Domestic Violence: What Is Economic Abuse?

Seventy-four percent of domestic violence survivors stayed with a partner longer than they wanted to because of financial concerns. If a survivor doesn’t have money for a rental deposit, a hotel room or even a bus ride, she is going to have a hard time leaving her abuser. Many perpetrators of domestic violence -- particularly males -- limit their victims’ access to financial resources in order to trap them.

In this video, Jennifer Quiróz, Economic Resilience Program Manager at the YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish, explains how economic abuse can look in different relationships. She also shares why economic abuse is such an effective tool for trapping women in violent situations.

Domestic Violence: Name It. Act to End It.

The cycle of abuse depends on silence. First we must name domestic violence. Then we can act to end it. Firesteel is breaking the silence. Our interactive quiz testing and building your knowledge about domestic violence in Washington state will be online and sharable throughout the month. Each week, we’ll share a new video and blog posts about domestic violence -- what it looks like, how it causes family homelessness, and how we can end it.

Culture Watch: “Inocente”: A Young Artist’s Journey Through Homelessness

The Academy Award-winning documentary "Inocente" introduces you to a 15-year-old painter at a moment in her life when everything is about to change. Not only is she moving out of her mother’s care and into a homeless shelter for teens, but she is also preparing for her first art exhibition. The artist featured in the film, Inocente Izucar, will visit Seattle for a screening event at Seattle Art Museum Friday night, Sept. 27. Community counseling graduate student Perry Firth previews the Seattle screening event and reflects on the film's themes of homelessness, immigration and domestic violence in today's "Culture Watch" post.

Stand Against Racism: What Now?

In our final Stand Against Racism post, Nanyonjo, our YWCA Seattle I King I Snohomish Americorps volunteer, reflects on her own healing process as a survivor of sexual violence. She found support in her community of friends and two organizations that gave her the tools to understand the importance of personal and community accountability. In Nanyonjo's words, "It is a continuous process to be an ally to a survivor, not an end goal. In order for the process of justice to begin, we must examine the way our own communities further rape culture, victim blaming, and the silencing of survivors." Unfortunately not all survivors of violence receive the same support which too often leads to instability and homelessness. Nan calls us to examine how systems of privilege and oppression shape our everyday lives and work towards a world without domestic and sexual violence.

Stand Against Racism: VAWA in Context

This year's reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) will continue to bring the United States closer to decreasing the incidence of and improving the services for domestic violence and sexual assault. The expansion and renewal of VAWA was essential—and it’s great that we can move forward with it. But there are many needs that the law has yet to meet. This post by YWCA Walla Walla Communications Coordinator Sara Rasmussen considers the improvements made in the current version of VAWA, as well as its limitations. Sara also introduces you to our Stand Against Racism blog series, which will examine how discrimination and institutional racism create barriers for violence survivors trying to access housing services and resources.

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