Rutgers University Awards First Verizon Wireless Hopeline Scholarships to Graduate Students Assisting Victims of Domestic Violence

I know it seems like I am writing a lot lately about Verizon Wireless, but it is just because they do a lot of cool things!

Rupa Khetarpal and Amanda Mathisen recently completed studies at Rutgers University School of Social Work where they were named 2008 VerizonWireless HopeLine(R) Scholars. Funded by a $100,000 Verizon Wireless grant, the Verizon Wireless HopeLine Scholarship Fund was created in conjunction with the Center on Violence Against Women & Children to recognize outstanding Rutgers University graduate students enrolled in the Master of Social Work (MSW)specialization on violence against women and children, the first such program in the country.

The Verizon Wireless donation was made possible through the company's HopeLine phone recycling program, which collects no-longer-used wirelessphones at its Communications Stores throughout New Jersey and nationwide.The phones are refurbished, recycled or sold and the proceeds are used toprovide wireless phones and cash grants to local shelters and non-profit organizations that focus on domestic violence prevention and awareness. Phones that cannot be refurbished are disposed of in an environmentallysound manner. Verizon Wireless was the first wireless carrier in the nation to collect and recycle old cell phones and has done so since January 1999, first in New Jersey and then across the U.S.

Nationally, the HopeLine program has collected more than 4.5 million wireless phones and givennearly $5 million in cash grants to domestic violence preventionorganizations. In addition to a successful phone recycling program and funding fornon-profit domestic violence prevention organizations, HopeLine includes free wireless service and voice mailboxes for survivors, community and corporate awareness initiatives, and a bilingual "Invest in Yourself"program designed to help survivors re-enter the workforce.

HopeLine phone donations also are accepted at all Verizon Wireless Communications Stores For store locations and additional information, visit http://www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline.

We are really so proud to have both Rutgers University School of Social Work and Verizon Wireless as CAEPV members!

Vantage Properties LLC CEO Signs On To SafeWork 2010

SafeWork Pledge: I am committed to addressing the issue of domestic violence in the workplace I recognize that domestic violence impacts my employees, my company and my business. Therefore, I pledge to take action, lead change, and raise awareness as a member of SafeWork 2010.

Congratulations to Neil L. Rubler, President and CEO, Vantage Properties LLC. Why I am congratulating him? Because he is the latest CEO to sign onto the pledge you see above -- a pledge to take action, lead change, and raise awareness of domestic violence as a workplace issue.

He joins the following CEOs that have already signed the Pledge:

Thomas J. Wilson, Allstate Insurance Company*

Louis C. Camilleri, Altria Group, Inc.*

Andrea Jung, Avon Products, Inc.*

Jens Bang, Cone, LLC

Mary Ann Scully, Howard Bank

Andrea Wong, Lifetime Entertainment Services*

William McComb, Liz Claiborne Inc.*

Steve Jacaruso, Le Sportsac

David B. Holl, Mary Kay Inc.*

Andrew R. Urban, Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo P.C.

Dr. Robert Pearl, The Permanente Medical Group, Kaiser Permanente*

Emanuel Chirico, Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation

Neil L. Rubler, Vantage Properties, LLC

Lowell McAdam, Verizon Wireless*

*CAEPV Member Company

There is no financial commitment for signing the SafeWork pledge and becoming a member of SafeWork 2010. And those who do receive an awesome CEO Action Kit created by Safe Horizon with the assistance of CAEPV – and provided through the generous support of The Allstate Foundation. What could be simpler?

Companies can choose to act on the pledge in a way that works best for them, but the CEO Kit even provides SafeWork 2010 Action Steps to help! Some of the Action Steps are joining the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence (http://www.caepv.org/), strengthening workplace policies that address domestic violence, hosting education and training sessions, and distributing educational materials about domestic violence to employees.We hope to see 200 companies on this list by 2010!

If you would like to join us, contact Melissa Madzel at mmadzel@safehorizon.org. Maybe we will see your CEOs name on this list!

Verizon Wireless Trains Almost 3,000 Managers Using SafeWork Certified Training Model

This is really cool! Since CAEPV Member Verizon Wireless implemented the SafeWork Certified Trainer model, 2,927 managers throughout the country have been trained at 181 trainings! Trainings were completed by the end of April for managers at Verizon Wireless’ 26 call centers across the country. Now Verizon Wireless will roll out the trainings to retail managers in 19 regions beginning at a conference this July.

Our partner Safe Horizon and CAEPV premiered this SafeWork training program during It’s Time to Talk Day in 2007. This “train the trainer” model is designed to create SafeWork Certified Trainers in partnering companies, including executives and senior HR staff who have completed a comprehensive curriculum customized to their company’s policies and procedures.

Just imagine the difference it can make for employees when a manager is trained to really recognize what is going on in the workplace and how to help in a compassionate, caring and professional way without compromising a person's privacy. And imagine getting that person to the resources needed quickly and efficiently. That is always important -- but vitally so in cases of domestic violence.

Note: Verizon Wireless is the first company to implement the SafeWork Certified Trainer program created by CAEPV Member Safe Horizon in partnership with the Corporate Alliance. If you are interested in learning more about this training, contact Melissa Madzel at mmadzel@safehorizon.org.

Corporate America Doing the Right Thing . . .One Life At A Time

I just love our CAEPV member companies – last week one of these companies went out of their way to help a victim of domestic violence who was not an employee but who had somehow managed to call their Employee Ethics Hotline for help. She found out that this particular company was one that supported domestic violence issues, and somehow found that Employee Ethics number.

As you can imagine, these calls go to internal human resources people. And they did not ignore this call. They made a report. And tried to figure out what to do. . .for a person who doesn't work for them.

So -- these amazing human resources people reached out to me and to others and together we figured out across the US how to get this victim of domestic violence the help she needed to get to herself safe and secure and to get her life back on track.

I hope you understand – this was NOT an employee. They did NOT have to do this. They just did it because they cared. They are amazing.

When people tell me that "Corporate America" stinks, I have the opportunity to talk with them about the "Corporate America" I get to work with here at the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence . . .the people who help move employees across the country, who help them get their names changed, who give them time off above and beyond what any law requires. . .just because it is the right thing to do.

And in this particular case, it was not even for an employee. It was for a "stranger" who called their Employee Ethics Hotline in need of help. And they answered. I hope the people who did that know how amazing they are! It is an honor to work with them each and every day.

I know that everyone can't get saved all the time, but it is pretty great to work with the people who represent "Corporate America" who are doing the right thing. . .one life at a time.

Domestic Violence - Never The Most Popular Table At The Workplace Wellness Fair

This week Dennis Butler (Vice President, Workplace Solutions at Liz Claiborne) and I had the opportunity to present together at the Warehousing Education and Research Council (WERC) annual conference. There were well over 1,000 attendees at this event. But do you know how many attended the session on domestic violence and the workplace? Approximately 15 or 20.

Trust me, there was no other session even CLOSE to that topic, and it was very forward-thinking and bold of WERC to put the topic on the conference schedule. (Most topics were along the lines of “logistics, distribution networking, reasons to automate, transportation best practices, etc.”)

So you can imagine the 15 or 20 people who attended our session were pretty brave – and had pretty specific reasons for doing so. It is a very important reminder of why we do the work we do. . .we are still the uncomfortable and “unusual” topic. Of those in the room representing distribution companies, only three or four had workplace violence policies of any kind, and maybe one had a domestic violence in the workplace policy. I am hopeful that will be different after our presentation and the materials we provided.

This presentation and the “lack of attendance” was a great reminder of why CAEPV keeps on doing what it does . . . and why I do what I do. And I am so thankful for amazing people like Dennis Butler who are there to give the corporate perspective of why this is “Everybody’s Business”!

I was also very touched by one woman in particular I met at the conference in our session. She was supposed to attend with her friend, Cindy Bischof. But Cindy is no longer with us. She was killed on March 7 by her ex-boyfriend who violated a protection order and came to her workplace and shot her in the parking lot. I wrote about Cindy in this blog. Cindy is one of the reasons I do what I do – so employers learn what they can do to help so no one’s family or friends or co-workers go through the heartbreak that Cindy’s family and friends and colleagues are suffering. To learn more about Cindy, and what her family and friends are doing to try and make a difference, visit http://www.cindysmemorial.org/.

As I told those at the WERC presentation, we are never the most popular table at the workplace wellness fair. It is uncomfortable to think about domestic violence, and it is uncomfortable to talk about it. But -- if you are someone ready to “step out of your comfort zone” as an employer and find out what you can do to address this issue in your workplace, check out our website at http://www.caepv.org/. I promise you it will be worth it.

S2 - Safer, Smarter Workplace Conference: Reaching Employers and EAPs to Impact Domestic Violence

If you've read this blog before, you know it is devoted to domestic violence and the workplace, and how employers can address the issue.

But what if, instead of going from employer to employer. . . you reached out to someone who reached a LOT of employers all at once? Someone like an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provider? And what if EAPs across the country were well-versed in the issue and had great capacity to work hand-in hand with the employers they serve to address this issue?

That is the idea behind the S2 - Safer, Smarter Workplace conference -- it is the first national conference convening employers and Employee Assistance Program (EAP) providers to leverage their work preventing and responding to domestic violence and its impact on the workplace.

The Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence is organizing this invitation only national conference to take place on November 6-7, 2008 in San Francisco, California. Conference participants will:

-Hear from experts about best-in-class prevention and response programs
-Learn proven ways to use EAPs effectively in addressing domestic violence as a workplace issue -Participate with peers in creating a Blueprint for Action that will identify emerging themes in the national landscape and generate national response
-Develop a 30-day action plans customized for their companies or programs
-Engage in meaningful dialogue and collaboration before, during and after the S2 - Safer, Smarter Workplace conference to drive constructive and positive change in the workplace

The products of the conference will be shared on the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence website and will be made available to any employer, EAP provider, researcher or other party wishing to access any research, products, materials, or outputs from the conference.

Pre-conference Webinar
Reserved for invited conference attendees, this pre-conference Webinar is designed to fast-track conference attendees and help them have a more meaningful and results-oriented conference experience. In just two hours, Webinar attendees will:

-Discover what they can achieve by participating in the conference
-Engage in interactive dialogue with experts on why domestic violence is a workplace issue
-Begin to turn obstacles into opportunities through the Blueprint for Action, a plan to be developed during the conference that will identify emerging themes in the national landscape and generate national collaboration and response

Key Partners
The S2 - Safer, Smarter Workplace conference is presented by the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence. This conference is made possible by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation with additional support provided by The Allstate Foundation, the Blue Shield of California Foundation and Health Care Service Corporation. The conference planning workgroup includes representatives from the following organizations: Chestnut Global Partners, CIGNA, Gap Inc, Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, Macy's West, Magellan Health Services, OptumHealth Behavioral Solutions.

We are very excited about the possibilities of this conference!

For more information, contact caepv@caepv.org.

Verizon and the Family Justice Center Institute - Everyone Wins!

Right now I am in San Diego at the International Family Justice Center Conference. And what, you may wonder, is a Family Justice Center? And why would a big company like Verizon care about one?

How many places do you suppose a person who is a victim of domestic violence has to go to get help for themselves? For their children? Well, in San Diego they asked and found out 32 -- 32 places! That is too many places -- especially for a person who is not safe.

And so they created a Family Justice Center -- one place where a person could go and get the services needed -- medical, advocacy, food, clothing, job training, legal, etc -- all in one place. What an idea!

I have been privileged to serve on the President's Family Justice Center Initiative as 15 model Family Justice Centers were formed across the US through grants from the Office on Violence Against Women. And now there are Family Justice Centers across the US -- and around the world. And now I am privileged to serve on the National Advisory Board for the National Family Justice Center Alliance.

And now, throughout the U.S., survivors of domestic violence and their children will receive new and more effective services -- thanks to a $1 million grant from the Verizon Foundation to the National Family Justice Center Alliance. The grant, announced on April 4, establishes the Family Justice Center Institute, a technology and training arm within the National Family Justice Center Alliance. The center will use technology and best practices to streamline service and provide training for employees and volunteers.

The grant will be used to develop systems that:
1) Allow multiple agencies within a Family Justice Center to quickly and securely share information - so that victims will have to tell their story only once, rather than repeatedly conveying their traumatic experiences to various social, medical, legal and public safety professionals.
2) Create protocols for the development of electronic "safety deposit boxes" - helping domestic violence survivors to keep important documents secure.
3) Develop online training for Family Justice Center employees and volunteers nationwide - enabling them to share information, attend online courses and learn best practices.
4) Link the management systems of five pilot Family Justice Centers - creating consistency and information-sharing models among these centers, which will be selected during the grant period.
5) Assess technology needs - to evaluate practical uses of online client resources, text messaging and video messaging to support Family Justice Center employees and clients.

Verizon has been a longtime supporter of Family Justice Centers across the country, beginning with a Verizon Wireless HopeLine grant to the San Diego Family Justice Center in 2002. Raising awareness of domestic violence and aiding in its prevention is a key focus of the Verizon Foundation. In 2007, the foundation awarded more than $5.5 million in grants to aid in domestic violence prevention.

Isn't that perfect? A company using what it does best -- technology -- to help keep families safe and to help make communities better!

And think of this -- Verizon Communications and Verizon Wireless employ a combined approximate 250,000 people across the US. Now -- if 21% of those are victims of domestic violence (as full-time employed adults, using the results of the national survey that the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence did in 2005) -- where are those people going to go if they need help? To services in 32 places? Wouldn't it make much more sense for those employees and their families to go to Family Justice Centers where they are safe and get access to services in one location? That is a great investment of resources -- not only for Verizon employees, but for everyone in a community.

For more information about the Family Justice Center model and the National Family Justice Center Alliance, visit http://www.familyjusticecenter.org/.

Ohio Governor Ted Strickland Signs Executive Order Instituting Domestic Violence Policy For State Agencies

A new executive order from Ohio Governor Ted Strickland gives state agencies almost 14 months to comply with a new policy aimed at reducing and handling domestic violence in the workplace.

On April 17, 2008 Governor Strickland signed an executive order that creates the Barbara Warner Workplace Domestic Violence Policy, named after an Ohio Department of Health employee who was a victim of domestic violence and later killed in 1997 by her husband. The order also creates a state committee comprising representatives from several agencies and sets a July 1, 2009, deadline for state agencies to have enacted the policy.

A growing domestic violence problem outside the home was behind the governor's decision to sign the executive order. “Domestic violence in and outside of the workplace has become increasingly prevalent," Strickland said in a statement. "As an employer, the state must foster a safe working environment for all employees and provide the resources necessary to assist a worker who may be the victim of a domestic violence situation."

Under the new policy, state agencies are required to post a list of resources for workers, change personnel policies if needed, adjust workers' duties or assignments when domestic-violence issues arise, grant leave requests for victims and take action against workers identified as perpetrators. Actions can include contacting law enforcement and firing the employee.

Agencies also are barred from disciplining or discriminating against employees deemed domestic abuse victims or survivors for acts resulting from a domestic-abuse situation, or disclosing information to other workers beyond the extent necessary.

Obviously, the state of Ohio has determined what many companies and employers know, that domestic violence is an issue that impacts the workplace in terms of absenteeism, healthcare, productivity, turnover, and workplace safety -- and that an enlightened and proactive employer can do something to limit these impacts.

If you are not the state of Ohio and wonder what you can do, check out our CAEPV website for "six steps" to create a workplace program and a sample policy at http://www.caepv.org/action/.

And if you are not convinced about the potential costs to business, check out our extensive list of sourced stats at http://www.caepv.org/getinfo/facts_stats.php -- if there is something to do with domestic violence and the workplace and it is updated and well-sourced, you will find it there!

Congratulations to Governor Strickland -- and may the State of Ohio's policy honoring Barbara Warner help to prevent the loss of future lives.

SafeWork 2010 - Three More CEOs Sign On Pledging To Address Domestic Violence As A Workplace Issue

SafeWork Pledge: I am committed to addressing the issue of domestic violence in the workplace I recognize that domestic violence impacts my employees, my company and my business. Therefore, I pledge to take action, lead change, and raise awareness as a member of SafeWork 2010.

Congratulations to Jens Bang, CEO of Cone, LLC, Steve Jacaruso, CEO of Le Sportsac and Mary Ann Scully, President and CEO of Howard Bank in Maryland.

Why am I congratulating them?

Because they all recently signed the pledge you see above -- a pledge to take action, lead change, and raise awareness of domestic violence as a workplace issue.

They join the following CEOs that have already signed the Pledge:

Thomas J. Wilson, Allstate Insurance Company*
Louis C. Camilleri, Altria Group, Inc.*
Andrea Jung, Avon Products, Inc.*
Andrea Wong, Lifetime Entertainment Services*
William McComb, Liz Claiborne Inc.*
David B. Holl, Mary Kay Inc.*
Andrew R. Urban, Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo P.C.
Dr. Robert Pearl, The Permanente Medical Group, Kaiser Permanente*
Emanuel Chirico, Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation
Lowell McAdam, Verizon Wireless*

*CAEPV Member Company

There is no financial commitment for signing the SafeWork pledge and becoming a member of SafeWork 2010. And those who do receive an awesome CEO Action Kit created by Safe Horizon with the assistance of CAEPV – and provided through the generous support of The Allstate Foundation. What could be simpler?

Companies can choose to act on the pledge in a way that works best for them, but the CEO Kit even provides SafeWork 2010 Action Steps to help! Some of the Action Steps are joining the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence (www.caepv.org), strengthening workplace policies that address domestic violence, hosting education and training sessions, and distributing educational materials about domestic violence to employees.

We hope to see 200 companies on this list by 2010! If you would like to join us, contact Melissa Madzel at mmadzel@safehorizon.org.

Maybe we will see your CEOs name on this list!

Upper Iowa University Women Rock!

Last week I had the opportunity to speak with some wonderful college women at a Women's Leadership Week at Upper Iowa University in Fayette, Iowa. Not only were the young women and the young men I met awesome, but I found out where Fayette, Iowa was :) Thanks to Beta Theta Omega Sorority for asking me to come!

The presentation was about "Independent Women" and women's leadership -- and hopefully I gave them some insights. I was also able to share about the really wonderful work that CAEPV member companies do to address domestic violence as a workplace issue, and how I have the opportunity, every day, to see the very best of "Corporate America" as the people I work with in these great companies go about the business of protecting and sometimes saving the lives of their employees. Just think -- if these young women leave UIU understanding that there are companies committed to addressing domestic violence as a workplace issue, they will be more aware of these policies and programs as they seek careers and will perhaps be catalysts for these programs in their places of employment in the future. That is very exciting to me.

And as always, I can never leave a presentation without talking about healthy relationships and how to talk with someone you care about if you are concerned for a friend or loved one. I just feel like it is so important -- no matter what topic I'm given to speak about.

So -- I get to the end of the presentation and say "Now for something completely different. . " and talk to them about something I know they will use as much as all the other "tips" I've given them -- how do you ask someone you care about if they are in a relationship that may be abusive or unhealthy? This is what I shared:

"You know I really care about you, and you are important to me. I've been noticing you are not yourself lately (note warning signs here) and I am concerned about you. I would rather have you mad at me than anything bad ever happen to you, so I just want to ask you – are you safe in your relationship?"

What was interesting to me was while I was somewhat "off topic" in bringing this subject up, I could see from the faces in the room that it clearly resonanted with them. They had experience. They knew about this -- and they needed to know what to say.

I am never sure about adding that to presentations -- but last week I was sure. And I will never forget the women's leadership conference I was at when I talked about this issue with women leaders from all over the US. When I was done, a very successful executive woman stood up and said, "In case you think this does not happen to women like us, I want you to know this happened to me in my first marriage."

And then people kept sharing. It was amazing. And a reminder that it happens to everyone and anyone and it is important to tell our daughters and sons and friends and co-workers about what to look for and what to ask.

So thanks, women of UIU, for giving me the opportunity! And although I hope you never have to ask, I know that you probably will.

Saved By Grace

This poem was sent to me by an amazing person I know -- this person works in one of our CAEPV member companies, and is a domestic violence survivor.

I think a lot of times a highly employed, educated, well-dressed, well-spoken, talented, person like this is just the kind that people assume, "Well, it doesn't happen to people like that -- they are too much like ME."

A.B. reminds us all that it DOES happen to people like me. Like you. Like your best friend. Like your neighbor. Like your sister. Like your brother. Like your co-worker. Like your boss. It can happen to anyone.

Saved by Grace

She lies quietly
On the cold tiles
Next to the porcelain tower
Of running water

No one can see her

She is frozen
Paralyzed with fear
As black-stained, trickling tears
Glaze the broken mirror

No one can hear her

She stares quietly
At the torn photograph
Underneath the jagged glass
Forming a watercolor

No one knows her

She looks at her arms
At the fingerprints of hate
Painted on her pale skin
In deep red and blue
Only one can save her

Now

She closes her eyes
Praying with her last breath
As an angelic figure
Gathers her up and flies away
No one can hurt her

Anymore

© ABH 3.17.2008

Loss Prevention. . .And Maybe Saving the Next Cindy Bischof

So, today I am working on a bunch of presentations for upcoming workshops and talks, etc. -- specifically I am working on a particular presentation for loss prevention and recovery professionals (security professionals) on dealing with domestic violence as a workplace issue. These professionals are on the front lines when it comes to workplace safety/workplace violence issues, so they are often the first to recognize how much domestic violence affects a company. They are the "go to" people on this, and they really understand it.

At any rate, I am highlighting the risk assessment portion of the training and the sorts of things that these professionals will want to keep in mind when working with employees who are victims of domestic violence.

For example, we know that the most dangerous time for a victim of domestic violence tends to be when the person is leaving or has left the relationship (in cases of homicide related to domestic violence, 75% of the time, the victim has been in the process of leaving or has left the relationship), we know that stalking behavior increases risk (including stalking at the workplace), and other such behaviors.

So as I am preparing this presentation, I see this heartbreaking article from the Chicago Tribune www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-domestic-violence_bd16mar16,0,6195124.story about a woman named Cindy Bischof and about all of the things that happened to her before her ex-boyfriend shot her dead in the parking lot of her office on March 7.

And the "risk assessment" bullet points regarding the behavior of Cindy's ex-boyfriend are eerily similar to the "risk assessment" bullet points for my presentation. Except that she is a person who is now dead and her family is grieving her loss. It is no longer academic. It is real life and real loss.

And so I am hoping as I talk with these great loss prevention professionals that we are able to further the work employers can do to help keep workplaces safe. And people safe. . and alive.

It is really hard for me to know that there is something people can do - that employers can do - to help and maybe keep things like this from happening -- and that only 15% of employers in the United States are doing it. (Of course, there is no guarantee, but we can certainly be more, right?)

If you want to do something as an employer, go to http://www.caepv.org/ and learn more. That is why CAEPV is here -- to help employers address this issue.

And real loss prevention? Well that is not about products or inventory. . .that is about saving lives. And maybe helping to save the next Cindy Bischof.

Avon Announces Partnership With United Nations to End Violence Against Women

Do you think that celebrities help make a difference in creating awareness about important issues? I happen to think they do -- and Forbes.com admits it.

One thing I do know is that domestic violence is a subject that people are not very comfortable discussing (trust me, I am never the most popular table at the employee wellness fair) -- and anything that makes it more "high profile" (for lack of a better phrase) makes it easier to raise awareness. is really great. And Reese Witherspoon is certainly a person who can do that. And Avon and The Avon Foundation have done a wonderful job of working with Salma Hayek and now Reese Witherspoon to draw attention to the issue of domestic violence.

Reese Witherspoon was at the United Nations Tuesday, lending her celebrity to the new partnership between Avon and the United Nations Development Fund for Women [UNIFEM], in their efforts to end domestic violence globally. Ahead of International Women's Day this weekend, Avon CEO Andrea Jung announced the partnership between her company and UNIFEM, in which the Avon Foundation will match the first $500,000 in sales of a "Women's Empowerment Bracelet" for the U.N. Trust to End Violence Against Women. The bracelets are available through Avon.com for $3.

Jung described domestic violence as a "pandemic" that affects up to one billion women worldwide. Witherspoon, honorary chairperson of the Avon Foundation and the Global Ambassador for Avon Products (nyse: AVP - news - people ), acknowledged the celebrity issue by thanking the media for covering the event--a not-so-subtle way of acknowledging that the room may not have been filled with celebrity photographers and reporters from People and US Weekly magazine if she weren't there. And at this point in the story, Forbes.com admits they may not have been there either had it not been for Reese Witherspoon. I think that is very cool of them.

Thanks to Witherspoon's presence, the issue will be read about by millions in celebrity magazines and on Web sites. For her part, the actress said, simply: "I'm happy to use my recognizability to bring awareness to this.

It is unfortunate that it takes a celebrity to draw attention to the issue of domestic violence, but the fact is it DOES make a difference -- and if that helps change or save a life, I think that is wonderful and I thank Reese Witherspoon for doing so!

If you are interested in a really cool bracelet, AND in something you can do to make a difference, check out the bracelet by clicking here.

Dow Jones Companies, Nonprofits Work To Aid Domestic Violence Victims

Here is a great story from the Dow Jones Newswires about the work we are doing with Safe Horizon and many Dow Jones companies on SafeWork 2010:

Dianne Merrigan knew she had to get out of the relationship after the verbal abuse started again. She saw the warning signs. The first time, her husband's remarks had escalated into a beating that put her in the hospital, she said. The second time, the abuse had cost her a high-paying position as a human resources generalist at an insurance company.

So Merrigan, who now works as a human resources recruiter for a hospital, had her employer deposit 5% of her paycheck into a separate checking account, small enough so that her husband wouldn't notice. Had her husband realized what she was doing, she feared he would have emptied out their shared bank account again or worse, said Merrigan.

Advocates for domestic violence victims understand the importance of employment and financial security in getting women out of abusive relationships.

This is why companies and nonprofit organizations are partnering to focus on victims' financial management and why employers are making sure they have the resources to safeguard their staff and their bottom line.

The impact of domestic violence on the workplace includes safety issues, dangerous and stressful situations, and low productivity.

"For domestic violence victims, the violence and abuse at home doesn't stay at home. It follows them to work," said Scott Millstein, interim chief executive of Safe Horizon, a victim assistance organization.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report in 2003 that intimate-partner violence against women exceeds $5.8 billion in health-related costs each year, including about $4.1 billion for direct medical and mental health care services and productivity losses of about $1.8 billion. In 2005, the CDC also found that one of four women have experienced physical or sexual intimate-partner violence in their lifetime, and one of seven men have experienced the same.

This type of violence is linked to health risk behaviors such as smoking, binge drinking and sexual risk taking, and chronic health conditions such as asthma, arthritis and stroke, the CDC reported.

"(Finances) can be one of the main reasons why women decide they can't leave an abusive situation, or end up returning to one," said Rene Renick, director of programs and operations for the National Network to End Domestic Violence.

Renick's organization and the Allstate Foundation are working together to create tools to improve short- and long-term financial opportunities for domestic violence survivors, including providing small grants for education and job training purposes. The Click to Empower campaign is raising funds to address needs not covered by other financial resources, such as books and supplies for school, certification fees, tuition, child care and even fees for computer access.

"What our company found, and what experts agree on, is that there was and there still is a significant gap of resources that address this specific issue," said Jennifer Kuhn, program manager for the Domestic Violence Program at the Allstate Foundation, part of Allstate Corp. (ALL).

For its part, Safe Horizon, through its SafeWork 2010 campaign announced last fall, is sending out CEO Action Kits to various corporations nationwide in order to raise awareness about domestic abuse and what companies can do to help employees. The kits include such resources as organizations employees can go to and tips on making the workplace a safe zone where they can ask for help.

The Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence, an organization that focuses on the workplace and a SafeWork 2010 national partner, states victims can also approach their medical or wellness departments or employee assistance programs.

If the victim feels at risk in the workplace, he or she can contact security personnel and provide them with a photograph of the abuser.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2005 Survey of Workplace Violence Prevention reported that over 10% of private industries have policies addressing domestic violence in the workplace. Less than 5% of all work establishments, including state and local governments, provide training on how to address the issue.

Verizon Wireless, a national partner of SafeWork 2010, said it has helped about 100 employees over the past couple of years.

"We'll change someone's phone number, relocate people, change hours. This benefits our business because employees are an investment and we want them to stay with the company," said Verizon Wireless spokeswoman Debi Lewis. She added that employees can ask for help by talking to their supervisors or local human resources representative, or by calling the employee assistance program number.

The company also offers #HOPE, part of its HopeLine program, which anyone with a Verizon Wireless phone can access by dialing #4673 on his or her handset to be connected to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

Lewis said the training employees receive through SafeWork 2010 shows them what signs to look out for that might indicate domestic violence so that they feel more comfortable approaching their co-workers in order to point them to a supervisor or someone who can help.

Other SafeWork 2010 founding members include Liz Claiborne Inc. (LIZ), Altria Group Inc. (MO), Mary Kay Inc., Avon Products Inc. (AVP) and several others.

"Batterers try to keep partners in the relationships, and (financial control) is a very powerful way of doing that," Renick said.

Susan Hurlbert, who used to work as an executive assistant at a national insurance company during her turbulent marriage, said her husband controlled everything from how she cooked to allocating her an allowance to spend on personal needs.

The couple had merged their accounts at her husband's insistence, Hurlbert said.

However, when her husband chose to leave the relationship, he also left with their savings, cleaning out their account and leaving nothing to pay the mortgage, utilities and other expenses, she added. She went from a four-bedroom house in one of Connecticut's wealthiest neighborhoods to a two-bedroom apartment.

Community organizations such as the Interval House in Connecticut, which Hurlbert and Merrigan went to for help, offers abuse victims services such as an emergency shelter, support groups and advice on how to regain financial stability.

Renick explained that survivors might not understand their own financial situation, or may have been prevented from accessing their bank accounts or assets.

She recommended that in addition to working with advocates to plan for personal safety before leaving an abusive relationship, survivors also should try to find out what assets they do have, try to learn the passwords and make copies of important documents like driver's licenses, marriage certificates, birth certificates and Social Security information. Survivors also should change personal banking, investing and email account passwords and open up a post office box so that important financial information doesn't end up in the abuser's hands.

The Allstate Foundation's Web site, www.econempowerment.org, offers more tips on how victims can rebuild their financial future by, among other things, obtaining and monitoring their own credit reports and calling utility companies, wireless phone services and banks to secure private information with a new password and/or PIN.

The program also advises against using one's Social Security number, birthday or mother's maiden name to verify one's identity and suggests making changes if the partner is listed as a designated beneficiary on the victim's insurance, will or trust account.

Women are at risk the first year after they leave an abusive relationship, Renick said, giving examples of situations where the abuser can threaten the victim at the workplace and harass co-workers.

Merrigan said she was terminated from a job after she informed her employer that she had placed a protective order against her husband.

"I remember what (the human resources vice president's) exact quote was, and I will never forget it: 'This isn't the right time in your life to have a career,'" Merrigan said.

However, for Merrigan and women in her situation, employment comes at exactly the right time as they look for support and a way out.

-By Saba Ali, Dow Jones Newswires; 201-938-5400; saba.ali@dowjones.com

Verizon Wireless Funds $100,000 HopeLine Scholarship at Rutgers University School of Social Work

OK -- here is a company looking around and seeing the importance of addressing domestic violence not only within its own workplace, but also looking at prevention and the idea of helping fund educators and professionals who can make a difference.

Continuing its commitment to domestic violence prevention and awareness, CAEPV Member Verizon Wireless joined with CAEPV Member Rutgers University on February 19 to announce the creation of a new $100,000 scholarship fund at the Rutgers University School of Social Work and its Center on Violence Against Women and Children.

Named the Verizon Wireless HopeLine(R) Scholarship, income generated by the endowment will be used to award scholarships, annually, to at least three Rutgers graduate social work students enrolled in the School of Social Work's Master of Social Work (MSW) specialization on violence against women and children, the first such program in the country. The Rutgers University School of Social Work is one of the largest social work programs in the country. This groundbreaking scholarship on violence against women and children will prepare future social work professionals to work as executives or advocates in domestic violence and sexual assault organizations nationwide.

How did this get funded? By recycled cell phones donated throughout New Jersey! The Verizon Wireless donation was made possible through the company's HopeLine phone recycling program, which collects old, no-longer-used cell phones at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores throughout New Jersey. The phones are refurbished, recycled or sold and the proceeds are donated to domestic violence advocacy groups in the form of cash grants and prepaid wireless phones for victims. Phones that cannot be refurbished are disposed of in an environmentally sound manner.

Verizon Wireless was the first wireless carrier in the nation to collect and recycle old cell phones and has done so since January 1999, first in New Jersey and then across the U.S. Nationally, the HopeLine program has collected nearly 4.2 million wireless phones, and given more than $4 million in cash grants and nearly 40,000 phones with airtime to domestic violence prevention organizations.

In addition to a successful phone recycling program and funding for non-profit domestic violence prevention organizations, HopeLine includes free wireless service and voice mailboxes for survivors, community and corporate awareness initiatives, and a bilingual "Invest in Yourself" program designed to help survivors re-enter the workforce. HopeLine phone donations also are accepted at all Verizon Wireless Communications Stores across the nation. For store locations and additional information, visit www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline.

For more information about the Center on Violence Against Women & Children at Rutgers University, visit http://socialwork.rutgers.edu/iff/

It will be interesting to see what comes of this new scholarships program. And imagine if MBA programs started training HR professionals about domestic violence as a workplace issue before professionals entered the workplace. . . wow, what an impact that would make!

If you are interested in what you can do in your workplace today, as always, you are welcome to visit our website at http://www.caepv.org/.

New Research From Liz Claiborne Indicates Dating Violence For Tweens As Young As Eleven

What were you doing when you were 11 years old? Riding bikes? Watching re-runs of the "Andy Griffith show? Maybe you had a crush on a boy or girl at school and were "going with" them? Maybe going to the mall with friends?

A new survey released on February 14, 2008 by CAEPV Member Liz Claiborne Inc. reports that something really sad going on -- a surprising number of young adolescents are experiencing significant levels of dating violence and abuse. One in five children between the ages of 11 and 14 (20%) say their friends are victims of dating violence and nearly half of all tweens in relationships say they know friends who are verbally abused.

Alarmingly, 40% of the youngest tweens, those between the ages of 11 and 12, report that their friends are victims of verbal abuse in relationships and nearly 1 in 10 (9%) say their friends have had sex. (This was not going on when I was 11, I am pretty sure.)

The survey on Tween and Teen dating relationships conducted by Teenage Research Unlimited (TRU) and commissioned by Liz Claiborne Inc. and the National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline explores how relationships among young adolescents are fueling high levels of dating violence and abuse. The data reveals that early sexual experiences can be a precursor to dating violence and abuse among older teens.

For example, among American teens who had sex by age 14, one out of three teens (34%) say they have been physically abused (hit, kicked or choked) by an angry partner compared to 20% of other teens. 69% of teens who had sex before 14 said they had experienced all aspects of dating abuse including verbal, emotional physical and mental abuse. In response to the concerns about teen dating violence and abuse across the United States, the incoming president of the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG), Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch, said that he will introduce a resolution at NAAG's June meeting that will call for the inclusion of curricula on teen dating violence in schools in every state.

New survey results show that dating relationships begin much earlier than expected:

-- Nearly three in four tweens (72%) say boyfriend/girlfriend relationships usually begin at age 14 or younger.
--More than one in three 11-12 year olds (37%) say they have been in a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship.
--62% of tweens who have been in a relationship say they know friends who have been verbally abused (called stupid, worthless, ugly, etc) by a boyfriend/girlfriend.
--Two in five (41%) of tweens who have been in a relationship know friends who have been called names, put down, or insulted via cellphone, IM, social networking sites (such as MySpace and Facebook),etc.
--One in five 13-14 year olds in relationships (20%) say they know friends and peers who have been struck in anger (kicked, hit, slapped, or punched) by a boyfriend or girlfriend
--Only half of all tweens (51%) claim to know the warning signs of a bad/hurtful relationship

Significant numbers of teens (15-18) are experiencing emotional and mental abuse and violence in their dating relationships; this is even more prevalent among teens that have had sex by the age of 14.

--Nearly half of teen girls who have been in a relationship (48%) say they have been victims of verbal, physical, or sexual abuse by their boyfriends.
--More than one in three teens report that their partners wanted to know where they were (36%) and who they were with (37%) all the time.
--Among teens who had sex by age 14, it's much higher (58% and 59%, respectively).
--29% of teens say their boyfriends/girlfriends call them names and put them down, compared to 58% of teens who had sex by age 14.
--22% of teens say they were pressured to do things they did not want to do, compared to 45% of teens who had sex by age 14.
--24% of teens in a relationship said their boyfriends/girlfriends called them stupid, worthless, and ugly compared to 45% of teens who had sex by age 14.

And if you are a parent, and think you know what is going on, it appears you don't. The survey found that:

-- More than three times as many tweens (20%) as parents (6%) admit that parents know little or nothing about the tweens' dating relationships.
-- Twice as many tweens report having "hooked up" with a partner (17%) as parents reported of their own 11-14 year old child (8%).

Here's the "Survey Methodology" for those of you who care about those kinds of things (and I am one of those people):

Teenage Research Unlimited (TRU) was commissioned to conduct quantitative research among tweens (ages 11-14), parents of tweens, and teens (ages 15-18) who have been in a relationship about young dating relationships and the presence/absence of sexual activity and abusive behaviors. TRU independently sampled the three groups and fielded a customized 15-minute survey online to each group from January 2-18, 2008. A total of 2,192 interviews (1,043 tweens, 523 parents, and 626 teens) were completed and processed for analysis. The resulting margin of error (at the 95% confidence level) is plus or minus 3.0 percentage points for tweens in total, plus or minus 3.9 points for parents, and plus or minus 4.1 points for teens.

Loveisrespect.org (the National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline) provides resources for teens, parents, friends and family, advocates, government officials, law enforcement officials and the general public. All communication is confidential and anonymous. In the first year of existence, Loveisrespect has received 5,455 calls and 3,026 chats with the most common participant identifying themselves as a "victim/survivor". The Helpline is operated by the National Domestic Violence Hotline and was established through a gift from Liz Claiborne Inc.

Do you notice something interesting here about "loveisrespect"? It received a total of 8,481 "contacts" in its first year -- and 35% of those were not calls, they were "chats." And I happen to know that the chat function is not even on all the time. That means something about the way people of this age group communicate, share information, and get advice -- and it is not always through a phone call. That is why it is SO important that "loveisrespect" is an interactive web-based resource. After all, if you are going to reach an 11 year old, you are not going to reach him or her the same way you are going to reach a 45 year old.

Are you as blown away by the findings of this research as I am? I think it really gives us all pause to think about what is going on in the relationships of our young people -- and bigger picture, how we are all doing in our relationships. How healthy are we? I don't think this is the "pony-tail pulling" of the Andy Griffith days. . .this is something a lot more serious. As young people mimic adult relationships and adult clothing and "adult lifestyles" it seems they also mimic our unhealthy relationships.

I think talking about it in school is great -- but I think talking about it at home is essential. So if you haven't started yet, start now. And if you think it is too early, I hope the survey information above has unfortunately convinced you otherwise.

What A February 14 It Has Been

I am glad it is Friday. What a week this has been. From a personal perspective, Valentine's Day was a difficult day here in Illinois with the awful situation at Northern Illinois University and my heart goes out to all the families involved and impacted.

It was a little weird for me personally because my dad teaches part-time at NIU (it is his "retirement job") in the graduate marketing department, and I did not know if he would be on campus or not yesterday. I was so relieved to hear his voice when I called and found out he was not there yesterday. I cannot imagine what it must have been like for people who were there, or who had family members there. They did not get to make such fortunate phone calls.

I know it is my job to discuss workplace violence and workplace safety issues and prevention and all that-- but now is not the time. There will be other days and other times to talk about that. Right now the focus should be on the people and their families and what they need. And especially for those who have lost family members.

My heart and my prayers go out to all involved. I am so deeply, deeply sorry for you all. God bless you.

CDC Finds 24% of Women and 11% of Men Are Domestic Violence Victims in US

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has just released new information finding that one in four women (23.9%) and one in nine men (11.5%) in the US suffers physical or emotional violence at the hands of an intimate partner. This harms their long-term health, the CDC reports.

The new data come from the largest-ever US survey of intimate-partner violence -- a range of behaviors that includes physical violence, sexual violence, unwanted sex, emotional abuse, threats, and stalking. Perpetrators include spouses, ex-spouses, boyfriends, girlfriends, and dates. CDC researchers asked adult participants in the 2005 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey if they would answer questions about intimate-partner violence. More than 70,000 Americans participated. (That is a LOT of people in a survey -- a really, really great scientific survey may have 5,000 people in it, so 70,000 means this is really an excellent representative sample).

Here are the results:

- 23.6% of women and 11.5% of men reported at least one lifetime episode of intimate-partner violence.
- In households with incomes under $15,000 per year, 35.5% of women and 20.7% of men suffered violence from an intimate partner.
- 43% of women and 26% of men in multiracial non-Hispanic households suffered partner violence.
- 39% of women and 18.6% of men in American Indian/Alaska Native households suffered partner violence.
- 26.8% of women and 15.5% of men in white non-Hispanic households suffered partner violence.
- 29.2% of women and 23.3% of men in black non-Hispanic households suffered partner violence.
- 20.5% of women and 15.5% of men in Hispanic households suffered partner violence.

"The majority of those who report violence -- and the burden is predominantly on women-- reported multiple forms. They experienced threats and attempts and assaults and unwanted sex," said Michele Black, PhD, an epidemiologist at the CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.

The CDC is also concerned about something else -- the link between domestic violence and long term health problems. The study found a number of outcomes related to intimate-partner violence, including current disability and activity limitations, asthma, stroke, arthritis, and, in women, heart disease.

The study author was quick to point out that survey data do not show whether partner violence caused these health problems. But they note that previous studies have found high stress levels in people with abusive spouses -- and that high stress levels are linked to chronic health problems. Stress isn't the only health issue for victims of domestic violence. A perpetrator limiting access to healthcare may also be an issue. Or an abused person may feel depressed or disempowered, making it hard for them to get to the help they need or to adhere to medications.

Because of the link to health problems, the CDC recommends that doctors ask patients about intimate-partner violence. That may be harder to do than it would seem.

That is a lot like the workplace -- it is hard to address domestic violence as a possible reason for changes in employee performance/behavior or to think of domestic violence as a workplace safety issue because we are not sure about the resources and are afraid to ask the question. But as the CDC report indicates related to healthcare, "Those asked about intimate-partner violence do respond very well to being asked."

For resources and help at the workplace go to http://www.caepv.org/.

The CDC's ultimate goal is to prevent intimate-partner violence in the first place. I agree!

The CDC report appears in the Feb. 8 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Want to See A Report Card For Your State on How it Responds to Dating Violence?

As we wind up National Dating Violence Prevention Awareness and Prevention Week here in the United States, I thought I'd write a note to let people know that Break the Cycle, one of the nation's leading organizations addressing teen dating violence, issued the first ever state-by-state report card evaluating the level of legal protection each state offers young victims of domestic and dating violence earlier this week

The report cards are designed to draw special attention to the discrepancies between the protections afforded to adult victims of violence as compared to teen victims. States were graded on an A through F scale. States that do not allow minors to obtain restraining orders were given an automatic "F." According to Break the Cycle, 15 states received an "F" while only three -- California, New Hampshire and Oklahoma – received "A's."

The grading system is made up of an in-depth assessment of key elements within each state's domestic violence statutes. The system was established after Break the Cycle conducted a nationwide review of state laws. The study revealed a number of common trends -- both positive and negative -- that directly impact the protection of teens.

Considered in the equation were such factors as: age restrictions; parental consent requirements; and whether or not dating even qualifies as a "domestic relationship." Along with the grading system, Break the Cycle released recommendations for improvement of state domestic violence laws. The organization is working with law enforcement, community leaders and politicians across the country to raise awareness and strengthen protections for teens. For more information or to view the full report, visit http://www.breakthecycle.org.

I was glad to see that my home state of Illinois scored a "B" -- it is not an "A," but certainly not an "F." Break the Cycle has done a great job of putting the information in easy to use fact sheets that are really easy to understand and very helpful.

If you are a parent, a teen, or someone who cares about these issues, or if you are just curious, you should take a look. You may be surprised about what it takes to get help if you are involved in an abusive or stalking relationships and you are underage.

And turning the page a little bit, with Valentine's Day coming up next week, I think it is worth taking time to look at ALL the relationships in our lives -- family, friends, co-workers, community-- as well as our intimate ones -- to see if they are as healthy as they can be. After all, the people around us are really the most valuable things in our lives and worth the time, aren't they? If you ever need more information about such things, check out our website at www.caepv.org.

Happy Valentine's Day -- and I wish for all of us to feel loved and safe and secure with the people who love us most!

February 4 - 8 is "National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week" in the US

Did you know that February 4 – 8 is “National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week” in the US? Across the country, schools, community organizations and others will be providing awareness and education programs to focus on this issue.

One really great (and relatively new resource) founded by CAEPV Member Liz Claiborne Inc. is the National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline at http://www.loveisrespect.org/ or 1-866-331-9474. If you have not taken a look at this site, you should. It includes a “Teen Dating Bill of Rights” and videos submitted by teens for a “Love is Respect” contest – plus lots of helpful information! They also have "live chat" available several hours a day. This is important because teens (as opposed to adults) make important decisions based on information and advice they receive in the Web.

For younger “tweens” there is GirlsAllowed (http://www.girlsallowed.org/), the award-winning website created by the Corporate Alliance. It is designed to help engage them in developing the building blocks of healthy relationships. And from the CDC there is http://www.chooserespect.org/ which is also geared toward ages 11 – 14.

Finally, check out http://www.thesafespace.org/ created by Break the Cycle and sponsored by CAEPV Members Verizon Wireless and The Avon Foundation.

Of course, these are not the only sites around, just some suggestions. For more links, visit the Teen Resources page on the CAEPV website.

I remember having a conversation with my dad when we first created "Anni" and GirlsAllowed and I was showing him the first three episodes. We were talking about how parents talk to their kids about so many other important things -- but not healthy dating relationships or how to spot potential abuse.

He said, "It never entered my mind to talk to you about someone treating you badly, because I never thought anyone would ever treat you that way." I said, "Dad, that is exactly the reason we created the site-- for parents like you that assume that the people dating their daughters and sons will treat them well. " He thought that made a lot of sense. (And he thought Anni was pretty cool!)

So -- if you have tweens or teens, or are an adult who cares about them, take the opportunity to take a look at these sites and get educated. The kids we love deserve the very best, don't they?