VAWnet News Blog

Choking or otherwise blocking someone's breathing will become a felony in some instances in Pennsylvania under a new law being hailed by supporters as a valuable weapon against domestic violence. Choking often leads to escalating violence in abusive relationships, according to victim advocates and prosecutors, who say victims have trouble proving they were choked. Physical injury is not necessary to charge an alleged perpetrator under the bill that Gov. Wolf signed into law Wednesday.

After years of delays, the Quebec government has unveiled its $200-million, five-year strategy to prevent sexual violence. The strategy includes $156 million to continue funding existing measures and $44 million for new programs, including:

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has released the latest three-year national action plan to reduce domestic and family violence, with a focus on sexual violence, children and Indigenous women.

Today, I am an endurance athlete who has taken part in a long series of expeditions to face the most dangerous and hostile environments around the world. A few years ago, that’s how most people knew me: As an athlete whose career was marked by tremendous exploits. I’m the fastest female to run an ultra-marathon race on all seven continents, and I hold the Guinness world record in the longest-ever completed triathlon, among other things. But these weren’t the circumstances under which my chances of survival were the lowest. For many years before then, I fell victim to sexual violence and human trafficking.

DV calls are chaotic and dangerous, not only for victims and children, but for also for responding officers. It is a unique crime requiring unique knowledge and effective strategies for a safe response. Individual departments have respective policies and procedures for dispatching and responding to these calls for service. Likewise, officers are well trained in the use of non-lethal and weaponless defense. Nothing herein is designed to alter existing policies or tactics. Still, here are a few tips that I believe may help us stay safe:

At a Harvard-led event, researchers discuss how to prevent it.