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By: Savannah Tipton  We live in an age of technology where nearly every person over the age of 15 has a phone. Not only do we have phones, but we are on them constantly. We enjoy playing games, exploring social media, messaging friends and family, and so on. Many people relate to the daily behavior of checking their phone before going to bed at night and again when they wake up in the morning. Younger children also have access to utilize phones, iPads, tablets, etc. While technology can be a tool for learning and connections, it can also be abused. This constant connection to the outside world can create huge risks to someone’s safety and personal well-being.
Perpetrators of domestic violence and sexual assault often use technology to monitor someone’s online activity, harass, intimidate, threaten, or otherwise control a victim. Victim advocates are available to complete technology safety plans for survivors suffering from digital abuse or harassment. Digital abuse can be used to manipulate both domestic violence and sexual assault survivors. Types of abuse perpetrated through technology:
If you or someone you know is experiencing digital abuse, please contact our confidential crisis line. Advocates are a confidential source of support available to help survivors navigate these kind of situations and can connect you to community resources. Confidential Crisis Line: 317-731-6140 By: Savannah Tipton  Society has typically associated feelings of grief to the death of a loved on. We can understand that someone may have difficulty processing the death despite the circumstance (illness, accidents, etc.). When we expand the definition of grief to include other things that are lost, society gives less acknowledgement or validation. Survivors of domestic violence may experience grief over lost self-esteem, loss of their home and the life they knew, or even the future they once planned for. They may experience this grief during and after the relationship has ended. There are many reasons survivors do not disclose abuse (humiliation, fear, guilt, shame) and this can further complicate feelings of grief. Survivors need access to support as they start their healing journey. Some may find support from friends and family while others turn to professionals.
To better understand the connection between grief and domestic violence, we must first look to all that a survivor of domestic violence may lose or leave behind after being victimized (see below). Together we can become more educated and give survivors validation to grieve or mourn all that they have lost. Advocates are available to validate feelings of grief and connect clients to supportive services and free counseling. Confidential Crisis Line: (317) 731-6140 Losses Which Are Grieved
By: Marty Burtt Beacon of Hope Crisis Center’s Foster Pet Program eliminates a very common barrier for domestic violence and/or sexual assault victims. Research has shown that 48% of battered women will delay leaving their abuser because they fear what will happen to their pet(s) after they leave. Pets are a common tool used by abusers to control the victim by threatening, harming, or killing the pet. Our Foster Pet Program gives domestic violence and/or sexual assault victims a temporary, safe home for their furry family members while they work on becoming self-sufficient.
Our volunteer foster families have the unique opportunity to provide much needed help to victims of domestic violence and/or sexual assault. Instead of having to choose between leaving their beloved pet with their abuser, or surrender the pet to a shelter, victims can apply for our program and know that their pet is being loved and cared for until it can come back home. Being a foster family offers the companionship of having a pet, without the lifelong commitment. Every year, 68% of abused women report violence towards their pet from their abuser. Our foster families can give love and affection to pets that have experienced their own trauma. If you are interested in learning more about the program or signing up to become a foster family, please click here. By: Marty Burtt  Beacon of Hope Crisis Center’s Foster Pet Program is a unique service that we are proud to be able to offer to our clients. Family pets offer a sense of stability, comfort, and unconditional love that creates a special bond between a family and their pet. In homes with domestic violence and/or sexual assault, the family pet is at a high risk of being abused and/or neglected. Over 71% of battered women reported that their batterers had harmed, killed, or threatened animals to coerce, control, and humiliate them*. Additionally, numerous surveys have reported that 25% to 40% of battered women report they delayed their decision to seek safety out of fear for their animals’ welfare**. Our Foster Pet Program helps protect pets in homes where violence is happening by placing them in a temporary, safe home until it is safe for them to be back with their family.
Our Foster Pet Program gives victims peace of mind in knowing that their pet/s is safe. Our Foster Pet Program Coordinator (FPPC) gets weekly updates from the foster family on the pet/s and how the pet/s is doing and then provides that update to the victim. The FPPC is in consistent communication with everyone involved with the pet/s. We are always excited when victims have secured a safe home and can safely be reunited with their pet/s. This program is available to any victim of domestic violence and/or sexual assault that is fleeing their abuser, as well as victims that are receiving services from other agencies. Beacon of Hope Crisis Center has recently launched the Central Indiana Pet Abuse Link Task Force to help keep Indiana pets safe. The Pet Abuse Link Task Force is comprised of individuals within the community that share our passion for keeping pets safe. Learn more about our Foster Pet Program here. *Ascione, Weber & Wood, 1997 **McIntosh, 2002 By: Shelby Bubnick & Savannah Tipton  Focusing on the positives in life can be difficult after experiencing trauma. An excellent way to lift your spirits is to write down everything you are grateful for. You can do this weekly or daily, whatever works for you and your schedule. Keeping a gratitude journal can improve your mood, make you more resilient, and can even help you live longer. It’s simple! Start your gratitude journal with five things you are grateful for. Repeat this activity at least once a week.
TIPS
By: Shelby Bubnick  After experiencing trauma, you may be healing from injuries or feeling emotionally drained. It is essential to keep your body healthy and active during this time. Whether it happened recently or many years ago, there are many ways you can cope with short-term and long-term effects of trauma. Reactions to trauma can be psychological, emotional, cognitive, physical, and behavioral. Common reactions to trauma are listed below.
Psychological and Emotional
Coping with trauma can be hard to do on your own, do not hesitate to seek professional help. To speak with an advocate and learn more about services at Beacon of Hope Crisis Center please call our crisis line (317) 731-6140. By: Shelby Bubnick  Children are often the silent victims of domestic violence. 1 in 15 children are exposed to intimate partner violence each year, and 90% of these children are eyewitnesses to the violence. * Although children can be resilient, many who witness or overhear abuse – whether the abuse is emotional, verbal, or physical, are at high risk for profound short-term psychological, mental and social effects.
Domestic violence in the home can create a tense environment. As a result, children who live in these homes might experience fear and anxiety. Younger children who witness abuse may start to regress to toddler behavior (thumb sucking, bed-wetting, increased whining and crying). School-aged children may blame themselves for the abuse. This self-blame reaction can occur naturally, or because the abuser told the child that they are responsible for the violence. Either way, this can hurt a child’s self-esteem. Low self-esteem can affect the child’s participation in classes and school activities which may isolate them. Teenagers who witness abuse may experience different short-term effects than young children. Teens might respond to this violence by acting out in negative ways such as, fighting with family members and skipping school. Teens are also more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol to cope with the stress and anxieties of their home life. These teens may experience low self-esteem and have trouble making friends. In some cases, these effects can ultimately cause depression. It is essential to recognize the short-term effects of witnessing domestic violence to help the child recover. Witnessing abuse is traumatizing, and it may be something the child never forgets. Connect with community resources; educate yourself and your kids. The sooner a child gets help, the better their chances of becoming a healthy adult. If a child has witnessed domestic violence:
To speak with an advocate and learn more about services at Beacon of Hope Crisis Center please call our crisis line (317) 731-6140. We are here to help. *ncadv.org By: Sandra K. Ziebold  Congratulations to our Indianapolis Brackets For Good nonprofit match-up competitor, Brookside Community Development Corporation (Brookside CDC), on winning Round 2 of the #BFG18 tournament. Thank you for being such a great opponent in the tournament. We immensely thank every donor for helping. We displayed a valiant effort but admit Brookside CDC overtook us in the game. Our team here at Beacon of Hope Crisis Center absolutely wanted to win but we are now thrilled to encourage support for Brookside CDC as they advance to a win in Round 3. What I liked best about this match-up is that the Brookside community received a double win in Round 2! The double win is that both of our organizations serve the Brookside neighborhood and both of our organizations benefited from numerous donations! Every organization competing in Brackets For Good wants to advance and keep raising much needed funds. At the same time as we are disappointed that we lost Round 2 we truly couldn't be more thrilled about Brookside Community Development Corporation advancing in the tournament. Brookside CDC is all about play-based childhood trauma reversal initiatives, societal reentry, and focusing on ending generational poverty to create opportunities of renewal and transformation for the residents of Brookside. Please rally behind them Indianapolis, let's help them win Round 3! 46201 is where a large number of the clients we serve at Beacon of Hope Crisis Center reside. Center Township is one of the reasons why we relocated and expanded our agency, ensuring we were accessible by way of a bus-line. We serve all of Central Indiana and our data shows Marion county and Center Township at the top in our service numbers. Beacon of Hope Crisis Center is focused on helping to reduce our overall homicide rates by serving victims of domestic violence and intervening before situations escalate. I encourage everyone reading this to follow us and learn more about the positive difference Beacon of Hope Crisis Center is making in Central Indiana for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Please continue to consider us in your portfolio of charities when making individual and mission gifts. Good luck to Brookside CDC in Round 3! Track Their Progress Here Ways to follow and contact Beacon of Hope Crisis Center: By: The Beacon of Hope Team We want to say thanks to our Speedway PD partners for a really great meeting this week. The energy and excitement felt by both our teams was inspiring. The Chief and our CEO agreed on a renewal partnership through 2020. Speedway Police Department Captain Jason Dierdorff and Sergeant Mirantha Hockemeyer and Beacon of Hope Crisis Center CEO Sandra Ziebold and Director of Victim Advocacy Tiffany Wilson met and reviewed victim services data and engaged in lots of victim services focused conversation. We brought a total of 45 crisis bundles for adults and children that the officers will have on hand for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault crimes. In a moment of fleeing to be safe victims often leave with nothing. These crisis bundles will help meet immediate needs in the community of Speedway. "We want the Speedway community to know we share a passion for helping victims of crime. Beacon of Hope Crisis Center and Speedway PD work together to ensure services are available to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault crimes. Intervening early saves lives. Reach out if another is asserting power and control over you and you are afraid. We can help you." - Sandra K. Ziebold, CEO Beacon of Hope Crisis Center  Beacon of Hope Crisis Center and Speedway Police Department partnership meeting and crisis bundle delivery (L to R) Director of Victim Advocacy Tiffany Wilson, Sergeant Rodney Ferguson, Detective Joe Harmon, Sergeant Mirantha Hockemeyer and Officer Mike Marsteller
 By Savannah Tipton  Everyone can take part in raising domestic violence awareness. Some efforts may take a large time commitment while others can be done in seconds. Take a second to show your support by sharing or retweeting information and resources. The simple act of clicking a button to share content may have a greater impact than you expect. That information could help someone identify domestic violence in their own life, with a friend, or with a family member. Posting about resources in your community may connect a victim to a service provider that can support them. Start sharing with a retweet.
Show your support for victims of domestic violence by finding the donation option that best fits you. Beacon of Hope has created a variety of ways for you to support victims. Become a member to make monthly donations or sign up for AmazonSmile and amazon will make a donation at NO COST to you. We also have sponsors, coin-up, and Kroger Community Rewards. To learn more, visit the donate tab on our website. Take an active role in standing against domestic violence and sexual assault by volunteering with Beacon of Hope Crisis Center. Beacon of Hope creates individualized roles for interns and volunteers. We have a team of interns and volunteers that assist with social media, grant writing, event planning, our crisis call line, and our foster pet program. Apply today. Your voice counts. |
About this blog
This blog is about our domestic and sexual violence crisis center, Beacon of Hope. We hope you find it full of helpful information, motivation, creativity, serious facts and positivity. We hope that it will help you know what is happening in our center, in our community and with our events. We hope you follow our blog in support of our organization and our mission. Archives
October 2024
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