MY BRIEF STORY - PLATFORM

​As a Domestic Violence Victor for over 40+ years, I made a decision to enter pageants to build my self-esteem and to show other women they can change their destinies. They can accomplish anything that they set their minds to doing.

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Raised in Philadelphia, PA, and a graduate of Olney High School, I went on to attend several business schools and obtained degrees in Business Administration with a minor in Accounting. Furthering my education, I obtained a degree as an Information  Technology Specialist and I am currently working on a certificate at Penn State University in Leadership Development.  I continuously move towards accomplishing my education by taking a course every year.  My goal is to increase my knowledge and to be an example to my grandchildren: if I can they can.

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WHAT IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE?

Domestic violence is the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior as part of a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner against another. It includes physical violence, sexual violence, threats, and emotional/psychological abuse. The frequency and severity of domestic violence varies dramatically.

DID YOU KNOW?

In the United States, an average of 20 people experience intimate partner physical violence every minute. This equates to more than 10 million abuse victims annually.

- 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men experience severe intimate partner physical violence, intimate partner contact sexual violence, and/or intimate partner stalking with impacts such as injury, fearfulness, posttraumatic stress disorder, use of victim services, contraction of sexually transmitted diseases, etc. This is commonly considered “domestic violence”.

- 1 in 4 women and 1 in 10 men have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner. This includes a range of behaviors and in some cases might not be considered “domestic violence”.

- 1 in 7 women and 1 in 25 men have been injured by an intimate partner.

- 1 in 10 women have been raped by an intimate partner. Data is unavailable on male victims.

- 1 in 7 women and 1 in 18 men have been stalked. Stalking causes the target to fear she/he/they or someone close to her/him/them will be harmed or killed.

On a typical day, domestic violence hotlines nationwide receive over 20,000 calls. An abuser’s access to a firearm increases the risk of intimate partner femicide by 400%.  Intimate partner violence accounts for 15% of all violent crime. Intimate partner violence is most common against women between the ages of 18-24.10  19% of intimate partner violence involves a weapon.

WHY IT MATTERS - Domestic violence is prevalent in every community, and affects all people regardless of age, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, gender, race, religion, or nationality. Physical violence is often accompanied by emotionally abusive and controlling behavior as part of a much larger, systematic pattern of dominance and control. Domestic violence can result in physical injury, psychological trauma, and even death. The devastating consequences of domestic violence can cross generations and last a lifetime.

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