Transitioning Times

  Anyone who has had contact with the criminal justice system knows that offenders have many rights during the process.  They can determine the direction, speed and duration of interaction with the system more than the victim who suffered through the crime.  This, of course, was intended to protect wrongly accused people and to ensure that each person accused of a crime receives fair treatment.  However, this often contributes to victims feeling silenced or censored during the process.  Victims' rights groups have advocated for victims and their families to be able to participate in the justice system, and we have certainly come a long way.  However, as more decisions are being challenged, we have to ask--when is an offender's right to presumption of innocence more important than a victim and community's right to justice?   A case is currently in front of the Supreme Court to determine whether it is constitutional to use an offender's DNA...

January is officially Stalking Awareness Month.   Throughout the month, you will see status updates on our Facebook page with information about stalking.  I am pleased to report, that while researching for this blog post, I received 9.53 million hits when I googled "What to do if I'm being stalked."  Although this is still less than the 10.7 million hits I received when I googled "how to stalk someone," it is still progress.  There is lots of information for victims to help themselves.  I would like to highlight some of the ideas that I found especially useful. Telephone Options: Verizon has an unlawful call center , specifically for calls that include: Threat to Life (yours or someone else's) Bomb Threats Bodily Harm Excessive Obscene or Harassing Calls (The definition of excessive varies by state but generally means more than two to five calls.) Kidnapping This service is only available to Verizon home telephone customers.  You can re...

The following is a statement that has been widely distributed from the National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence Against Women regarding the 112th Congress's decision to not reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act. January 3, 2013 The 113 th Congress must pass VAWA immediately. We wish you a safe and happy new year!  Over the holidays, we have had time to pause to reflect on our progress in authorizing a strong and responsive VAWA.  Now, as 2013 begins, we know that we cannot lose momentum.  Join with us in 2013 to ensure early passage of this essential legislation.   Thanks to the tireless efforts of you, the countless advocates and supporters, we made critical advancements in educating Congress and the general public on the real needs of all victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.   And Congress responded to our effort...

Today, I had the opportunity to read a very thoughtful article written by Anna Kegler, posted on Huffington Post: Sexual Violence Prevention: It's Time to Go Big .  I highly encourage you to read the article.  It discusses the lack of a national "public service" campaign to prevent sexual violence beyond communties on the internet.  As the other staff people at Transitions can tell you, I enjoy reading (and sharing!) news stories and other media that I see involving domestic violence, sexual assault and other topics that affect our clients.  However, I had never really thought about the fact that there is no national campaign for preventing sexual abuse.  The only media that I have recently seen about domestic violence or sexual abuse is on billboards.  In today's digital world, billboards are not enough.  Perhaps because domestic violence agencies and rape crisis centers are found in most communties, people think there is enough awareness.  Victi...

[Lewisburg, PA, December 6, 2012] —Transitions, formerly Susquehanna Valley Women in Transition, has been selected as an official partner of Payless Gives TM Shoes 4 Kids , an annual giving program from Payless ShoeSource . Transitions was one of over 1,000 charitable agency applicants representing all 50 states in the United States, as well as Canada, Puerto Rico and 11 Latin American countries. Transitions will be distributing merchandise certificates for children’s shoes to the families receiving services.   Transitions is a crisis center that provides advocacy, empowerment and education to victims, survivors, families and communities to end patterns of violence and abuse.   Transitions serves victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and other serious crimes in Union, Snyder and Northumberland Counties.   “We are thrilled to once again partner with Payless Gives TM Shoes 4 Kids to ensure that the children who we help receive a new, properly fitti...

The following article was published in The New York Times on November 19th in the print edition and November 18th online .  As the media covered the Jerry Sandusky scandal, Transitions received calls seeking services because they  could not block the abuse they suffered out of their minds.  The coverage was too pervasive.  We condemn the actions of all those involved, however are thankful that victims are seeking services and male victims are feeling less stigmatized.  This article continues exploring the relationships between players and coaches and the opportunities for sexual abuse to occur.  May each of us remain vigilant in protecting children of all genders.   MaleSurvivor Conference Examines Sexual Abuse in Sports By   ERIC V. COPAGE Published: November 18, 2012 It was the summer before high school, and Christopher Gavagan, then 13, was preparing to leave the safe familiarity of the friends he had known during his boyhood...

November 12th through the 16th is International Forensic Nurses Week We would like to take this opportunity to both express our gratitude and highlight the wonderful SANE nurses we have at Evangelical Hospital. Lindsay, Rachel, and Hannah are the trained SANE nurses at Evangelical Hospital.  They are on call in a rotation and must still work their regular shifts.  Their patience and skill are an example to all nurses and we are very grateful that they have chosen this work.  Evangelical Hospital continues to be the only hospital in Northumberland, Snyder, and Union Counties to employ SANE nurses.  Although there are other hospitals, their nurses and physicians may not be trained in evidence collection.  The chain of custody of said evidence may be broken in another medical facility.  Evangelical Hospital maintains an exam room, office, and bathroom in a suite to the rear of the Emergency Area specifically for SANE patients.  Their continued dedi...