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Celebrate Mom with Flowers
Touched by Flowers offers beautiful arrangements and plants for Mother's Day, May 8. A gift to your Mother, Grandmother, or any Mother you are celebrating with, is also a gift to the National Center with 50% of the proceeds supporting our work and efforts to prevent domestic and sexual violence. 
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IPV Primary Prevention Focus of National Symposium
The National Center's Debby Tucker will be attending the DELTA PREP Prevention Symposium, May 24-25, 2011 in Atlanta. Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Symposium will help foster national momentum for interpersonal violence primary prevention. One day will feature the Berkeley Media Studies Group. All of the CDC-funded DELTA and DELTA PREP state coalitions are expected to participate. Invitations were also extended to the state, territory and tribal coalitions that are not yet part of the DELTA program.
Visit the National Center's website for more DELTA-related materials and links. |
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Report Finds Workplace Violence Still a High Risk, but Awareness Growing
Threats of workplace violence should remain at the forefront for security professionals. The recent release of the 2011 Workplace Violence Fact Sheet, by the National Institute for the Prevention of Workplace Violence, found that more than 5,900 people have been victims of homicide in the workplace in the last 10 years. Workplace homicides continue to be the third leading cause of death for people at work, according to the report, with an average of 590 homicides every year.
However, that number doesn't include the number of attempts or suicides that happen in the workplace, said Barry Nixon, founder and executive director of the National Institute for the Prevention of Workplace Violence, a consulting, training and research firm that specializes in working with organizations to prevent workplace violence. That number is much higher, he said.
The industries that are at the greatest risk for workplace violence include late night retail stores, law enforcement / security, education, health services and transportation. For example, in 2008, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 24 percent of fatal workplace shootings occurred in retail locations, followed by 17 percent in leisure and hospitality, 14 percent in the government sector and 11 percent in transportation and warehousing.
The good news is that the number of incidents of workplace violence seems to be going down. Nixon attributes this to increased funding for security measures by the government and individual organizations. "Funding is having a residual impact on reducing workplace violence because security programs, even though they may not be directly targeted at workplace violence, were helpful to reduce it," he said. Also, high-profile incidents have increased the awareness of workplace violence and made employers and employees more aware.
"I would say that certainly in the 21st Century, the awareness of workplace violence is very high amongst security professionals and it's certainly more than when we started in the 1990's," said Nixon. "What I am seeing, and I think it's a very positive trend, is more companies approaching us to help them with preventative and proactive programs than we haven't seen in past years," he said. "That tells me people are getting the message that prevention is better than reaction." |
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Domestic Violence Rises Nationwide for Third Year While Economy Struggles; Government Budget Cuts Take Toll on Survivors and Shelters
Domestic violence shelters throughout the United States report the economy continues to significantly affect women -- with domestic violence increasing for the third straight year and government cutbacks decreasing shelters' ability to help survivors. In addition to domestic violence incidents growing and funding sources diminishing, the abuse is reportedly more severe, victims are struggling to find jobs and shelters expect the situation will only get worse in light of the economy -- according to the third "Mary Kay Truth About Abuse" national survey.
More than 670 domestic violence shelters across the country were surveyed in March 2011. Shelters report the economy's decline since 2008 has increased demand for their services, and they also note their shelters' ability to raise funds and provide services will be hampered over the next 12 months.
Detailed findings from the 2011 "Mary Kay Truth About Abuse" survey reveal alarming trends in light of the economy's decline since 2008, including:
- 80 percent of domestic violence shelters nationwide (more than three out of four) report an increase in women seeking assistance from abuse.
- 73 percent of shelters attribute the rise in abuse to financial issues.
- 48 percent of shelters link this increase in domestic violence to job loss.
- 89 percent of domestic violence shelters expect their overall situation during the next 12 months will be worse than now, or the same as now, due to the economy.
- 76 percent of domestic violence shelters (three out of four) indicate their funding has decreased the most from governmental organizations.
- 65 percent of women in shelters can't find employment due to the economy.
- 56 percent of shelters note the abuse is more violent now than before the economic downturn.
- 77 percent of shelters (more than three-fourths) indicate their clients stayed longer in their relationships due to the economy.
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The Final FY '11 Congressional Budget: VAWA, VOCA and FVPSA
National Network to End Domestic Violence's Update on the Budget On April 15, 2011, President Obama signed the Fiscal Year 2011 Continuing Resolution (HR 1473). Although there were significant cuts to a number of federal programs, there were no cuts that targeted the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) and Victims of Crime Act (VOCA). All non-defense discretionary federal programs were, however, subjected to a 0.2% rescission. VAWA Programs Administered through the Department of Justice The rescission cut VAWA programs by approximately $850,000 (from $419 million to $418.15 million). While individual figures on VAWA programs are not yet publically available, it is likely that all grant programs will divide the $850,000 cut proportionally. Additionally, cuts to the Office on Violence Against Women's administrative budget may further reduce the funding available for specific VAWA grant programs. No further information is currently available on the impact of the administrative cuts at this time. VOCA Cap The rescission will not apply to the VOCA cap (annual distribution). Therefore, VOCA will remain level funded at $705 million. FVPSA and Department of Health and Human Services VAWA Programs FVPSA was cut by the 0.2% rescission (from $130.05 million to $129.8 million). The National Domestic Violence Hotline funding will be cut by approximately $6,000. CDC and Other Programs Further details are not currently available for the remainder of the HHS VAWA programs, including the DELTA prevention program; Rape, Prevention and Education program; and the Violence Against Women Health Initiative. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were cut significantly and it is our understanding that the CDC Director has 30 days to report a budget plan. National advocates sent a letter to the CDC Director urging the agency to level fund these programs as they make their funding decisions. Now, onto the FY 2012 budget: Budget FY 2012 Resolution Summary of Budget FY 2012 Resolution Comparison to the President's Budget |
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Sincerely,
Deborah D. Tucker
National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence |
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