Category Archives

Wonder

Washington monument and a flag that says #resist

Ten Things Survivors Should Know About the Title IX Rollback

By Kristance Harlow | October 24, 2017 |
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Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos warned that she would not protect the Obama-era guidelines that helped schools establish systems and policies for investigating allegations of sexual misconduct. As early as January, during her confirmation hearings, DeVos said she would not commit to protecting those guidelines.

The Family and Medical Leave Act and Addiction Treatment

By Kristance Harlow | August 28, 2017 |
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The United States does not have a great health care system to help people with substance use disorders (SUD). At every socioeconomic level, treatment is not easy to access. Stereotypes about addicts are outdated and inaccurate. Addiction and alcoholism are usually treated like moral failings or personal choice.

Donald Trump - Caricature by DonkeyHotey

Cutting Domestic Violence Programs is Dangerous

By Kristance Harlow | August 27, 2017 |
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The current political climate in the United States is putting victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) and the police officers who respond to their emergency calls in greater danger. President Donald Trump has repeatedly said one of his top issues is protecting police officers; the White House website even included “Standing Up For Our Law Enforcement Community” as part of its priorities. But…

Anonymous Protest

Are You Angry Yet? This is Why You Should Be.

By Kristance Harlow | August 15, 2017 |
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I am angry. You should be, too. I am not carrying hate around in my heart or spewing anger in undirected locations. I am angry that we let this happen. I am angry that we continue to allow history to repeat itself. Fascism rises again and is progressively worse every time we relapse into it.…

graffiti

Don’t Tell Me to Calm Down

By Kristance Harlow | July 31, 2017 |
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I live abroad, but I’m very politically involved and vocal. I’ve gone through the ringer with Trump supporters who tell me that it doesn’t affect me and that I shouldn’t be so opinionated. I voted, I am an American. Whether I live there right now or not doesn’t mean I care any less about what…

Walking away

Why Do People Return to Domestic Abusers?

By Kristance Harlow | July 25, 2017 |
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There are many reasons people return to domestic abusers. One of which is the psychological phenomena of re-enactments and re-experiencing.

Silenced Street Art

Retracting Allegations of Abuse is Not Proof – Trauma and Memories

By Kristance Harlow | June 20, 2017 |
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Retracting an abuse allegation is not proof that the abused is lying or that the alleged abuser is innocent. Rape is amongst the most underreported crimes. Victims face enormous obstacles in the aftermath of rape. Not the least of which is deciding whether or not to contact the police. The justice system is designed to be a hostile…

Emergency Sign 911

When You Call 911 and Nobody Picks Up

By Kristance Harlow | May 3, 2017 |
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On November 16, 2016, Becky Seguin found her brother David unresponsive with only a faint pulse. Becky called 911 while her younger brother, a firefighter, and his girlfriend, a registered nurse, tried to save David’s life. Her call was routed to a dispatch center in Westminster, Vermont. Two mountains and two hours separated her and…

Snowflakes

You Call Us Snowflakes Like It’s a Bad Thing

By Kristance Harlow | May 3, 2017 |
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People have been calling each other “special snowflakes” at least as far back as Fight Club, but the insult has snowballed recently. The Guardian dubbed “poor little snowflake” the top insult of 2016.

We Have a Media Literacy Problem, and Hysteria Over Fake News Isn’t Helping

By Kristance Harlow | May 3, 2017 |
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The latest scapegoat in the wild world of news and American politics is “the media.” The media is to blame for everything. The media is dishonest. The media should not be biased. The media is too biased. The media is fake news. It’s an inaccurate way to talk about such a massive collection of industries…

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call your local emergency number. The numbers listed here are the commonly used numbers for the stated region, the numbers can vary greatly depending on where you live. If you don't know your country's equivalent to 911, this wiki page and The Lifeline Foundation have comprehensive listings.

Americas

911

The Americas

Europe

112

Europe

Africa

112 & 999

Africa

Asia

112, 999, 110

Asia

Oceania

112, 911, 999, 111, & 000

Oceania

Find help for a crisis by texting, calling, or chatting online with these free crisis organizations. Looking for one outside of the USA? Check out our support listings.

Crisis Text Line
Text: “HOME” to 741741

Suicide Lifeline
Text: “ANSWER” to 839863
Call: 1-800-273-8255

Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-7233
1-800-787-3224 (TTY)

Child Abuse Hotline
1-800-422-4453

The Trevor Project
Text “START” to 678678
1-866-488-7386

These online and international resources may help you anywhere you are located. Looking for local support outside of the USA? Check out our support listings.

DV Support Abroad
Call toll-free worldwide
1-833-723-3833

I'm Alive Virtual Crisis Center
Live chat with trained volunteers

Crisis Connections
24/7 crisis support with interpretation in 155+ languages