Experiencing abuse as a child can have serious, long-term effects on an individual. There are many factors that play into how abuse affects a child including the child’s age and developmental level when the abuse occurred. Children who are abused and neglected may suffer immediate physical injuries such as cuts, bruises, or broken bones. They may also have emotional and psychological problems, such as anxiety or posttraumatic stress.
Read MoreThe first step in helping children who have been abused or neglected is learning to recognize the signs of child abuse. The presence of a single sign does not necessarily mean that abuse is occurring in a family, but a closer look at the situation may be warranted when these signs appear repeatedly or in combination.
Read MoreEach year, approximately 304 million children between the ages of 3-17 are at risk of exposure to domestic violence. Although many children who experience abuse do not become violent later in life, there is a substantial risk that violence in the family is transferred from generation to generation.
Read MoreChild abuse and neglect are serious public health issues that affect millions of children each year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at least 1 in 7 children have experienced child abuse or neglect in the past year in the United States.
Read MoreBrain Injury Awareness Month is a dedicated period for recognizing the causes and raising awareness to eliminate the stigma surrounding brain injuries. It is also a time to recognize those with brain injuries related to domestic violence and let them know they are not alone. Violence directed at the head, neck, and face can have long-lasting consequences. Any time you are hurt in this way, it should be taken seriously.
Read MoreDomestic violence and guns can be a deadly combination. More than half of all intimate partner homicides are committed with a gun, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Nearly half of all women murdered in the United States are killed by a current or former intimate partner, and 50% of these homicides are by firearms.
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Each February, Journey Center raises awareness about teen dating violence through Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (TDVAM). This annual effort focuses on advocacy and education to stop dating abuse before it starts. This is an issue that impacts everyone, not just teens, but their parents, friends and communities as well. This year’s theme, “Love Like That,” amplifies the voices of teens and young adults by supporting and uplifting positive, healthy, and safe relationships and calls on all of us to create a world free of relationship abuse.
Read MoreEvery year, we set aside the month of January in support of the millions of people across the country who are survivors of stalking. National Stalking Awareness Month (NSAM) is an annual call to action to recognize and respond to the serious crime of stalking.
Stalking is a form of gender-based violence and frequently co-occurs within domestic violence. Stalking is defined as a pattern of behavior directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear.
Read MoreCLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - October marks Domestic Violence awareness month, and one organization in Cleveland is aiming to help a group of women who need it the most.
Journey Center for Safety and Healing, is offering a Latina Domestic Violence Program to help latina women in the community.
They hope that by creating this program, they can give assistance to some of the women who need it the most.
Read MoreCLEVELAND — Domestic violence experts say rates remain high three years after a pandemic spike, including in Northeast Ohio.
Melissa Graves, CEO of Journey Center for Safety and Healing, which provides counseling, shelter, and several other supports and services for domestic violence victims, said, "It has stayed there since COVID. It hasn't gone back down."
Read MoreData shared by the Ohio Domestic Violence Network shows there were 27 murder-suicides among the Ohio homicide cases they identified as being connected to domestic violence between July 1, 2021 and June 20, 2022.
ODVN identified a total of 73 domestic violence homicides in Ohio during the same time period, where the perpetrator killed their former or current intimate partner or spouse.
Read MoreCLEVELAND — Authorities have released new information about what happened inside a Brooklyn Centre home last Friday where a man is accused of killing his father, sister and nephew.
“Domestic violence is a very under-reported crime because of the shame and the fear factor,” Grant said.
Grant says survivors may not recognize the signs early on and abusers have a way of manipulating their own behaviors.
Read MoreOHIO — Ohio was the only state that didn't have what’s called a “strangulation law,” according to State Senator Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood).
But Gov. Mike DeWine's signature on Senate Bill 288 changed that.
“I really believe once this legislation goes into law, we’re going to save lives," Antonio said.
Read MoreRight now is a stressful time for many as some are dealing with financial worries and others are isolated at home with their abusers, who may even be heavily monitoring them in person and on social media.
“The holidays tend to be a disruptive time where an abuser may try to exert more power and control through abuse — financial, verbal, physical, emotional, sexual, every kind of, any kind of abuse,” said Melissa Graves, Chief Executive Officer at the Journey Center for Safety and Healing. “Over the holidays, we do tend to see an increase in alcohol consumption for some people. So, all of those things contribute to a stressful environment.”
Senate Bill 90 makes strangulation a felony, as opposed to a misdemeanor, what it is now.
Read MoreMEDINA, Ohio — As Ohio lawmakers enter the lame duck session, ready to push through bills that haven’t yet passed before the general assembly ends at the end of the year, domestic violence advocates and survivors are hopeful that Senate Bill 90 will be one of them.
Senate Bill 90 makes strangulation a felony, as opposed to a misdemeanor, what it is now.
Read MoreOctober marks Domestic Violence Awareness Month. On this week's Mom Squad, Maureen Kyle talks to experts about recognizing signs of abusive relationships.
Read MoreOctober is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
In Ohio, nearly 40% of women and 30% of men experience some form of domestic violence, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence,
The Journey Center for Safety and Healing in Cleveland is focused on offering services that empower, educate and advocate for individuals in order to end domestic violence and child abuse.
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