A few weeks ago as I was getting out of my car and walking into my office at our shelter, as usual, I smiled at our landscaping crew working hard outside. I was met with neutral faces. I quickly realized that I was wearing sunglasses and a mask. Of course, they could not see my…

Domestic violence does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion or socioeconomic status. While domestic violence impacts the lives of all women of all backgrounds, society does not treat all victims of abuse equally. Social biases influence how society perceives survivors of domestic violence, and stereotypes often create barriers for care and assistance. This…

One of the questions that is often posed in regard to a woman experiencing domestic violence is why didn’t she contact law enforcement when she was experiencing the abuse? The assumption is it must have not been so bad if it was not worth contacting law enforcement, but the truth is there are many reasons…