NWSADV & Harper College Create Dating Violence Video

Theatre Club Video Highlights Dating Violence

Noreen Patel has been in a real-life emotionally abusive relationship. So when asked to tackle the topic in a video aimed at helping fellow young people spot the signs and find help, the Harper College theatre student quickly signed on. "It's not just about playing a role in this film. It's about playing a role in ending the violence," says Patel of Hoffman Estates. "I never want anyone to feel like I did."

Patel plays the sister of a victimized high school girl in the six-minute film. Commissioned by the Northwest Suburban Alliance on Domestic Violence and newly published to the College's YouTube channel, it tracks an unraveling relationship during prom season. With input from the Alliance, Patel and other Harper students worked with Theatre Department and Harper Police to produce the piece amid grim statistics: the 2000 National Violence Against Women Survey shows one in four women will experience domestic abuse during their lifetime, and U.S. Department of Justice data suggests most cases are never reported. Emotional abuse, which isn't always easy to spot, is a growing part of the equation – and a key part of the video.

"Things have to change," says State Senator Matt Murphy (R-Palatine), co-chairman of the Alliance. "It was our vision to create this video, and we're so happy to have seen it through with the help of Harper College as we work to ensure our young people know the signs and know how, and where, to get help."

The video is titled Encounters: Preventing Dating Violence 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cs3MLciaIQ&feature=youtu.be

It also includes phone numbers for shelters and hotlines. More films are planned, with a goal of sharing consistent dating violence and emotional abuse messaging with high school students and area young people.

Contents from this post is courtesy of Harper College: 

http://goforward.harpercollege.edu/about/news/archives/2013/041113e.php

Friends of Shelter "Cooking with Class" March 12, 2013

Friends of Shelter will host an evening of culinary delight with a “Cooking with Class” demonstration and dinner on Tuesday, March 12 starting at 6:30 pm at the Hyatt Regency Schaumburg, Chicago, 1800 E. Golf Road, Schaumburg.  Hyatt’s renowned Executive Chef, Spencer Wolff, will conduct an interactive cooking demonstration while treating participants to a multi-course gourmet meal paired with select wines.  The cost of the demonstration and dinner is $75 per person.  All proceeds from this event will be used to benefit Shelter’s programs and services.

Shelter, Inc. is a nonprofit child welfare agency that protects abused and neglected children and adolescents by providing foster care, emergency and longer-term group home services in a safe and caring environment. Healthy Families Program provides home visits to first-time parents emphasizing children’s well-being and positive parenting. Increased public awareness concerning child abuse, neglect and other social problems directly impacting children and their families is accomplished through their Community Education program.

For more information or to register for the event, contact Shelter, Inc.’s Special Events Coordinator at 847.590.6188 or visit their website at www.shelter-inc.org.  

Break The Silence on Campus Violence - Oct. 17, 2012

Please Join Us As Part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October 2012!

 The Northwest Suburban Alliance on Domestic Violence along with Harper College and other universities are hosting the following presentation:

Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Harper College, Wojcik Center RM102
1200 W. Algonquin Road
Palatine, IL 60067
4:30 – 6:30 pm

On October 17, Laura Anne Stuart, sexual health education and violence prevention coordinator at Northwestern University Health Services will be presenting information on dating violence, domestic violence, and sexual violence on college campuses. Immediately following the presentation a panel discussion will address how violence is handled on college campuses. Panel members will include Valerie Walker, LCSW and Dr. Wayne Johnson from Harper College and two college victim/survivors. The Harper College Human Services Club will present a skit showing how violence in relationships affect students during their college years. In addition, various exhibits will be displayed including The Clothesline Project, Silent Witness and “Blue Kids” silhouettes.

We look forward to having you join us for light refreshments as you learn about violence prevention.

To RSVP for this free event visit:  http://nwsadvoct17.eventbrite.com

Let’s Talk About Sex…..Abuse

Guest post by: The CAC 

Sept. 2012

Child sexual abuse is a serious problem in our world today.  As many as one in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused by the time they reach adulthood[1]. Furthermore, domestic violence has been shown to be prevalent in homes where child sexual abuse occurs. Domestic violence was reported in approximately 40 percent of child sexual abuse cases.  According to the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study, child sexual and physical abuse as well as other adverse childhood experiences, such as domestic violence, place an individual at an increased risk for developing a wide range of physical, psychological, and emotional disorders.[2]  

The Children’s Advocacy Center of North and Northwest Cook County is a non-for-profit agency that offers free services to children and families that have experienced the devastating effects of child sexual abuse.  The Children’s Advocacy Center provides a safe and child-friendly environment where children and families come to receive services such as: child-sensitive interviews, abuse-centered therapy, medical advocacy, and court advocacy. To learn more about the Children’s Advocacy Center and the services offered, visit our Web site at: www.cachelps.org, like our page on facebook: www.facebook.com/CACNW, or follow us on twitter: twitter.com/ChildrensAdv.

Knowing child sexual abuse is prevalent in our society and that it has a devastating impact on the children who endure it, whose responsibility is it to stop the abuse? Is it the community’s responsibility? The government’s responsibility? Who’s?

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[1] Finkelhor, D., Hotaling, G., Lewis, I.A., & Smith, C. (1990). Sexual abuse in a national survey of adult men and women: Prevalence, characteristics, and risk factors. Child Abuse and Neglect, 14(1), 19-28.

[2] Goddard, C. & Hillard, P. (1993) Child sexual abuse: Assault in a violent context. Australian

Journal of Social Issues, 28(1), 20-33.

Check out the CAC Youtube Video

Just had a chance to watch the Children's Advocacy Center's Youtube video.  Learn about the services they offer in the Northwest suburbs of Cook County.  Here's a link to check it out
http://youtu.be/ds6IDVVJgv0

Sounds of Salsa for a Cause in Lake Bluff

If your looking for salsa dancing in the Suburbs, BENNU Legal Service is hosting a community event in Lake Bluff, Illinois at Village Green Park on Saturday, June 9, 2012 from 4:00-7:00 PM.

This is the second time BENNU is hosting "Sounds of Salsa" to thank the community for their support of helping victims of domestic violence get legal assistance.  Family, friends and volunteers are invited to enjoy the music, food and beverages.

"We want to thank our supporters with an enjoyable evening of culture and family fun," said Andrew Sagartz, BENNU's executive director. "Our fight against domestic violence requires a diverse set of resources and we are pleased the community supports our efforts throughout the year."

The evening's entertainment will feature salsa dance lessons to the rhythms of PanaDanza, a musical dance troupe founded by Karlies Kelley. The salsa dance lessons are designed to be very energetic and fun, yet challenging and informational.

Admission to the event is free. Families are welcome, and picnic blankets encouraged. Food and drink sales available at the event will and benefit BENNU's efforts to assist local domestic violence victims.

While the breeze of summer is still gentle, stop by to enjoy a globally soulful evening.

To learn more, visit www.BENNUlegal.org
Information courtsey of PRBuzz.

Budding Teen Relationships are Susceptible to Violence

“Nearly 1.5 million high school students nationwide experience physical abuse from dating a partner in a single year,” according to www.loveisrespect.org.

Violence is a learned behavior, so what message are we sending teens? The cycle of violence will be passed on to our future generations if we don't raise awareness on the fatal effects of violence.

The Northwest Suburban Alliance on Domestic Violence asks the community to observe February 2012 as National Teen Dating Violence Month.

President Obama said, “We recommit to providing critical support and services for victims of dating violence and empowering teens with the tools to cultivate healthy, respectful relationships,” printed in a Whitehouse press release from February 15, 2012 that recognizes National Teen Dating Violence Month.

Take this opportunity to do something positive during National Teen Dating Violence Month, learn more about the signs of relationship violence and how to take positive actions to prevent violent behavior.

A few signs of a healthy relationship with your partner:

o Feel comfortable speaking your mind
o Feel respected, supported and safe
o A balance of power
o Can negotiate and problem solve together
o Feel good about yourself


The Northwest Suburban Alliance on Domestic Violence will have educational information available at two community resource fairs this spring.

March 9, 2012: Harper College - Human Services Resource Fair
April 5, 2012: CHS Health and Safety Fair

Those in need of assistance, or other concerned friends and individuals, to call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE.