We are heartbroken by the U.S. Supreme Court’s unprecedented decision to upend settled law and overturn Roe vs. Wade. The decision will disproportionately impact those who are already marginalized: people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, low income patients,...
Blog
Grooming 101: How to Spot it; How to Stop It
What is Grooming? Grooming is a tactic in which someone methodically builds a trusting relationship with a child or young adult, their family, and community to manipulate, coerce, or force the child or young adult to engage in sexual activities. The person grooming...
Temporary Decrease in Federal Funding Puts Victims of Crime at Serious Risk
A letter signed by seven victim service organizations to Governor Lamont urged his support for victims of crime by offsetting a temporary but significant loss of funding to crime victims in Connecticut. The federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), administered in the...
Alliance Joins Blumenthal in Push to Secure State Funds for Survivors of Sexual Violence
The Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence joined Senator Richard Blumenthal and fellow anti-violence agencies outside the Capitol building in late December to highlight the impending vote on the reauthorization of the Violence Against Woman Act (VAWA). "We're...
‘Children Deserve Better’: Alliance Executive Director on Preventing Abuse Depicted in ‘Allen Vs. Farrow’
Author’s Note: A version of this piece was published in the Hartford Courant on March 27, 2021. Through numerous email and phone exchanges over the course of two weeks, I conceded to changes to its contents to make the op-ed viable for publication. Those changes...
Rowan Talks: Keeping the Conversation Current During Lockdown
As educators and students have had to adjust to distance learning, The Rowan Center has pivoted to do the same, making sure that education about sexual violence is still reaching the community. Their series, ‘Rowan Talks,’ delivers bite-sized video snippets...
Beauty For Ashes: How a Survivor Leads Healing Through Trauma-Informed Yoga
Nikki Adams, founder of Beauty for Ashes Wellness Cultivation, leads trauma-informed yoga with an emphasis on release of trapped trauma for survivors of childhood sexual abuse. When Nikki Adams turned to yoga to heal the trauma she endured as a survivor of childhood...
Youth Lead the Way at Center for Family Justice’s Community Research Project
Youth involved in the Center for Family Justice's Pathways to Justice program meet weekly to plan the focus of their research and practice guided self-care techniques. What’s the most difficult part of leading Youth-led Participatory Action Research? Ensuring that the...
Rayna Dyton-White: Finding Balance in the World of Defense and Community Advocacy
"As a ‘spitfire’ teenage activist who grew into an attorney, Rayna Dyton-White’s varied background prepared her for her eventual role as the Director of Diversity and Inclusion and Title IX Coordinator at the University of St. Joseph. Her transition from court to...
Johanna DeBari: A Pathway Toward Restorative Justice On Campus
Coming to the close of a year fraught with continued challenges, Johanna DeBari has found a silver lining in the face of tumult. Social distancing amid the pandemic threatens to depersonalize the student survivors she strives to support at Wesleyan University as...
Therapy in the Age of Social Distancing: Women and Families Center’s Virtual Counseling Room Offers Welcoming Oasis
A digitized version of Jessica LaComb - child counselor advocate at the Women and Families Center - welcomes clients to her virtual therapy room. As the shared experience of 'Zoom fatigue' sets in, those who work with children are especially strapped to find a way to...
Title IX Roundtable – A Collaborative Response to the Latest Revisions
Event program available here. This half-day conference includes speakers, panelists, and group discussion as we explore best practices in providing support to survivors of sexual violence on college and university campuses in our state in light of the recently...