Can girlfriends put an end to Domestic Violence?

YES! And why do we have to? Well, that would be for you, me, your neighbor, the woman at work, your best friend, my sister, a woman we know from school or the mom of your child’s friend. Until the violence against any woman ends, we each have to raise our voice in a cry and call to action. All of us have to be aware of, and outraged by, domestic violence.

As girlfriends, how do we put an end to domestic violence? We need to educate ourselves, know of resources (like the national hotline for Domestic Violence) and have open eyes and a willingness to help others. As female friends, we owe it to our sisters to be there for them if and when the terrible act of domestic violence happens.

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness month. This was brought to my attention by my friend Daniel Johnson, Jr. Daniel is a loving father, husband and blogger/podcaster. He is a caring man who has taken time to get to know a lot about this subject. He recorded this audio clip to help us know more too.

To help raise awareness for domestic violence and abuse and how to get help, Daniel Johnson, Jr. has released an audio promo spot to be shared on the internet.  The promo encourages listeners everywhere to program the National Domestic Violence Hotline number into their phones and share it with others.

• Official Website: http://www.ndvh.org
• 1-800-799-SAFE (1-800-799-7233)
• 1-800-787-3224 (TTY)

Links/URLs:

• National Domestic Violence Hotline http://www.ndvh.org
• Daniel Johnson, Jr. http://danieljohnsonjr.com/main/about/
• Journey Inside My Mind http://www.journeyinsidemymind.com
• Delicious: http://delicious.com/tag/ndvh
• 2007 One Voice Domestic Violence Community Awareness Walk on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/onevoicewalk

Quotes:

• “Many of us know someone who is or has been a victim of domestic violence or abuse.  We often don’t realize it because victims, out of fear, do all they can to outwardly show those around them that life is normal.”
• “In 2007 I recorded several stories from victims who survived domestic violence and abuse and released them as a series on my internet radio show, Journey Inside My Mind.  Domestic violence has been very real and close to my family. “
• “I am outraged, indignant, and concerned by what goes on and was looking for something I could do about domestic violence. Even though I have no affiliation with the National Domestic Violence Hotline, I strongly believe in what they are doing.  I recorded the promo spot and have released it on the internet to share with everyone.”
• “The message is simple: Domestic violence and abuse is real. It happens every 15 seconds in the United States. We often don’t know what to do.  The National Domestic Violence Hotline has been set up to provide help.  Program the number in your cell phone and share it with others.  You may not need it now, but you may need it in the future.”
• From the National Domestic Violence Hotline website: “Until the violence stops, the hotline will continue to answer… One Call at a Time.  Help is available to callers 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  Hotline advocates are available for victims and anyone calling on their behalf to provide crisis intervention, safety planning, information and referrals to agencies in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  Assistance is available in English and Spanish with access to more than 170 languages through interpreter services.”

Contact Information: Daniel Johnson, Jr., 513-373-4442, daniel AT journeyinsidemymind DOT com RSS Feeds:

• Daniel Johnson, Jr.: http://feeds.feedburner.com/danieljohnsonjr
• Journey Inside My Mind Podcast: http://feeds.feedburner.com/jimmpodcast
• Journey Inside My Mind Blog: http://feeds.feedburner.com/journeyinsidemymind
• 2007 One Voice Domestic Violence Community Awareness Walk Series: http://feeds.feedburner.com/onevoicewalk

Trackback URL: Embedded Audio: (mp3, 2:36)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Image by Nathalie_Renaud via Flickr

Tehcnorati tags: domestic+violence national+domestic+violence+awareness+month ndva girlfriend+advice

Tags: Daniel Johnson, domestic abuse, Domestic violence, domestic violence awareness, girlfriend advice, National Domestic Violence Hotline, ndva, ndvh, United States, Violence and Abuse, Women

This entry was posted on Saturday, October 25th, 2008 at 3:33 pm and is filed under Be a Better FRIEND. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.