Julia K Cole

Domestic violence turns a home into a place of terror. Many justifiably believe that their beloved pet will become a victim of retaliation if they leave their tormentor. To help break this cycle of violence, Red Rover provides Safe Escape to enable victims and their pets to find a safe place to begin again. Founded in 1987, the mission of RedRover is to bring animals out of crisis and strengthen the bond between people and animals through emergency sheltering, disaster relief services, financial assistance and education. RedRover accomplishes its mission by engaging volunteers and supporters, collaborating with others and maximizing the use of online technology. P lease note:  We are not a shelter or vet clinic and cannot accept animals. Find a  Sacramento-area animal shelter . RedRover is committed to: bringing animals out of crisis and into care  by: caring for animals displaced by natural disasters or rescued from mass cruelty situations providing financia...

27-year-old Jennifer Martel was a caring mom to a little girl. Working her way through college, Jennifer hoped to become an elementary school teacher. Jennifer's boyfriend had a long history of criminal activity, including domestic violence, yet was released on his own recognizance after smashing Jennifer's head into a mirror Tuesday, Aug. 13.  Just two nights later, he was found covered in blood after stabbing Jennifer to death in the presence of their four-year-old daughter and neighbors. While Massachusetts is at the forefront of the war against domestic violence, the recent murder of Jennifer Martel highlights a gaping flaw in the current system. Under M.G.L. 276 sec. 58A, offenders can be released on their own recognizance, without any bail set, within 24 hours of an assault. An emergency restraining ordered was issued against Jennifer's assailant, but since Jennifer did not appear in court the day after she was attacked, her assailant was released witho...

Domestic Violence does not discriminate against age, race, color, creed, gender or sexual orientation. The U. S. Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) defines domestic violence as a "pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner" .  The definition adds that domestic violence "can happen to anyone regardless of race, age, sexual orientation, religion, or gender", and that it can take many forms, including physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional, economic, and psychological abuse Our society, both here in the United States and world-wide, have been conditioned to think and believe that domestic violence only means women and children.   But the sad fact is, it also includes boys and men. “When we ignore male victims of domestic abuse, we also ignore their children, who continue to be damaged by witnessing the violence regardless of how severe it is. We cannot br...

Domestic Violence.   It's Everybody's Business! But how many turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to it?  Sadly too many to count. While the majority of such violence reported involved  women and children, an alarming number of men who are victims go unreported ...  even ignored. "... activists for “men’s rights” have suggested that policy-oriented efforts for women have been misplaced, because they focus entirely on women as the victims of domestic violence .  “men are the victims of domestic violence at least as often as women” (Brott, 1994). " [emphasis added] ( http://new.vawnet.org/Assoc_Files_VAWnet/GenderSymmetry.pdf ) *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* And we are not just talking about gay men in this regard.   Hetero-sexual men fall prey to domestic abuse as well.  You don't hear about it very often -- if at all .   Pride and shame prevent many of these men from coming forward.  Shame of not bein...