THE ALLSTATE FOUNDATION RELEASES NEW POLL FINDINGS AND FINANCIAL TIPS TO HELP DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURVIVORS ACHIEVE ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE

The Allstate Foundation has released the findings of its National Poll on Domestic Violence, which was conducted to gauge public awareness of the issue and reveal how Americans view domestic violence. The findings will be used to help the Foundation provide programming for its Domestic Violence Program, which focuses on the financial concerns of domestic violence survivors. Key findings of the national poll include:

- 83% of respondents strongly agreed that domestic violence affects people in all racial, ethnic, educational, social and economic backgrounds.

- Approximately six out of ten respondents strongly agree that the lack of money and a steady income is often a challenge faced by a survivor of domestic violence when leaving her/his abuser.

- More than a quarter (28%) of respondents thought that finding access to money or income to support the victim and/or children was the most difficult problem faced by those leaving an abusive situation, ranking second only to fear that the abuser would find the victim.
The majority of respondents reported that programs to help with financial challenges would be very valuable to domestic violence victims.
>Three quarters (75%) thought emergency funds would be very valuable.
>Two thirds (67%) thought education and job training would be very valuable.
>More than half (54%) thought training to help with financial challenges would be very valuable.

The poll is part of The Allstate Foundation Domestic Violence Program, which works in partnership with the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) Fund to provide comprehensive programming and resources to help survivors connect to resources that will help them live more safe and secure lives.

"Allstate is dedicated to helping domestic violence survivors feel better protected today and prepared for the future," said Angela Cobb, program manager, The Allstate Foundation. "Our national poll shows us just how pervasive domestic violence is in the United States -- and how important it is to empower these survivors economically." In addition to releasing the poll findings, The Allstate Foundation also offers six tips for domestic violence victims and survivors looking to secure their financial future:

1. Plan for your safety by contacting your local domestic violence program to discuss your options and learn about the community resources you can access for support (i.e., emergency assistance funds, shelter, utility assistance, rent assistance, public benefits, and affordable housing). To locate a program in your community, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline 800-799-SAFE. Language translation is available.

2. Obtain a copy of your credit report and monitor your credit often. Most financial institutions provide credit monitoring services such as Privacy Guard at low costs. You can get a copy of your credit report by contacting one of the three credit bureaus. Equifax: 1-800-685-1111 or http://www.equifax.com; Experian: 1-866-966-1067 or http://www.experian.com; TransUnion: 1-877-680-7275 or http://www.transunion.com; FREE Annual Credit Report http://www.annualcreditreport.com, or 1-877-322-8228.

3. Open a post office box for mail and any financial information you may receive before you leave or immediately after you leave an abusive situation. You can obtain P.O. boxes from the United States Post Office or vendors such as Parcel Plus, Mail Boxes Etc., or the UPS Store.

4. Call your utility companies, wireless telephone service and financial institutions to secure your private information with special pin codes and passwords. Be sure to do the same on all new credit, wireless or utility accounts. Ask these companies to use identifiers other than your Social Security Number, date of birth or mother's maiden name to authenticate your identity.

5. Change all ATM and debit card pin codes, online banking passwords and online investing passwords. Be sure to change the password on your e-mail account as well.

6. Be sure to make necessary changes to your insurance plans, will or trust beneficiaries to appoint a new person if your partner is your current designee.

"Survivors of domestic violence often face myriad financial challenges that prevent them from escaping abusive situations," said Gretta Gardner, NNEDV Fund program manager. "Whether we're helping survivors to find safe shelter, become financially literate, repair damaged credit, or participate in a job training program, The Allstate Foundation Domestic Violence Program will help domestic violence survivors prepare for futures of economic autonomy and opportunity."

The Allstate Foundation conducted the National Poll on Domestic Violence in December 2005 and January 2006. The poll was designed and administered by Murphy Marketing Research, with input from the NNEDV Fund. More than 1,000 men and women of all races, ethnicities, income and education levels participated in the poll. Response quotas closely mirrored the ethnic breakdown of the current U.S. population -- 16% African-American, 14% Hispanic and 6% Asian.

Established in 1952, The Allstate Foundation is an independent, charitable organization made possible by subsidiaries of The Allstate Corporation. Allstate and The Allstate Foundation sponsor community initiatives to promote "safe and vital communities"; "tolerance, inclusion, and diversity"; and "economic empowerment." The Allstate Foundation believes in the financial potential of every individual and in helping America's families achieve their American dream. For additional information, visit http://www.allstate.com/foundation.

Domestic Violence Costs Northern Ireland Economy £90M* Every Year

Domestic violence costs the Northern Ireland economy £90m* every year due to staff taking time off work, Criminal Justice Minister David Hanson has said. Mr. Hanson was speaking at the launch of government guidelines for employers to assist employees who have suffered domestic violence and abuse. The guidelines will be circulated to over 4,000 employers across Northern Ireland. "They are in a unique position to offer support to victims and it is very much in their interest to do so," he said.

"Living with physical violence or psychological abuse can result in deterioration in an employee's performance, poor timekeeping and increased absenteeism within the work place." "Every year in Norther Ireland around £90m is lost to the economy because of time-off work due to domestic violence." The guidelines, published on May 22, are part of the government's "Tackling Violence at Home Strategy" which was launched in October 2005.

*$168,083,000 USD - conversion done at CAEPV on 5/24/06

NEW YORK CITY ADS STRIKE BACK AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

The images are startling and that's the point. A woman, her left cheek bruised, has the following message dripping out of her nose like a stream of blood: "38% of battered women will be victimized again within six months." Another shows a young girl with two massive welts on her back. "Last year, 1 in 12 high school students was beaten by a person they were dating," is printed boldly inside one of the bruises.

New York City unveiled a new public service advertising campaign designed to encourage victims of domestic violence to get help. "Last year, domestic violence was responsible for nearly one out of every eight homicides in our city," Mayor Bloomberg said on May 18. "What's just as disturbing is that almost none of these victims ever called the city's domestic violence hotline," Bloomberg said at a City Hall press conference with City Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan) and Yolanda Jimenez, commissioner of the Mayor's Office to Combat Domestic Violence, along with playwright and activist Eve Ensler.

The ads, which urge victims or loved ones to call 311, will appear in English and Spanish on subways, buses and other sites around the city. Postcard-sized copies will be distributed at nail salons. Ensler also helped put together a two-week program - funded with private dollars - to raise awareness of violence against women and girls.

"Until The Violence Stops: NYC," which will run from June 12-27, will feature musical and theatrical performances, and celebrities will include Jane Fonda, Rosie O'Donnell, Kathy Bates and Diane Lane. One of the theatrical events will benefit the city's Family Justice Center in Brooklyn.

According to the city, police officers handle 600 domestic violence-related calls each day. Most of the victims killed in domestic violence incidents had no order of protection and had not previously contacted police.

Lawsuit Filed Against NYC Employer For Discrimination Against Domestic Violence Victim

New York, NY - In late April, the ACLU Women’s Rights Project filed EEOC charges on behalf of a domestic violence victim who was discriminated and retaliated against by her employer after she revealed that she was the victim of domestic abuse and took measures to assert her legal rights as a victim. According to Caroline Bettinger-López of the ACLU Women’s Rights Project, this EEOC filing followed on the heals of a lawsuit that they filed last month on behalf of this employee, alleging violations of the 2001 and 2003 amendments to the New York City Human Rights Law, which prohibit employment discrimination against domestic violence victims and require employers to provide victims with “reasonable accommodations.” According to the ACLU, the client was terminated by her employer after she revealed that she was a victim of domestic violence and requested time off to attend to medical, legal, and other safety needs, and a safety transfer to another worksite. Each time the client asserted her rights as a victim of domestic violence and attempted to protect herself from continued abuse, her employer retaliated against her by systematically increasing threats of discipline and actual discipline of her, and ultimately terminating her. In the lawsuit, the ACLU requests reinstatement, a safety transfer, back pay, monetary compensation for emotional distress, and other appropriate relief.

Caroline says, “We hope that our case will build off the success of Reynolds v. Fraser, the first case brought under these new provisions of the New York City Human Rights Law. That case was brought as a “special” Article 78 proceeding challenging the decision of the New York City Department of Correction (DOC) to terminate a victim of domestic violence after she revealed her victim status. In a lengthy consideration of the public policy reasons behind the amended New York City legislation, the judge in Reynolds found that “[t]he ability to hold on to a job is one of a victim’s most valuable weapons in the war for survival, since gainful employment is the key to independence from the batterer.” The judge then vacated DOC’s decision to terminate Ms. Reynolds’ employment and ordered reinstatement and back pay.”

Illinois Police May Be Sued For Not Intervening In Domestic Violence Cases

Springfield, IL - Local police agencies' immunity from lawsuits does not apply when they fail to intervene in domestic violence cases, the state Supreme Court of Illinois ruled on April 20, 2006. Justices decreed that the estate of a Chicago woman may sue police for allegedly ignoring her April 2002 call for help when her estranged husband entered her home with a gun. Witnesses saw two police officers outside the residence in their car, but they drove away without going inside. Ronyale White was shot to death minutes later.

In a separate opinion, however, the court upheld the decades-old tort immunity law, which bars lawsuits against local governments to prevent a flood of litigation that would overburden taxpayers. The court ruled that the estate of Doris Hays may not sue authorities in Rock Island and Henry counties after a witness reported Hays drove off a highway into a ditch but no one investigated. Hays' body was found three days later near her car at the accident scene.

In the Chicago case, the court decided that the domestic violence law trumped the tort immunity act. The unanimous decision by Justice Thomas Fitzgerald points out that the domestic violence statute grants immunity against local governments "unless the act is a result of willful or wanton misconduct."

There is no such provision in the 41-year-old tort immunity act, which the court said applies to the Hays case. Justice Mary Ann McMorrow believes there should be. As in past cases, she dissented in the Hays matter, arguing that if the Legislature intended to protect local governments from lawsuits for willful and wanton misconduct, the law should say so.

"Blanket immunity should not be afforded to acts performed by local governmental entities or government officials in bad faith, especially where the provision of life-and-death police protection services are at issue," McMorrow wrote. The cases are Moore v. Green and DeSmet v. Rock Island. On the Net: http://www.state.il.us/court/Opinions/Search.htm

RAINN TO LAUNCH THE WEB'S FIRST SECURE ONLINE HOTLINE

This fall, RAINN (The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) will launch the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline, which will be the web's first secure hotline service, offering live help 24 hours a day. RAINN is creating the Online Hotline in response to user demand for a new way to access services. While calls to RAINN’s telephone hotline continue to increase, research and observation are finding an increased reluctance among young people to use the phone.

Because nearly half of all rape victims are under 18, and fully 80% are under 30, RAINN sees the need to respond to the growing desire to communicate online instead of by phone. Already, 75% of teens and young adults, and 74% of all women, get the majority of their health information online. But, in the case of sexual assault victims, what they're finding is pretty scary. The places where they are currently getting help online — chat rooms, blogs, message boards, and listserves — all have major flaws. The people providing help are untrained and unsupervised. And the sites are not secure, so postings are not confidential. After studying the current situation, it became clear that RAINN needed to create a safe and secure service that could provide live help from trained volunteers. Their solution is the Online Hotline, launching this September.

The US Justice Department's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), excited about the potential of this unique technology to help a new generation of users, are providing discretionary grants to develop the service. Diane Stuart, director of OVW, commented that, "OVW is pleased to support the development of RAINN's Online Hotline. It is an essential new service for a generation of victims seeking help. I congratulate RAINN for its forward thinking on this most important issue."

Bob Flores, the administrator of OJJDP, observed that, "Victims who receive help are significantly more likely to report their attack to police and to participate in prosecution. By drawing in hundreds of thousands of victims who would never use a telephone hotline, we expect the Online Hotline to play a vital role in our efforts to combat sexual violence and help its victims."

One click will take users from www.rainn.org to the Online Hotline. There, they will anonymously request help and be connected to a trained volunteer for live, one-on-one support. While there will be a great deal of advanced technology at work behind the scenes, the user's screen will be as clear and intuitive as instant messaging, so there will be no learning curve.

Of course, privacy and confidentiality are of the utmost importance. In order to ensure confidentiality for Online Hotline users, RAINN worked with their tech partners to build a new communications infrastructure that integrates security and anonymity at every level. The application will not capture the IP address of users, so sessions can't be traced back to them. They developed a "chat controller" that, once it connects a user with a trained volunteer, breaks the link to ensure that no record of the session or user remains. And, transcripts of sessions will not be stored.

The pilot launch of the Online Hotline will begin in May, with a national launch expected in September. For more info, visit www.rainn.org/programs/online-hotline/ . (Source: Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network)

Study Finds Workplace Supports Help Victims of Domestic Violence Stay Employed & Productive

Victims of domestic violence may be more likely to stay employed when the workplace offers some type of support, according to a study conducted by a research team at the University of Kentucky.

“Working Women Making it Work: Intimate Partner Violence, Employment, Disclosure and Workplace Supports” is one of the first studies to look at the role of workplace policies in helping victims of domestic violence maintain employment. The study was presented in March at the International Work, Stress, and Health 2006 conference in Miami, and will be published in 2007 in a special issue of the Journal of Interpersonal Violence.

“Maintaining employment is very important to the employed victim, and to the employer, since turnover is very costly on both sides,” said Jennifer Swanberg, Ph.D., who led the study with her colleagues TK Logan, Ph.D. and Caroline Macke, MSW. “In our study, among women who told someone at work about the partner victimization, the use of workplace support initiatives that include flexible working hours, supervisor-approved workload modifications, and implementation of safeguards such as the screening telephone calls, may have helped then to remain employed.”

This is a big deal for employers interested in effectiveness of workplace practices to address domestic violence!

New Technology Helps National Domestic Violence Hotline Reach Out To Callers

The last thing a battered woman wants to hear when she calls the National Domestic Violence Hotline is a busy signal. But that was happening more frequently in recent years, as the hotline's equipment struggled to keep up with monthly call volumes that jumped from 7,000 in 1996 to 16,500 today.

Hotline workers hope recently unveiled innovative technology will put an end to those problems and let them answer more calls, handle them more quickly and help more abused women. In the first two week time period the system went on line, the average call length fell from 20 minutes to between five and seven minutes, said Sheryl Cates, the hotline's executive director. That adds up with workers handling up to 600 calls each day. "This is truly a day of dreams coming true," Cates said.

The technology, developed and donated by companies including Microsoft, Dell and AOL, includes mapping software, networked computers and 72 phone lines, three times as many as the hotline had before. Rather than flipping through paper maps and lists of shelters, which often were outdated, hotline workers now can type in the caller's location and use mapping software to find help nearby, whether it's emergency transportation or a shelter with workers who speak her language. And instead of just giving the victim a list of shelter phone numbers and hoping she has the time and courage to call, hotline workers can make conference calls and find a place that has room.

Experts estimate that between 2 million and 4 million women in the United States are battered each year, and more than half of the victims live with children under 12. Government studies have found that on average more than three women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends every day. U.S. Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., who wrote the legislation that created the hotline, said a crucial step in reversing those statistics is convincing women they don't have to take the abuse. The hotline's workers are a powerful ally in that fight, he said. "You give them a reason to believe they can make it," he said. "Women feel empowered to come forward now. They now believe that they have someone behind them, they're not alone."

Forty-eight-year-old hotline worker Rose Garcia knows how difficult it is to reach out for help and how devastating it would be to get a busy signal. Garcia and her three children left her physically and verbally abusive husband 12 1/2 years ago, staying in a Fort Worth shelter until she could rebuild her life. She eventually began volunteering there and then moved to Austin to help open the hotline. "I thank God today that I am not a statistic," she said. "I can stand tall and have a strong voice and let women know like myself that they can live violence free and succeed in life." To contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline call 1-800-799-SAFE or 1-800-787-3224 TTY for the deaf. The hotline operates 24 hours a day 365 days a year in 140 languages.

EVERY CLICK COUNTS AND YOU CAN HELP!

With just one click, you can help survivors of domestic violence gain access to the job training and education that will move them toward a more secure financial future. For every visit made to their partnership program's website, Allstate Insurance Company (through the Allstate Foundation) will donate $1 to education and job training for domestic abuse survivors. The Allstate Foundation, in partnership with the National Network to End Domestic Violence, is launching the Education and Job Training Assistance Fund, offering scholarships and other resources to individuals who have dealt with domestic abuse. For every click on the link below, the Allstate Foundation will donate $1 to the Assistance Fund.
Click here to help!

Cell Phone Records Available For Sale Spells Danger for Domestic Violence Victims

Reports of websites that sell records of cell phone calls have been in the press for months, prompting action this week by lawmakers and the Federal Communications Commission. While many have heard about this situation, you may not have considered how this may impact victims of domestic violence or stalking.

Numerous websites have been advertising that they can provide records of incoming and outgoing cell phone calls--for less than $100, in some cases. That kind of information is often used by law enforcement agencies in their investigations. However, stalkers or abusive spouses could exploit the online availability of such data. In addition, some of these brokers will provide information locating those phone calls within 500 – 1000 feet. In cases of victims of domestic violence – this information could be deadly.

Employers that have domestic violence programs and are assisting employees should be aware of this situation when counseling employees about using wireless phones as part of safety planning. Using wireless phones for 911 calls is life-saving, but it is important to caution domestic violence victims regarding the potential for their wireless phone records and phone call locations to be tracked.

Verizon Wireless and Cingular Wireless have both requested court orders against data brokers accused of obtaining the records through fraud. In addition, Verizon Wireless Call Center team members go through special training to detect such fraud. The Federal Communications Commission's enforcement bureau this week also said it's looking into companies that obtain telephone records without the customer's approval or knowledge. In addition, lawmakers on federal and state levels are introducing legislation to criminalize such activity, and several states are launching investigations into how the companies have obtained the records.

In the meantime, use caution.

New Wisconsin Law Defines Predominant Aggressor

Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle signed a new law January 5th intended to prevent the arrest of victims of domestic violence. The law, which is expected to go into effect April 1, directs police to arrest the predominant aggressor in a dispute, not someone who has lashed out in self-defense. It fine tunes an act that took effect in April 1989 that made an arrest mandatory in domestic violence cases.

Patti Seger, executive director of the Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence, said the bill would help prevent victims from being arrested unjustly. "The impact of the arrest alone is stunning," she said. "There's a financial cost, but there's a huge psychological, emotional toll that that takes on a victim."

The new law replaces the term "primary aggressor" with "predominant aggressor" to identify the most significant attacker, not just who hit first. It also urges officers not to arrest anyone else in a dispute and hold the suspect until the person posts bail or appears before a judge.

Sen. Ron Brown, R-Eau Claire, who cosponsored the bill, said the law will likely help police determine who should be arrested. According to the latest state Justice Department data available, nearly 4 percent, or 641 incidents, resulted in multiple arrests or charges in 17,827 domestic disputes across the state of Wisconsin in 2003.

The law also sets out more criteria for police to consider when determining who to arrest, including:

- the history of domestic abuse between the parties,
- witness statements,
- the relative degree of injury to the parties,
- the extent to which a party appears to fear another,
- whether someone is making threats about future harm,
- whether someone acted to defend himself or herself or another

The bill is AB 436.

VAWA Reauthorization Includes National Resource Center on Workplace Responses to Assist Victims of Domestic and Sexual Violence

On January 5, President Bush signed into law H.R. 3402, the Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act, which includes re-authorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Information about H.R. 3402 is available at http://releases.usnewswire.com/redir.asp?ReleaseID=58906&Link=http://judiciary.house.gov/media/pdfs/DOJauthHousepass121705.pdf .

The VAWA re-authorization includes a national resource center on workplace responses to assist victims of domestic and sexual violence. What does this mean? The legislation indicates that: “The Attorney General, acting through the Director of the Office on Violence Against Women, may award a grant to an eligible nonprofit nongovernmental entity or tribal organization, in order to provide for the establishment and operation of a national resource center on workplace responses to assist victims of domestic and sexual violence.” The resource center would provide information and assistance to employers and labor organizations to aid in their efforts to develop and implement responses to such violence.

Many Doctors Do Not Document Domestic Violence

Nearly a third of U.S. doctors surveyed in a recent poll said they don't keep a record when their patients report domestic violence, and 90 percent don't document domestic violence adequately, new research shows. Those inadequate doctors' reports also don't record whether the doctors offered support and information about domestic violence to patients who might have needed that type of assistance.

Reporting in the November 20 issue of the journal BMC Family Practice, researchers led by Megan Gerber of Harvard Medical School analyzed doctors' reports on 90 patients, all victims of domestic violence.

In 26 of those 90 cases, the doctor's report did not document that the patient had mentioned an incident of domestic violence, the researchers found. Only 10 percent of the doctors' reports recorded that the physician offered some information to patients about where to get help for domestic violence and assisted patients in developing a list of steps to remove themselves from the situation. A third of doctors surveyed said they didn't feel confident in counseling patients who reported domestic violence.

World Health Organization Finds Intimate Partner Violence Most Common Form of Violence in Women's Lives

The first-ever World Health Organization (WHO) study on domestic violence reveals that intimate partner violence is the most common form of violence in women’s lives - much more so than assault or rape by strangers or acquaintances. The study reports on the enormous toll physical and sexual violence by husbands and partners has on the health and well-being of women around the world and the extent to which partner violence is still largely hidden.

The study (which found that one in six women are victims of intimate partner violence) is based on interviews with more than 24 000 women from rural and urban areas in 10 countries: Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, Japan, Namibia, Peru, Samoa, Serbia and Montenegro, Thailand, and the United Republic of Tanzania. The study's authors found one-quarter to one-half of all women who had been physically assaulted by their partners said they had suffered physical injuries. Abused women were twice as likely as non-abused women to have poor health and physical and mental problems such as pain or suicidal thoughts or attempts. At least 20 per cent of women who reported physical violence in the study never told anyone before they were interviewed. The report recommends changes to attitudes that perpetuate abuse. Recommendations include:

-Integrating violence prevention into health programs.
-Training health workers and police to identify and respond.
-Ensuring schools are safe places.
-Strengthening support systems for victims.

Domestic violence and productivity

Two University of Arkansas researchers found that for women in non-supervisory positions that had been victims of domestic violence and victimized in the last 12 months, their estimated lost productivity costs per year were $2,940 higher than non-victimized female employees in non-supervisory positions.

So you figure -- just fire the dv victims right? It will be cheaper? Well, on the face of it, I guess I could understand how someone could thing that way. Except:

1) You don't know who all the domestic violence victims are -- and some of them are your really good employees. CAEPV just did a national telephone poll of employed adults and 21% of them reported being victims of domestic violence at some point in their lives -- and all of them work somewhere.

2) Costs of hiring new employees are very high. According to Maria Grant, Deloitte & Touche partner in charge of the human capital program in Michigan, it costs $12,000 in recruitment and training expenses to replace the average nonprofessional worker and $35,000 to find a new professional employee. At the Families and Work Institute, experts tell companies it will cost about 75 percent of a nonmanagerial worker's annual salary to replace him or her and 150 percent of a manager's annual salary.

3) Workplace safety. Domestic violence often becomes a workplace violence issue, and by removing those who you think you "know" are victims, you have just created a dis-incentive for the rest of the victims to talk to you about the issue. It makes much more sense to provide a prevention and safety program for everyone.

The researchers also found that for victims whose workplaces provided support, the negative impact of the victimization was decreased. Cost savings? I would think so. More loyal employee? I would guess so. Possibility of helping to save a life while increasing productivity and decreasing healthcare costs (which I did not even discuss here) -- you bet!

Are 21% of Your Employees Victims of Domestic Violence?

CAEPV (www.caepv.org) recently released the first telephone survey of full-time employed adults regarding their experiences with domestic violence and its impact on the workplace. Twenty-one percent (21%) of those we polled had been victims of domestic violence at some point in their lives. Keep in mind that everyone we polled was employed full time (we defined being employed full time as being employed 32 hours or more a week).

And what was our split of male/female poll participants? About 40% were male, and about 60% were female, so while it was not an even split, it certainly was not overwhelmingly female. So what do I think that means?

I think that means we have a lot of female (and male) victims of domestic violence at our workplaces -- at least as suggested by this poll. And as we all know, no one leaves their "home life" at the door when they walk into the office -- and this is especially true for a victim of domestic violence.

There are so many positive and proactive things that an enlightened workplace can do to address the issue -- and it does not have to be expensive, or complicated. For more information on the poll, as well as a sample policy and an article on "six steps for creating a workplace program," visit http://www.caepv.org/about/program_k.asp.

The Most Dangerous Time

It is so important that people understand the dangerous time for victims of domestic violence is often when they decide to leave or have left the relationship.

In cases of homicide related to domestic violence; 75% of the time it is when the victim is leaving or has left the abuser.

Leaving is potentially VERY dangerous for a victim – this must be kept in mind and communicated to victims -- whether they are employees or friends.

Once again in our community a woman was killed this week when she told her boyfriend that she wanted out of the relationship. He had been very abusive in the past, and when she finally determined this time to go, he determined to kill her.

This was especially chilling to me, because I had just finished doing a presentation earlier in the day at one of our member companies talking about how to help a friend or loved one who is in an abusive relationship, and one of the things I emphasized was the fact of the danger involved in leaving.

And then I came back to work and found out that Ms. Wallace -- mother of five-- had been killed with a kitchen knife by a man who allegedly loved her.

If you need help, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 -- don't go it alone.

Domestic violence spills into workplace, study finds

Domestic violence is affecting more workers in the office, with altercations sometimes spilling from the home into the workplace, a study by an antiviolence organization has found.

The study, conducted by the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence, found that 57 percent of American workers know someone who has dealt with domestic violence, and 44 percent have ''personally experienced'' the impact of domestic violence situations at work.

The ways that domestic violence spills over into the workplace may vary, but responses to the survey showed that overall, it affects people fairly consistently at jobs requiring all levels of education. Workers with the greatest mount of education in the survey saw slightly more incidents of domestic violence situations than those with less education: 48 percent of college graduates surveyed reported direct knowledge of problems that affected co-workers, followed by 44 percent of those with some college education and 43 percent of those with a high school degree or less. Of those employees who had witnessed or experienced domestic violence in the workplace, a majority — 71 percent — believed victims they worked with lived ''in fear of discovery,'' the report said.

Behavior by co-workers' partners in the workplace is often embarrassing for the victims, respondents said, and workplace friends and allies often offer support by helping out with workloads.

About 31 percent of workers said they felt ''strongly'' or ''somewhat obliged'' to cover for a domestic violence victim by either performing their work or covering up their absences.
Domestic violence in the workplace affects more than the victims. Of those surveyed, 38 percent said they were ''extremely'' or ''somewhat concerned'' for their own safety, often because the abusive partner would visit the workplace.

In general, employers do not offer support programs for victims. Two-thirds of those surveyed said they did not know whether their company had a domestic violence policy or whether they offered support services for victims, while 31 percent said they knew none were available.

Kim Wells, executive director for the alliance, said a hands-off policy by employers on domestic violence issues is unhealthy for employees who need help.

''Because domestic violence's impact does not end at the office front door, America's employers need to take action,'' she said in a statement released with the study.

Survey Finds Domestic Violence Has Significant Impact on US Workforce

In honor of CAEPV's 10th anniversary, we conducted a first-ever national benchmarking telephone survey to discover what the general adult employee population believes about domestic violence as a workplace issue - and how they have been impacted.

Among the major findings:
-44% of employed adults surveyed personally experienced domestic violence's effect in their workplaces
-21% of respondents (men and women) identified themselves as victims of intimate partner violence
-64% of victims of domestic violence indicated that their ability to work was affected by the violence
-33% of victims reported their employer provides no programs or support
-66% of those surveyed indicated they were not aware of their employer having a workplace domestic violence policy
-61% of those surveyed believe their employer's "performance and reputation" would "improve if it did a better job addressing the impact of domestic violence, such as through a workplace program"

The Survey Sponsors

Our thanks to the following companies and organizations for their sponsorship of this benchmarking survey:
Verizon Wireless-Lead Sponsor
Blue Shield of California Foundation
State Farm Insurance Companies
Liz Claiborne Inc.
Mary Kay Inc.
Park National Bank

Sample Resources

CAEPV Sample Workplace Policy
CAEPV's Six Steps For Creating a Successful Workplace Program

The Survey Findings

A National Issue
The study found that intimate partner violence has a wide and far-reaching effect on American's working lives - whether in terms of economic productivity, personal safety, office culture or other issues.

A full 53% of respondents are "very aware" to "somewhat aware" of domestic violence as a workplace issue, and 43% rated "Domestic Violence's impact on the workplace" as "very important" - placing it among other major issues with the potential to disrupt our working lives such as "Terrorism" (44%), "Job Insecurity" (41%) and "Employee Theft" (40%). Only "Benefits such as health care or retirement" rated significantly higher (63%)

Significant Impact
Specifically, a majority or more of respondents noted that domestic violence had the following significant impact on victims:
-71% believe victims lived in "fear of discovery."
-67% said victims needed "to seek out co-workers for additional help."
-65% noted that the "intimate partner harassed their co-worker at work (by phone or in person)."
-63% believe victims suffered from an "inability to complete assignments on time."
-59% found victims lived in "fear of their intimate partner's unexpected visits."

Covering for Victims
Moreover, 31% of respondents felt "strongly" to "somewhat obliged" to cover for a victim of domestic violence by performing his or her work or offering excuses for his or her absence. Additional reported impact included:
-27% reported "extremely frequently" to "somewhat frequently" having to "do the victim's work for them."
-25% resented co-workers from "great" to "some extent" because of the effect of their situation "on the workplace."

Workplace Safety
In addition, 38% of respondents were "extremely" to "somewhat concerned" for their own safety when they "found out a co-worker was a victim." Thirty-two percent believe the co-worker victim feared "for his/her safety" - perhaps because 30% reported that the abuser frequently visited the office.
-19% said it took "over a year" for the problem to be resolved.
-23% said "several months."

Victims Perspective
The domestic violence victims surveyed confirmed non-victims' impressions - as a full 64% of victims reported their ability to work "significantly" (38%) to "somewhat" (26%) affected.
Among key causes for their decline in productivity, victims noted "distraction" (57%); "fear of discovery" (45%); "harassment by intimate partner at work (either by phone or in person)" (40%); fear of intimate partner's unexpected visits" (34%); "inability to complete assignments on time" (24%); and "job loss" (21%).

First-Hand Knowledge
Fifty-seven percent of respondents know someone who has been affected by domestic violence, and 44% have personally experienced domestic violence's impact on the workplace, most frequently because a co-worker was a victim (45%) - a response that was consistent across educational levels, from a high school degree or less (43%) to some college (44%) to college graduates and beyond (48%).

Employer Support
In victims' experience, employers provided relatively limited support - with 31% reporting that their employers offered "no programs, support or help." However, victims did point to receiving the following help:
-23% "Access to counseling and assistance"
-18% "Information and referral to domestic violence programs"
-12% "Contacting authorities"
-12% "Providing security"
-8% "providing flexible leave time and other benefits"

Accessing Support
Only 46% of victims were "easily able to access" available programs or "seek assistance" and 42% were not able to do so. While just 26% found programs or resources "extremely helpful." The reason victims found "it difficult to access" help included the following:
-25% "Confidentiality"
-16% "Concern seeking help would jeopardize job/career advancement"
-13% "Lack of information"
-6% "No clear contact person"

One-Third Awareness Policies
Slightly more than one-third of all respondents (34%) were aware of their employers' domestic violence policies, and among this "aware" group, 49% believe their employer's program is "very effective." Program elements mentioned included: providing flexible leave time or other benefits, providing security, contacting authorities, changing hours or work locations and providing access to legal support. Two-thirds (66%) were unaware or did not know if their employer has a domestic violence policy or program in place.

Coming Forward — A Hypothetical
A full 75% of non-victim respondents believe their current employer would be "very supportive" to "somewhat supportive" if they came forward as a victim today. Yet 16% would "not come forward as a victim," 32% would be "nervous" and 14% would be concerned. Only 26% would be "relieved."

Moreover, if a respondent were to identify a potential victim at the workplace, his or her response would most likely be personal rather than through professional channels. Specifically, 68% would "reach out to a potential victim" - while only 30% would "report concerns to a supervisor"; 26% would "call the National Domestic Violence Hotline" and 26% would "contact human resources or personnel."

Raising Awareness, Expanding Policies
Respondents pointed to the following information and services that "would have been helpful":
-"Comprehensive domestic violence awareness program" (48%)
-"24 hour hotline to report domestic violence and other problems" (45%)
-"Training on domestic Violence" (43%)
-"Payroll stuffers to raise awareness/promote access" (40%)

Strengthening Reputation
Sixty-one percent believe their employer's "performance and reputation" would "improve if it did a better job addressing the impact of domestic violence, such as through a workplace program." Responses were consistent across ethnicity and income, although the study found somewhat higher support among lower educational levels: 72% "High School or less"; 62% "Some college"; 53% College grad and beyond."

The Hotline
At the end of the survey, when queried, nearly one-third (32%) of all respondents asked for the "National Domestic Violence Hotline" number. Responses were consistent across education, income and marital status.

About the Survey
Group SJR, a national survey research and communications firm with offices in New York and Los Angeles, fielded the study from July 15th to September 15th, 2005. The 1200 person national telephone survey has a margin of error of +/-3 percent.

The Study's Definition of Domestic Violence
Domestic violence is the use of physical, sexual or emotional abuse or threats to control another person who is a current or former husband, wife or other intimate partner such as a boyfriend or girlfriend.

About CAEPV
The Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence is a leading force in the fight against intimate partner violence and its effects on the workplace. It is the only national nonprofit organization in the US founded by business leaders and focused on domestic violence and its impact on the workplace. Since 1995, the Alliance has brought together dozens of progressive companies who exchange information, collaborate on projects, and use their influence to instigate change. The Alliance offers extensive research, policy knowledge and issue expertise to the business community, including training, program guidance, and crisis consultation - with programs designed to make the workplace safe and to prevent intimate partner violence from impacting the workplace.

CAEPV has member and associate organizations reaching over one million employees across the United States. Corporate members include Altria Group, Inc., American Express, ADM, The Avon Foundation, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, Blue Shield of California Foundation, CIGNA, Eastman Kodak, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Legal Momentum, Lifetime Television, Liz Claiborne Inc., Mary Kay Inc., Northern Trust, RAND, State Farm Insurance Companies, Verizon Communications, Verizon Wireless, and The Wireless Foundation.

Internationally, the Corporate Alliance Against Domestic Violence UK, the United Nations Population Fund/Turkey and the Office of the Status of Women, Commonwealth of Australia are CAEPV member organizations.

Safe Place in The Workplace Hotline October 11

On October 11th, Liz Claiborne Inc. will host a Safe Place in the Workplace Company Hotline where HR executives can call to discuss how they can incorporate an intimate partner violence workplace program into their own companies' policies. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. October 11th is being dubbed It's Time to Talk Day, a day on which Americans nationwide will be urged to talk about domestic violence. The Safe Place in the Workplace Company Hotline is one of many activities planned for that day, including the roll out of a curriculum for high schools on teen dating violence, and the ringing of the closing bell of the NYSE.

From 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time, HR executives can call toll free 877-448-8783 and enter the pin number:VS173409, to speak with Dennis Butler, Vice President of Associate Relations at Liz Claiborne, and Kim Wells, Executive Director of the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence. Both will be available to answer questions for all HR executives who call the Hotline. The Corporate Alliance is the only national organization of its kind founded by business leaders and focused on DV issues in the workplace.

Studies indicate that intimate partner violence affects nearly 25% of all employees in every place of business. Furthermore, intimate partner violence victims lose nearly 8 million days of paid work annually - the equivalent of more than 32,000 full time jobs. Direct medical costs associated with domestic violence in the US are 1.8 billion a year.

With staggering statistics such as these, Liz Claiborne found it critical to include Safe Place in the Workplace Company Hotline in their efforts to combat intimate partner violence.