Help End Physical Abuse – Giving U™
October 17, 2009 – Marin, California
Check this out! It’s a bus stop billboard featuring an eye-tracking camera that switches the billboard picture depending on whether or not a person is watching.
- • When you look at the ad, you see a picture of a happy couple.
- • When you look away from the ad, the picture changes to the man hitting the woman.
Powerful stuff – both in terms of its anti-abuse messaging for Amnesty International, as well as just pure cleverness as an marketing medium.
The Guilty Get Off
I was reminded of the important of anti-abuse messaging because of this week’s guilty verdict of New York State Senator Hiram Monserrate (D) of a misdemeanor (instead of 2 counts of felony assault) for abusing his girlfriend Karla Giraldo. Since Monserrate was found guilty of only a misdemeanor, he will be able to keep his NY State Senate seat. Monserrate was convicted of the lighter crime in large part because Karla Giraldo refused to press charges, despite:
- • Needing 40 stitches to her face
- • Testimony by hospital employees regarding the victim’s statement
- • Video showing Monserrate dragging the victim down the hall
Facts About Abuse
Here’re just a few facts about the prevalence of domestic violence and the harm it causes our women and children:
- • Nearly 1 in 4 women in the United States reports experiencing violence by a current or former spouse or boyfriend at some point in her life.
- • Approximately 1 in 3 adolescent girls in the United States is a victim of physical, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner.
- • 15.5 million children in the United States live in families in which partner violence occurred at least once in the past year.
- • 7 million children live in families in which severe partner violence occurred.
As a past victim of domestic violence, in support of my best friend who is in an abusive relationship, and because October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, I am choosing The Family Violence Prevention Fund (FVPF) as Oct’s Hot Org of the Month. FVPF works to end violence against women and children around the world.
Donate! I am making a donation today! Won’t you please join me?
This entry was posted on Saturday, October 17th, 2009 and is filed under Hot Orgs.