If you’re on social media, chances are you’ve seen it: a picture of a hand with a black dot inked right in the center of the palm. The accompanying message informs you that the black dot is a “secret message” to professionals that the person is being abused. It seems like a fantastic campaign — it claims to raise awareness and help people in abusive relationships. And yet…it isn’t actually beneficial, and may in fact harm the people it intends to help. The problems with t

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

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