SAFEWORK NATIONAL LAUNCH ON IT'S TIME TO TALK DAY

I am really excited about CAEPV Member Safe Horizon's planned national launch of SafeWork, an initiative to help corporate leaders keep their employees safe and protect their bottom line.

We have been a national partners in the SafeWork initiative since 2005, and we will be joining Safe Horizon on September 25th for a day full of exciting events.

The launch corresponds with CAEPV Member Liz Claiborne’s annual It’s Time to Talk Day, and Liz Claiborne, Safe Horizon, CAEPV and other partners are planning activities including a CEO roundtable, a training session and a film premiere.

If you don't know what "It's Time to Talk Day" is all about, it is a day set aside to "take a moment to talk" about an issue that is really pretty hard for people to know how to address -- domestic violence. However, there are lots of ways to "talk" about it -- in terms of healthy relationships and all the areas those matter -- the home, the workplace, the community, our faith communities, our dating relationships, online, etc. By opening the door and just asking people to "take a moment to talk" we hope they can take some small steps toward educating themselves about the issue, or perhaps helping someone else.

If you are interested in learning more, visit the It’s Time to Talk Day page on our Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence (www.caepv.org) website for the latest information.

Survey Finds Employees Under More Mental Stress Than Ever

If half-year results of a Bensinger, DuPont & Associates survey are a true indicator, then employees are under more mental stress than ever.

The Chicago-based professional services company says demand for its employee assistance programs has spiraled upward 74 percent during the first half of 2007 compared with the same period a year ago. That is an amazing increase!

This is how it broke down -- more than a third (36 percent) of the callers called to request help with mental health issues. Nineteen percent (19 percent) requested help with legal issues, while 18 percent needed assistance to resolve problems with family and personal relationships.

Now -- here is my question: How many of those calls do you suppose were in some way related to domestic violence? Most obvious would be the 18 percent needing assistance to resolve problems with family and personal issues, but you also have to consider that those calling for assistance with mental health issues like depression could also be dealing with abusive relationships. In addition, it would not be far-fetched to think that those requesting legal help could be doing so to get out of an unsafe relationship.

I say all of this because I am curious how those numbers would have broken out if the employee assistance programs (EAPs) were measuring them that way. As EAPs begin to realize the impact that domestic violence has on employees' worklife and on presenting problems such as those highlighted in this survey, I wonder if we will see it highlighted as an issue in the future.

After all, you don't get the answer to a question you don't ask, do you?

American Domestic Violence Crisis Line Is Finalist For "A Better World" National Award

I am so excited that one of our CAEPV members -- the American Domestic Violence Crisis Line -- was the regional winner of the “A Better World Awards Program” competition in April and received $5,000.00.

Now, they are in the running to receive $100,000.00! They are competing with 20 other charities – and the charity that receives the most votes between July 9th and August 9th will receive the $100,000.00.

They are a really cool organization -- they help Americans who are victims of domestic violence and living overseas by assisting them in returning safely to the US. It was started by a woman named Paula Lucas on a shoestring budget. Paula has a passion for this issue because she has been there herself.

Paula and her children lived in the Middle East, where they suffered horrible abuse by her former husband. Paula successfully escaped with her children and returned to the U.S. Had her husband or his family caught her, she would have been imprisoned and would have never seen her children again. Having to fight in the U.S. to retain legal custody of her own children, Paula learned that no programs existed to assist American citizens wishing to repatriate, particularly women leaving abusive marriages overseas. That is why she started the American Domestic Violence Crisis Line.

If you think it is worth your time, you can vote for the American Domestic Violence Crisis LIne each day between now and August 9th and help them create a better world for battered American women and children around the world. All of these families originate from a state in the USA, so your vote, and the votes of your friends, co-workers and family, can really count to bring these families back home to safety.

To vote, register on line at http://www.rezoom.com/ABETTERWORLD/.

Florida Enacts Domestic Violence Leave Act

A domestic violence leave act that went into effect in Florida on July 1, 2007 requires employers with fifty (50) or more employees to provide up to three days' leave for a variety of activities connected with domestic violence issues. Employees who have worked for employers for three (3) months or longer are eligible. Whether leave is paid or unpaid has been left to the discretion of the employer.

The law covers leave for specific activities such as:

• Seeking an injunction for protection against domestic violence or repeat violence, or sexual violence
• Obtaining medical care or mental health counseling or both for the employee or a family or household member to address injuries resulting from domestic violence
• Obtaining services from victims services organizations such as a domestic violence shelter or rape crisis center
• Making the employee's home secure from the perpetrator of domestic violence or finding a new home to escape the perpetrator
• Seeking legal assistance to address issues arising from domestic violence or attending or preparing for court related proceedings arising from the act of domestic violence.

Under the law, employees are required to provide "appropriate advance notice" of the need for leave, unless prevented from doing so because of imminent danger to the health or safety of the employee or a family member. The amount of notice required is determined by company policy.

Employees must exhaust any available annual vacation or personal leave and sick leave, if applicable, unless the employer waives this requirement. Employers must keep confidential all information relating to leave for domestic violence.

Employers are prohibited from interfering with, restraining, and denying the exercise or attempt to exercise the rights provided by this law. Additionally, employers may not discriminate or retaliate against an employee for exercising his or her rights. A person claiming to be aggrieved by a violation of the law may file a lawsuit in state circuit court seeking damages (monetary relief such as loss wages and benefits) or equitable relief (such as reinstatement) or both. To read the legislation, visit http://tinyurl.com/37v67k.

As I indicated in my last post, more and more states are passing such legislation, and so far, most employers have not indicated that allowing such leave is burdensome. The leave varies greatly from state to state, so an employee should not make an assumption that just because a law was passed in Florida under certain parameters or recently in Oregon under others that the law would be similar in his or her state, or that his or her state would have such a law at all.

As for employers, it is a very good idea to check and see if any such laws have been passed in your state - you may be surprised. If not, you may want to consider providing flexible leave policies anyway if you do not already do so. What do I mean by this? I mean allowing employees to take PTO (paid time off) for whatever reason is needed without having to designate the time as vacation or sick leave. This allows flexibility for all employees -- not just victims of domestic violence -- in how they use their leave benefits. It also allows you to be "ahead of the curve" should your state pass legislation allowing such leave.

Above all, by providing flexible leave, you have provided not only for the safety of that particular employee, but potentially your entire workforce. It is something to consider.

Oregon Governor Signs Bill Allowing Victims of Domestic VIolence and Sexual Assault to Take Unpaid Leave

On May 25, 2007, Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski signed Senate Bill 946 into law, allowing survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking to take unpaid leave from their jobs to get services or treatment.

It is interesting to note that the bill also won support from Rob Quesnel of Tualatin, the Oregon director of American Family Insurance, the nation's third largest mutual-insurance company. He also leads the board of a domestic-violence shelter. "In many cases, a woman's place of employment is the only safe haven she has," he said. "This bill will help their safe havens continue to be safe."

There was no opposition to the bill, which is similar to laws in nine other states. The bill would allow unpaid leave for survivors to secure their homes or move, and give them time to seek law enforcement or legal help, medical attention, crisis-center services and counseling.

It applies to employers with six or more workers. Employers could limit leave time if it would create an undue hardship on the business, and the leave must be "reasonable." Accrued vacation leave or other paid leave could be used. Rules will be specified by the state Bureau of Labor and Industries, which administers Oregon's family-leave law.

The bill went into effect immediately upon being signed by the Governor.

You may wonder why the director of an insurance company would be proactively support such a bill -- after all, why would an employer want a state required leave bill?

I am guessing a few things:

1) This particular employer leads the board of a domestic violence shelter so he is aware of the importance of job security for victims of domestic violence -- as well as the importance of victims being able to get safely to court, to services, and to shelter. The leave law signed by the Oregon Governor allows for this without the victim risking his or her job, and without the employer facing an undue hardship.

2) This employer is also director of an insurance company. Insurers understand something many employers do not -- the real cost of domestic violence as a health issue. It may be that this is a case of "enlightened self-interest" -- an employer recognizing that if a victim of domestic violence can safely get the help needed, injuries and lost work are less likely in the future, thus reducing absenteeism, turnover, lost productivity, healthcare costs, and the also keeping the workplace safer.

In the state in which I live (Illinois) we have had a similar law since August of 2003, and employers have not found the law to be an undue burden.

Dating Violence and Sexual Assault Increase Suicide Risk

Here is a new study that gives us another reason to be proactive about preventing abusive relationships in young people -- a study of 8,080 public high school students in New York City finds that females who recently experienced dating violence and males who experienced sexual assault some time in their lives are more likely to report suicide attempts than their counterparts without similar histories of violence.

“Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Suicide Attempts Among Urban Teenagers” is published in the June 2007 edition of the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine. In the survey, 9.6 percent of females and 5.4 percent of males reported a lifetime history of sexual assault -- first of all, those are heartbreaking percentages all by themselves.

Then to the dating violence itself -- 10.6 percent of females and 9.5 percent of males said they had experienced dating violence in the past year. Dating violence was defined as being hit, slapped or hurt on purpose by a boyfriend or girlfriend.

Adolescent girls who reported dating violence were 60 percent more likely to report one or more suicide attempts in the past year, the survey found, and males who reported sexual assault were four times as likely to have attempted suicide. Suicide is the third leading cause of death in adolescents.

(An interesting twist is that a history of sexual assault in females and a history of dating violence in males did not increase the rates of attempted suicide.)

The study did not assess why dating violence is associated with suicide attempts, but the authors note that other studies have found that teenagers who are depressed are more likely to enter into violent relationships, and that dating violence can lead to mental health issues.

Researchers surveyed 8,080 students age 14 and older in 87 New York City public high schools.

This is why the new National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline, loveisrespect.org, is such an important and valuable resource. If you have not taken the opportunity to view the web-based portion of the resource, please do so. It offers live-chat from 4:00 PM to 2:00 AM Central Time as well as a toll-free 24 hour hotline at 1-866-331-9474 or TTY 1-866-331-8453.

Verizon Wireless Polls Men, Finds Vast Majority Think The Workplace Should Address Domestic Violence

On June 7, CAEPV Member Verizon Wireless released the results of the first-ever “Father’s Day” poll of 1,020 American men, and found broad support for employer-based efforts to address domestic violence. What did they find? Here are just a few results:

87% said employers should provide information for victims about how to get help
83% said employers should have policies in place to assist victims in getting help, including job security if they take leave to get help
77% said employers should provide training for supervisors/managers on supporting victims
72% said employers should provide information/resources with guidance on talking to kids about violence-free relationships

The poll also found that 61% of those surveyed thought employers should be doing more to address domestic violence.

For full results of the poll, click here or visit http://aboutus.vzw.com/communityservice/pollresults.html.

I was actually pretty surprised by these poll results. Since I spend my time talking with people about domestic violence as a workplace issue, people are not usually quite so aware of it until you start to explain how it impacts productivity and absenteeism and healthcare and turnover and workplace safety. Then they start to understand that you are not talking about getting into people's "private business," but rather taking proactive steps to address a workplace issue that affects employees and employers.

Clearly from this poll, there is a really good understanding from men in the US that workplaces can and should be addressing domestic violence in this way. That was really a great discovery.

Google Reaches Out To DV Community Before Releasing "Street View"

You have probably heard that Google recently released a new mapping tool called Street View - a feature that combines street-level 360-degree photos with Google's now well known 2-D online maps. It is my understanding that the images were created by a special truck that has driven roads in five United States cities. If you have seen them, they are VERY detailed. While on the one hand it is amazing technology, it is a bit disconcerting. While only public places are to be part of Street View, privacy issues and stalking come to mind -- it would not take much for a person to find your workplace or place of business using this tool.

And what about a domestic violence shelter?

Well, before releasing the new photo-enabled product to the world, Google reached out to the National Network to End Domestic Violence to make sure that the business listings didn't include women's shelters and created a way for local domestic violence groups to get photos of shelters removed if they appear on Street View.

Shelter and victim advocates can request an image be taken down via the site. The image will initially be blacked out, and after two weeks, it will disappear and simply not be part of the site's navigation, according to Cindy Southworth who heads the NNEDV's technology efforts, known as the Safety Net Project.

While that is a great idea, I guess you could still "identify" a blacked out image because you would recognize it was something you were not supposed to see and identify it that way? I am not sure. At any rate, it was wise that those involved in this technology at Google saw the downside before it went live and addressed it -- for the potential safety of those involved in family violence who are using shelters or other facilities that need safe locations.

CAEPV Members Named Among 2007 Best Companies for Multicultural Women

Corporate Alliance members Allstate, American Express, Verizon Communications and Verizon Wireless were all named among the 2007 Best Companies for Multicultural Women by Working Mother. This year, Working Mother gave the most weight to the representation, recruitment and retention of women of color. The magazine analyzed the workforce profiles of companies, including the number of women of color, women in top positions and top earners; programs for women of color; and work/life programs such as childcare, elder care and time off following childbirth.

This is awesome and the companies we are fortunate to work with are often named to such "blue ribbon" lists. However -- I often wonder why lists for "best places to work" or "best places for working mothers" don't include programs and policies to address intimate partner violence in their analysis or benchmarking? After all, these are cutting edge standards that are certainly beneficial to employee health, safety and welfare.

I really look forward to the day that the "bar is raised" to include partner violence workplace programs in these lists -- and hope it happens soon!

New Study Finds Workplace Homicide Trends Decline in US, but Domestic Violence at Work Declines Least

A new study finds that workplace homicides have actually declined in the US at a greater rate than homicides in the US in general.

The study, published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, found that overall, there was a significant decline in the rates of occupational homicide of approximately 6% per year during the study time period (1993 – 2002); this decline was found to be statistically greater than the decline of all US homicides (5% per year).

However, the study found that while workplace homicides have declined, the declines have not occurred uniformly across demographic and occupational categories. Unfortunately, the researchers state, “Type IV workplace homicides—that is, those involving a personal relationship between the worker and the offender—have actually declined significantly less than overall workplace homicides and declined the least of the four types. Future research should explore the extent to which workplace homicides of intimates are a function of the victim being protected in other settings, but still being vulnerable on the job.”

To read the study, Trends in Workplace Homicides in the U.S., 1993–2002: A Decade of Decline, visit the Articles & Advice section of the CAEPV website by clicking here.

South Carolina Attorney General's Office Launches Statewide Domestic Violence Campaign with Wal-Mart

In October 2006, CAEPV Member South Carolina Office of the Attorney General partnered with Wal-Mart on a pilot public awareness campaign to fight domestic violence in South Carolina. Domestic violence awareness posters were displayed in the women's restrooms and dressing rooms of five Wal-Mart stores in the Pee Dee area with tear-off resource cards, written in both English and Spanish, listing the telephone numbers for domestic violence hotlines and local shelters. This effort allowed customers and associates to privately gather resource information.

The effort worked! In the three months following the start of the project, the Pee Dee Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Assault saw a 60% increase in the number of calls they received to their victim hotline.

On May 8, 2007, the South Carolina Attorney General's Office and Wal-Mart announced they are taking the program statewide to fight domestic violence. With an additional $10,000 donation from Wal-Mart, the awareness program also includes billboards and the newly created website: You Break The Silence.

To learn more about the campaign and view the campaigns posters and billboards, go to http://www.scattorneygeneral.com/newsroom/posters.php.

CAEPV Named Finalist in "No Private Matter!" Competition

We are delighted to announce that the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence (www.caepv.org) has been chosen a finalist in Changemakers's collaborative competition, “No Private Matter! Ending Abuse in Intimate and Family Relations.”

Changemaker’s notes the global response was unprecedented for this, their ninth, collaborative competition with 242 entries from 46 countries. By naming CAEPV a competition finalist, they have honored our CAEPV member companies for outstanding demonstration of innovation, social impact, and sustainability. Congratulations to our members.

Online voting for the three competition winners begins April 17 and runs to April 30. Winners will be announced May 1st. Please go to www.changemakers.net to view the entries and vote.

Safe Horizon Expands Public Awareness Campaign to National Level

CAEPV Member Safe Horizon recently partnered with the New York City Council on an exciting new public awareness campaign to raise awareness of the impact of violence and abuse on the lives of teens, young adults and children, and share information about lifesaving resources and services for those affected by violence and abuse in New York City. Now the campaign is going to a national level with information reaching across the US. Here are just a few examples of the national outreach:

· PSAs on thousands of office building elevator screens in New York City and 18 other major U.S. cities (e.g., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Dallas, Boston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Seattle, Washington, D.C.)

· Full-page ads in Essence (May), Redbook (May and June), People en Espanol (June) and other major publications· Celebrity PSAs (Mariska Hargitay and Peter Hermann; Malaak and Chris Rock; Emme Aronson) on ClearChannel’s Premiere Network and other stations

· Highway billboards in Los Angeles

· Safe Horizon has also joined forces with the National Domestic Violence Hotline and the National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline, placing their numbers on materials to ensure that people across the nation can reach services in their own communities.

To learn more about the campaign, view all the great downloadable materials, go to http://getinvolved.safehorizon.org/site/PageServer?pagename=PAC2007_landing.

New York City Council and Safe Horizon Unveil Ad Campaign to Combat Domestic Violence

The New York City Council (in partnership with CAEPV Member Safe Horizon) unveiled a new advertising campaign April 4 to combat domestic violence. The $1.7 million public awareness program is aimed at 16 to 24-year-olds -- a group at the highest risk of being abuse victims. With the help of private contributions, pro-bono work, and $400,000 from the City Council, these ads will appear across the city to let New Yorkers know the warning signs.

Council Speaker Christine Quinn is even doing her part; she had one of the ads temporarily tattooed on her arm. The goal: to let domestic violence victims know help is available. "We want to make sure there are services there for people,” said Quinn. “We also need to make sure that people know about those services, and that's why this campaign is so important." The campaign is expected to run through the end of May. For more information on the campaign, including downloadable materials, click here.

Lifetime Devotes April To Multi-Media "End Violence Against Women" Campaign

CAEPV Member Lifetime Television has devoted the month of April to a campaign to end violence against women. This year Lifetime is expanding its Emmy-winning campaign to "End Violence Against Women" with powerful original programming, celebrity PSAs and content on all multi-media platforms; a new focus on helping women around the world through a partnership with UNIFEM, the United Nations Development Fund for Women, and its Goodwill Ambassador, Oscar winner Nicole Kidman; a viral effort to spawn awareness and action headlined by Grammy winner Martina McBride; and a grassroots initiative in communities across the country with screenings and events on college campuses and by teaming up with multi-Grammy winner Christina Aguilera on her "Back to Basics" tour.

Check out Lifetime’s ”End Violence Against Women” mini-site. From there you can “get the facts” about topics like domestic violence and its impact on the workplace, watch PSAs with Christina Aguilera and Nicole Kidman, learn how to take action, and much more!

As just one example of taking action, Lifetime will be heading to Washington, DC April 16 - 19. Together with partner organizations, they’ve planned a week's worth of special events to rally politicians, activists, celebrities and survivors around this important cause. Some of the issues that will be addressed include sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking and sex trafficking — acts of violence that affect one in three women around the world.

Verizon Wireless "Great Place To Work Ads" Feature HopeLine and Domestic Violence Survivors

CAEPV Member Verizon Wireless is running a series of “Great Place to Work” ads – with a twist. They all carry a message about domestic violence and Hopeline. Newspaper ads will appear in publications such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Philadelphia Inquirer, as well as state capital newspapers in Albany, Trenton, Annapolis, and Richmond. In addition, there will be radio ads featuring those highlighted in the print ads. The ads began appearing on March 15 and the campaign will run for approximately a year. To see an example of one of the ads click here.

50,000 Americans Touched By Domestic Violence Programs In One Day

In a single day, domestic violence programs served more than 50,000 adults and children in the United States. This astonishing data comes from the release of Domestic Violence Counts: the National Census of Domestic Violence Services (NCDVS) – a first of its kind survey. Conducted by CAEPV Member the National Network to End Domestic Violence and health economists at Harvard University, the NCDVS is the most recent data documenting the number of individuals served by domestic violence programs. In addition to providing a national snapshot, the NCDVS report also includes state-level data.

More than 1,200 domestic violence programs from across the country (62%) participated in the survey, giving advocates and researchers a glimpse into the number of individuals seeking services, the types of services requested and the number of service requests that went unmet due to a lack of resources. However, because the survey was not able to obtain a count from all domestic violence programs, advocates say the data only skims the surface. “While the census provides advocates and policymakers with tremendous insight into the need for domestic violence services, the sobering fact is that there are still many more victims who need our help,” said Else. “We need to ensure that resources are available to not only meet current needs, but to also increase public awareness so that all victims know help is available.”

The NCDVS collected a national, unduplicated count of adults and children who received life-saving services from domestic violence programs on November 2, 2006. During the 24-hour survey period 47,864 received direct services, including:
· more than 14,000 Americans sought refuge in emergency shelters
· almost 8,000 lived in transitional housing facilities
· more than 25,000 received non-residential services such as counseling, legal advocacy and children’s support groups

However, the survey found there was still a significant need for services. More than 10% of requests for services were referred elsewhere because domestic violence programs did not have the resources to aid them. “Funding cuts preclude us from employing an overnight advocate,” reported a domestic violence program in California which participated in the census. “Many times lack of overnight coverage is a deterrent for victims seeking shelter.”

In addition to providing shelter and advocacy services, domestic violence programs invested a significant amount of time and energy raising public awareness in their communities. During the survey period, domestic violence programs informed more than 40,000 Americans about domestic violence, available resources, and what they could do to help prevent the violence. Participating programs logged an unduplicated count of adults and children accessing their services between 8 a.m. EST on November 2, 2006 to 7:59 a.m. EST on November 3, 2006. This “snapshot” approach allowed researchers to document the scope of services without collecting victim-identifying data. To learn more click here.

New Study Finds 1 in 4 US Women Over Age 65 Have Been Victims of Domestic VIolence

About one in four women older than 65 has been the victim of physical, sexual or psychological violence at the hands of a spouse or other intimate partner, according to a study done in two northwestern states. About 3.5% of the women surveyed had suffered violence in the past five years, and 2.2% in the past year. "Intimate partner violence is not a problem only for younger women," said Amy Bonomi, PhD, MPH, lead author of the study and associate professor of human development and family science at Ohio State University.

The study appears in the February 2007 issue of The Gerontologist. It involved telephone interviews with 370 women aged 65 years and older who belonged to a health care system in western Washington state and northern Idaho. Bonomi said this is one of only a handful of studies to focus solely on the depth and breadth of violence perpetrated by intimate partners against older women.The results showed that 26.5% of the women surveyed reported violence by an intimate partner over their lifetimes. Of those who reported abuse, most were the victims of multiple types. "It was very rare that women experienced only one type of violence," Bonomi said. "Over half experienced two or more types of violence. That's troubling."

About 18% reported sexual or physical abuse and 22% were the victims of psychological abuse, including being threatened, called derogatory names or having their behavior controlled by their partner. The psychological abuse experienced by women in this study was not minor, Bonomi said. About 70% of women who experienced verbal threats by an intimate partner said these threats were severe. Additionally, women who reported controlling behavior had experienced this abuse for an average of 10 years.

In spite of the breadth and depth of violence in this group of women, only 3% said they had been asked by a health care provider about physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner since age 18. "Not enough doctors and other health care professionals are screening women for intimate partner abuse," Bonomi said. "The health care setting is a crucial focus for victims, because it provides a safe, confidential place for ongoing interactions between abused women and their health care providers."While the prevalence of violence found in this study is startling enough, Bonomi said it is probably an underestimate of how much it actually occurred. One reason is that women were asked to recall abuse over a lifetime. There may have been a tendency for women to downplay violence experienced early in life. In addition, women who participated in the study were consistently insured and highly educated. Violence rates tend to be higher in women without consistent insurance and women with less formal education.

Intimate partner violence takes not only a personal toll, but a financial one as well, according to Bonomi. In an earlier study by Bonomi and her colleagues, findings showed the health care costs for abused women were 19% higher than for non-abused women. "We found that health care costs for abused women were still higher even five years after the abuse stopped," Bonomi said. "This underscores the need to pay attention to the issue of intimate partner violence in health care settings." The study was supported by the federal Agency for Health Research and Quality. (Source: Ohio State University)

New Corporate Alliance Website Helps Employers With Much Needed Resources To Recognize & Respond To Domestic Violence

The Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence (CAEPV) is expanding its website (http://www.caepv.org/) to provide information, tools, research, and best practices to assist employers to help respond to the impact of domestic violence on the workplace. Information on http://www.caepv.org/ can help employers of any size provide a safe and supportive work environment for employees who may be enduring intimate partner violence and abuse. The extensive upgrade of http://www.caepv.org/ was made possible through a grant from Verizon, in order to ensure that employers can easily implement workplace programs to help their employees and create safer and more productive workplaces.

The site provides employers with the following:

-The business case for understanding domestic violence as a workplace issue— including the latest statistics on health care costs, productivity, absenteeism, and workplace safety.
Simple steps companies can take to address the issue proactively – including sample policies, articles and training materials.

-Best practices and program ideas from employers across the US and around the world – including Kaiser Permanente, Liz Claiborne Inc., and Verizon Wireless.

-The latest research and findings on domestic violence and its impact on the workplace - such a comprehensive inventory of US workplace prevention practices created in partnership with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and CAEPV.

-An RSS feed to inform subscribers when the site is updated with the latest information on domestic violence and its impact on the workplace.

A national benchmark survey of 1200 employed adults released by CAEPV in October 2005 found that intimate partner violence has a wide and far-reaching effect on Americans’ working lives – with 21% of those surveyed identifying themselves as victims of domestic violence. In October 2006, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics found that 24% of workplace violence incidents reported by employers in the past year were domestic violence-related. However, only 4% of workplaces in the US provide any kind of training to employees regarding domestic violence and its impact on the workplace.

CAEPV Executive Director Kim Wells said, “Because domestic violence’s impact does not stop at the office front door, America’s employers need to take action – by putting in place accessible programs and policies for colleagues and victims alike. Fortunately, effective programs are easy to establish and the information available on CAEPV’s new website will help employers begin to take the steps needed to create a safe and supportive work environment.”

Wells noted that the CAEPV website is considered by many across the US and around the world to be the central resource for information and resources related to domestic violence and the workplace. She said, “It is vital we are responsive in our efforts to assist employers anywhere at anytime -- and thanks to Verizon, we are able to do so through the updated technology and resources of our website."The Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence (CAEPV) is a leading force in the fight against intimate partner violence and its effects on the workplace. It is the only national organization of its kind founded by business leaders and focused 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. For more information, visit http://www.caepv.org.

Verizon delivers technology that touches life. The Verizon Foundation uses that technology and its financial resources to improve literacy and K-12 education; help families victimized by domestic violence; and improve the delivery of health care. For more information on the foundation, visit http://www.verizon.com/foundation.

National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline "loveisrespect.org" Now Available

In response to the alarming rates of teen dating abuse through technology and the severe knowledge gap between parents and their teens, the National Domestic Violence Hotline (NDVH) and Liz Claiborne Inc. joined together to launch loveisrespect.org, The National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline (NTDAH). This 24-hour national web-based and telephone resource was created to help teens (ages 13-18) experiencing dating abuse and is the only helpline in the country serving all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Although there are national hotlines for adults, teens have special needs and require specific expertise, information and communication mechanisms for overcoming dating violence. Cumulative research from the NDVH indicates that 10 percent of the 17,000 calls answered monthly at the Hotline are from teenagers and young adults.

The first of its kind, NTDAH will operate via telephone and Web 24 hours a day and will be staffed by both teen and adult advocates. Teens (and parents) anywhere in the country can call toll free, 866-331-9474 or log on to the interactive Web site, loveisrespect.org, and receive immediate, confidential assistance. The site will offer secure, live interactive chat to teens, which will present them with a familiar technology and an accessible means for communication. While online or on the phone, teens will be given support as well as referrals to local resources in their hometown to provide them with the help they need.
· Hours of Operation: NTDAH will be staffed by trained volunteer and professional advocates 24 hours a day. Teenage peer advocates will staff the helpline and Web site during a block of time each day.
· Web site: NTDAH offers a live, interactive Web site -- loveisrespect.org - to provide a safe, confidential online resource for teens to ask questions, share experiences or express their feelings. The site features live interactive, instant chat with advocates. There will also be message boards, blogs as well as other valuable information to help teens cope with and understand healthy dating behavior and relationships.
· Phone number: 866.331.9474(866-331-8453 for the Deaf, Deaf-Blind and Hard of Hearing)
· Staffing: Trained peer volunteers between the ages of 16-24 will provide advocacy during the peak hours of noon-2:00 a.m. (4:00 p.m. to midnight from February-May 2007). Trained adult advocates will provide assistance to peer advocates as well as overflow assistance and staffing during off-peak hours.
· Training: All volunteers have received more than 40 hours of training from current NDVH supervisory staff, survivors of teen violence and other experts in the field. Additionally, advocates will receive ongoing advanced training for issues related to violence to further assist teens in dealing with relationships.
· Confidentiality: NTDAH will not collect or maintain data that will compromise confidentiality such as IP addresses or caller ID. NTDAH will make all efforts to ensure that information is anonymous and confidential including training of staff to assure that privacy is of utmost concern.