In an effort to raise awareness about Intimate Partner Violence and support the Office on Violence Against Women, the FEAR project would like to bring to your attention October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. http://www.usdoj.gov/ovw/domviolence Domestic violence can be defined as a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner.Domestic violence can be physical, sexual, emotional, economic, or psychological actions or threats of actions that influence another person. This includes any behaviors that intimidate, manipulate, humiliate, isolate, frighten, terrorize, coerce, threaten, blame, hurt, injure, or wound someone.

• Physical Abuse: Hitting, slapping, shoving, grabbing, pinching, biting, hair-pulling, biting, etc. Physical abuse also includes denying a partner medical care or forcing alcohol and/or drug use.
• Sexual Abuse: Coercing or attempting to coerce any sexual contact or behavior without consent. Sexual abuse includes, but is certainly not limited to marital rape, attacks on sexual parts of the body, forcing sex after physical violence has occurred, or treating one in a sexually demeaning manner.
• Emotional Abuse: Undermining an individual's sense of self-worth and/or self-esteem. This may include, but is not limited to constant criticism, diminishing one's abilities, name-calling, or damaging one's relationship with his or her children.
• Economic Abuse: Making or attempting to make an individual financially dependent by maintaining total control over financial resources, withholding one's access to money, or forbidding one's attendance at school or employment.
• Psychological Abuse: Causing fear by intimidation; threatening physical harm to self, partner, children, or partner's family or friends; destruction of pets and property; and forcing isolation from family, friends, or school and/or work.

Domestic violence can happen to anyone regardless of race, age, sexual orientation, religion, or gender. Domestic violence affects people of all socioeconomic backgrounds and education levels. Domestic violence occurs in both opposite-sex and same-sex relationships and can happen to intimate partners who are married, living together, or dating.
Domestic violence not only affects those who are abused, but also has a substantial effect on family members, friends, co-workers, other witnesses, and the community at large. Children, who grow up witnessing domestic violence, are among those seriously affected by this crime. Frequent exposure to violence in the home not only predisposes children to numerous social and physical problems, but also teaches them that violence is a normal way of life - therefore, increasing their risk of becoming society's next generation of victims and abusers.Sources: National Domestic Violence Hotline, National Center for Victims of Crime, and WomensLaw.org.       Mission Statement of the FEAR project (Friends Educating Against Rape)The FEAR project is a 501(c)3 non-profit incorporated in 2005 dedicated to opening dialog about sexual violence in communities. FEAR project members use multi media documentaries to tell personal stories of sexual violence and its lasting effect on individuals. The FEAR project is committed to speaking with groups to raise awareness about the benefits of seeking medical attention and to address the subject of sexual violence resulting in an empathetic, supportive community less likely to silence survivors. 
The FEAR project would like to offer you the opportunity to engage in a screening of ‘Rebecca’s Story’. Creative director and photo journalist: Tim Matsui’s multi media documentary combines both photo and radio journalism to tell a personal story of sexual violence. The audience will go through a poignant journey in which Rebecca reflects on her adolescent experiences of sexual assault when she revisits her hometown 20 years later. The purpose of this screening is to dispel the myths of rape and create dialog about sexual assault while building a community less likely to silence victims.FEAR volunteer speakers include: Rebecca, providing very personal and valuable insight from her assault experiences. Tim, who experienced several rape disclosures in college and later, while working with teens learned of the impact of sexual violence on this group coping with the suicide of their teacher, a man alleged to have sexually abused the teens in his care; Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE-A) Alison, who regularly sees adults and adolescents that have been sexually assaulted at Harborview Medical Center, Seattle’s level one trauma center. Alison explains the benefits of seeking out medical attention while demystifying the sexual assault kit and the value of a forensic exam. 

For more information or a brochure to assist with bookings please contact:                                           

 Alison J. Cathro RN, SANE-A

Board Member of the FEAR project

alison@fearproject.org