Last week, the Pittsburgh region was shocked by the news that a local woman had been murdered by her husband. Domestic violence homicide is unfortunately not a rare occurrence in Pennsylvania, with 146 deaths due to intimidate partner violence (113 victims, 33 perpetrators) in 2015 alone. But the facts of this case were particularly disturbing, as the victim’s husband was out on bail after kidnapping and torturing her for nearly two weeks earlier in the summer. Tierne Ewin

On any given day, if you click on a local news website or watch the news on TV, you’re bound to see at least one story involving domestic violence: a man accused of sending 6,000 messages to his ex-girlfriend, including death threats; SWAT responds after man attempts to flush infant ; man taken into custody after firing shots at officers after a domestic violence incident. These stories are just a sampling of the domestic violence crimes reported in local news over the past

In the wake of the Orlando mass shooting, the focus has turned to what motivated the shooter to commit this heinous hate crime. Some sources claim that he pledged allegiance to ISIS during the shooting, while others claim that he was gay himself, and desperate to hide his sexuality while simultaneously lashing out at those who he believe rejected him. Amidst all of this speculation, an important component of his background has largely been overlooked: his significant history

Many people are afraid of the dark. We’ve all witnessed the fact that bad things happen when it’s dark outside. Some of us have security lights on the outside of our homes because we believe that light chases away bad people, and that light protects us from things that will hurt us. I’m sure that we’ve all witnessed “dark moments” in our lives when our spirits are low and when we’ve become discouraged. We can be left with a sense of darkness in our lives when bad things happe

Last week, we highlighted the prevalence of dating violence among teenagers — and now, we’d like to talk about a problem that affects a different generation: the elderly. Elder abuse is a serious issue in this country, affecting some of our most vulnerable citizens. Each year, between 1.6 and 2 million seniors become victims of abuse and neglect. With our rapidly aging population, elder abuse is poised to become an even bigger problem — and one we must address head-on if

Every year, roughly 1 in 10 American teenagers experiences physical abuse at the hands of a dating partner. This sort of dating violence can lead to long-term effects, leaving survivors at increased risk of depression, substance abuse, suicidal thoughts, poor academic performance, and future violence. Although February is officially Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, abuse between teenagers in relationships is a form of domestic violence — and it is just as important that

This month, we are exploring various issues surrounding domestic violence as part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Today, we are tackling some basic facts about domestic violence. Share the correct information with people you know! FACT: Domestic violence is a huge problem; it is estimated that 1 in 4 women will be affected by domestic violence in her lifetime, and that 75% of Americans know someone who has experienced domestic violence. Men are also directly impacted

To many in our community, October is a month for visiting pumpkin patches and apple orchards, viewing the gorgeous changing leaves, and preparing for Halloween. But for those of us whose lives have been affected by domestic violence, October has a different meaning: a time to raise awareness for domestic violence. This month, we observe Domestic Violence Awareness Month and we ask you to participate to help us reach our goals of raising awareness and ultimately ending the

The NFL has been all over the news lately, and NOT because of football. Instead, the NFL is once again facing serious public outrage over its handling of Ray Rice’s violent assault of his then-fiancée (now wife) Janay Palmer. The most recent headlines have made it clear that it isn’t just the NFL that has a problem with domestic violence — it’s our culture as a whole. A quick recap: this incident began in February 2014, when a video emerged of Rice dragging his unconscious