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Celebrating 25 Years of Growth
On the evening of December 4th, a group of friends, partners and allies gathered at NRCDV's main office in Harrisburg, PA to recognize and celebrate the 25 years of strengthening and transforming efforts to end domestic violence.
Pennsylvania State Representatives Patty Kim and Sue Helm issued House Proclamations to recognize NRCDV's 25-year impact within the movement, as did the local County Commissioners.
Thank you to all that helped us celebrate in person and spirit.
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NRCDV & NO MORE Launch Verbal Abuse Campaign & Resources
 Did you know that nearly half of all women and men in the U.S. have experienced verbal abuse from a partner? (CDC, 2017)
The National Resource Center on Domestic Violence is proud to announce that we have teamed up with NO MORE to send a clear message: Verbal abuse IS domestic violence.
"It causes invisible scars with potential lifetime impact,” said Arlene Vassell, Vice President of Programs, Prevention & Social Change for NRCDV. “We are thrilled to join NO MORE in bringing visibility to this survivor experience, one that is so common, yet so often discounted. We want to validate this experience and bring it out of the shadows.”
Verbal abuse is an often-overlooked component of intimate partner violence. It is difficult to detect, assess, and substantiate, and many cases go unreported. Some victims of verbal and emotional abuse may not even consider themselves victims, because they only associate domestic violence only with being hurt physically. But survivors consistently tell us that the impact of verbal abuse can be just as damaging to those who experience it.
“She insults me and puts me down in front of our friends.
It is so humiliating and embarrassing.”
That’s why NRCDV & NO MORE launched  the #NOMOREVerbalAbuse campaign and website.
The website contains:
Call to Action: Take the pledge and help us end verbal abuse
 Visit the website to join this effort or use your Alexa-enabled device to join the campaign and spread the word that verbal abuse is not acceptable.
Simply say, “Alexa, open NO MORE” and register your voice against verbal abuse today.
We want all survivors of verbal abuse to know that we see them, we hear them, and they are not alone.
Verbal abuse IS domestic violence. And we say NO MORE.
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We're Hiring!
Join our team!
NRCDV has two full-time career opportunities available.
- Program Specialist to provide programmatic & technical support to the day-to-day operations of the Policy & Research team, including supporting the work of the Safe Housing Capacity Building Resource Center.
- Operations Director to supervise day-to-day administration, including all financial/accounting, human resources, meeting planning & fund development.
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Impact & Solidarity in Taiwan
This November, five delegates from the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence were honored to attend the 4th World Conference of Women’s Shelters (#4WCWS) in Kaohsuing, Taiwan. Together, they joined over 1,400 advocates from more than 100 countries around the world in listening and learning from each others’ experiences, sharing resources, and celebrating our movement’s work.
NRCDV representatives engaged audiences in workshop sessions to explore The Voices and Experiences of Adult Children Exposed to Domestic Violence: Lessons to Advance Global Efforts to End Gender-Based Violence and Uses of Flexible Funding to Prevent Homelessness for Survivors with the National Alliance for Safe Housing (NASH).
The theme Impact & Solidarity carried through 3 conference days, highlighting emerging issues, art and advocacy, direct service approaches, and economic empowerment.
On day 4, delegates joined study tours to explore the unique and innovative social service programs of Kaohsuing, including integrated service centers that feature collaborations between:
- Domestic and sexual violence prevention and the juvenile and family court,
- Women, children, and youth services and the Tien-Ching Women Wish Association,
- Senior citizen services and the Brilliant Life Women’s Vision Association.
The new partnerships that were developed at #4WCWS will surely thrive for years to come!
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Wellness Corner
 Wellness Benefits of Coloring Books for Adults
By offering an escape to a place of calm, a tool for enhancing concentration, or a means to express creativity and produce works of beauty, adult coloring books have become an international trend, finding their way to bestseller lists throughout the world. Although coloring and art therapy aren’t quite the same thing, adult coloring fans and researchers alike have found that the activity does have therapeutic benefits and can help promote wellness.
A study found that coloring mandalas may be useful for helping individuals who chronically experience anxiety. “At the least, coloring mandalas or other complex designs may be useful in lessening other stress-related problems if conducted before or immediately after the stressful activity. For example, people with test anxiety could color mandalas prior to taking the test, or people who fear flying on airplanes might color before, or even during, their flight,” stated the authors (Curry & Kasser, 2005, p. 84). Another study found that daily coloring can reduce depressive symptoms and anxiety and may serve as an effective, inexpensive, and highly accessible self-help tool (Flett et al., 2017).
For advocates interested in exploring the wellness benefits of shading within the lines, coloring books and pages abound online and at local bookstores, including resources that are anti-violence and social justice oriented. The National Network to End Domestic Violence, for example, offers a variety of fun coloring pages for free download.
• Dogs Against Domestic Violence
• Elephants for Equality
• Manatees Against Mansplaining
• Jaguars for Justice
• Turtles for Tech Safety
• Hummingbirds for Healthy Relationships
• Frogs for Financial Empowerment
• Octopi Against Oppression
• Sloths for Safety
• Emus Against Emotional Abuse
• Rabbits for Respect
• Every Home a Safe Home
All Illustrations by Caitlin Rose Illustration
As advocates engage in wellness practices and self-care strategies in order to sustain our work with trauma survivors and maintain emotional health, some may find it helpful to seek therapy from a creative practitioner or an art therapist for help along the journey.
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Holiday Toolbox
Each year as the fall and winter holiday season approaches, NRCDV is contacted about available resources to provide support for survivors and advocates during a time that may be stressful. In addition, there are common misconceptions about the connections of domestic violence and the holidays that arise at this time of year.
In response, NRCDV has compiled a number of Technical Assistance (TA) Guidance documents into a Holiday Toolbox. The resources included in this Toolbox highlight trauma-informed strategies to support programs in promoting healing, wellness and safety during the holiday season, while taking into consideration the diverse needs of survivors and the advocates that serve them.
Each TA Guidance document provides best practice information and resources related to: positive visioning, promoting wellness and managing stress, cultural sensitivity, responding to the food-related needs of survivors in shelter, considerations for working with survivors from specific populations, and understanding the available research.
The Toolbox features holiday call data from the National Domestic Violence Hotline, and a social media section offering messaging to engage audiences around supporting survivors during the holidays via Twitter, Facebook and other channels.
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Upcoming Trainings
 Free Webinar
Beyond DVAM: Easy Ways to Actively Engage your Communities in DV Awareness after October
January 22, 2020
2pm ET / 1pm CT / 11am PT
Domestic Violence Awareness Month is recognized annually as a time to bring attention to the issue of domestic violence in communities across the country, share stories of survivors of violence, remember and honor individuals who lost their lives due to senseless acts of violence, raise awareness of trauma-informed approaches, and promote the resources organizations have to offer. But just because organizations unite for 31 days under one theme and color doesn't mean that awareness is restricted to those four weeks. This webinar, led by Rebecca De Leon, independent marketing consultant and Joe Ostrander of NRCDV, will discuss ways in which organizations can take the energy and inspiration from DVAM and use it year-round to connect resources with marginalized communities while still raising awareness of violence prevention issues and triumphs to those outside the field.
SAVE THE DATE
October 28 - 30, 2020Crystal Gateway Marriott
Arlington, VA
Join a national network of service providers, advocates, grassroots organizations, and leaders from coast to coast for the first national conference addressing the housing needs of domestic violence/sexual assault survivors, communities of color, and marginalized populations.
Conference attendees will explore best practices, evidence-based approaches, and innovative safe housing solutions. Participants will also have an opportunity to help develop a national safe housing agenda designed to improve systems and decrease barriers; while also striving to create more comprehensive and equitable options for all survivors. Mark the date and watch for registration information.
Interested in sharing your best practice, research, or evidence-based approach with the intersection of domestic & sexual violence and safe housing?
For additional details, visit www.SafeHousingConference.org.
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Policy Corner
The Domestic Violence and Housing Technical Assistance Consortium (DVHTAC) celebrated its fourth anniversary in November. 
Launched in 2015, the Consortium is an innovative, collaborative approach to build and strengthen capacity for providers and programs working at the critical intersection of domestic violence, sexual assault, homelessness and housing. It is a unique partnership funded by U.S. Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development and consists of a collaborative TA Team that includes the National Alliance for Safe Housing, the National Network to End Domestic Violence, the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, Collaborative Solutions, Inc., the National Sexual Violence Resource Center and the Corporation for Supportive Housing.
Through NRCDV’s National Capacity Building Center on Safe Housing for Domestic Violence Survivors, NRCDV serves as a lead in coordinating efforts and activities across the federal partners and the TA team. Additionally, NRCDV provides oversight and maintenance of the Safe Housing Partnerships website.
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Prevention Highlights
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and their associated harms are preventable.
PreventIPV is excited to highlight CDC's new publication, Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences: Leveraging the Best Available Evidence, as our Prevention Tool of the Month for December.
Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences offers strategies to prevent ACEs and ensure safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments.
Be sure to check out the PreventIPV Tools Inventory to learn about more promising programs and innovative practices!
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TA Questions of the Month
Read the recent technical assistance (TA) featuring guest writers from the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence, Metropolitan Community Churches, and the Pennsylvania Utility Law Project (PULP).
December 2019: What can advocates do to help survivors stay warm in the winter?
“ The unfortunate reality is that the inability to connect and maintain utility service often causes survivors to make the impossible choice between returning to an abuser or experiencing periods of homelessness.”
November 2019: How can allies support trans and genderqueer communities for Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) and beyond?
“ Although some progress had been made for trans and genderqueer rights in the 21st century, since 2017 most of the few protections and legislative inroads have been curtailed or eliminated.”
October 2019: How can movement building support our efforts for social change and collective thriving?
 “We began to understand that the root causes of violence are inextricably interconnected and that we could not end gender violence unless we also worked to end patriarchy, sexism, racism, nationalism, classism, homophobia, transphobia, able-ism, audism, anti-semitism, religious discrimination, and xenophobia/anti-immigrant sentiment and all the ways we devalued and “othered” human beings based on identities."
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VAWnet Gets Personal
Have you created your personalized VAWnet account?
NRCDV's online library of gender-based violence resources has undergone a number of upgrades and user enhancements designed to make your workday easier.
- Save, organize & share your favorite material with your MyVAWnet account.
- Not at your desk, no worries. Our mobile-friendly interface allows you access to resources anytime.
- We know your time is limited & valuable. Get what you want faster and filter by topic, type, author, and publisher.
 With more than 5,000 other resources, papers, reports, videos, podcasts, blog posts, news articles, event listings, and more. Everyday, materials are added to our library, expanding the offerings in five key subject areas:
Visit VAWnet today and have your own experience.
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New Resources on VAWnet
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Thank You for a Successful Giving Tuesday
We are grateful to all those that gave to NRCDV during our Giving Tuesday campaign. Your support helps us to:
 Increase awareness about the prevalence and impact of gender-based violence, with an emphasis on the lived experiences of marginalized communities.- Enhance responses for survivors and their children, because all survivors should have access to life-saving services without being judged or re-traumatized.
- Reinforce strategies that prevent perpetration and victimization from ever happening in the first place.
- Create beloved communities for all centered on justice, hope and healing.
You can still support NRCDV's work.
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Your contribution ensures that we can continue to provide resources, training and guidance on the multi-faceted nature of domestic violence and other forms of gender-based violence. Donations support NRCDV’s mission to strengthen and transform efforts to end domestic violence and ensures that we maintain our position as a trusted national leader, renowned for innovation, multi-disciplinary approaches and a commitment to ensuring that policy, practice and research is grounded in and guided by the voices and experiences of domestic violence survivors and advocates.
You shop, NRCDV benefits.
Support NRCDV each time you shop on Amazon. AmazonSmile is operated by Amazon with the same products, prices, and shopping features as Amazon. The difference is that when you shop on AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products to NRCDV.
Go to Amazon Smiles and sign in with your Amazon information or create new account. On your first visit be sure to enter National Resource Center on Domestic Violence as your charitable organization. Now you are ready to start shopping and supporting our efforts to end domestic violence.
The National Resource Center on Domestic Violence is a 501(c)3 organization. Your donation is tax deductible to the full extent of governing law.
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