why don’t we hear about the great initiatives taking place in local communities to help these children? There are...
Supporting the Children Who Witness Domestic Violence
By Rebecca Wilcox and Louis Lee-Ray Teachers Are Often the Best Supporters of Children Suffering from Childhood Domestic Violence Often the best advocate and protector of a child suffering from CDV are his/her teachers. One UK teacher cooperated with the local police deptartments to share information about domestic violence cases with the school system, so that the teachers might better...
Children’s Advocate wants domestic violence included in child protection act
By Chinta Puxley Children's Advocates are Fighting to Have Childhood Domestic Violence Recognized as a Public Health Issue Manitoba children's advocates are fighting to have childhood domestic violence recognized as a public health issue in law. Arguing that CDV poses a health risk to the children, the Child and Family Services Act ought to recognize domestic violence and childhood exposure....
I’m Going to be Somebody By Marcus Laster
By Marcus Laster, Guest Blogger I Tried to Wish Away the Present “I’m going to escape.” “I’m going to be somebody.” I whispered these words as a boy while clutching my ears and squeezing my eyes shut in an attempt to drown out the noise and wish away the present. In the room next to me, I heard screaming, swearing, and sometimes my mother falling to the ground. The results were awful. Her nose...
Focus on traumatic childhood helps victims
By Dee J. Hall Trauma-Informed Care Helps Victims of Childhood Domestic Violence and other ACEs Tamra Oman and Tonier Cain were two victims of CDV. In their adult life, they had multiple run-ins with the police, and served several prison sentences. They were able to repair their lives after going through trauma-informed care and identifying their upbringing as the source of many of their...