Creating Safe Environments for Living and Healing Linda Crockett, Director, Walking Together: Support for Survivors of Family Violence The New York Times printed a public awareness message about violence last year. An artist’s sketch depicted a dark, scary-looking ally littered with trash. Far above, bright warm lights were shining through a prettily curtained apartment window of a high-rise building. With a bold arrow pointing toward the alley, the caption read “For many women and children, its safer down here than it is up there.” And unfortunately, that’s true. The majority of violence against women and children is not committed by strangers, but comes from within the circle of family, friends and acquaintances. According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control, nearly 5.3 million intimate partner victimizations occur each year. The death toll in Pennsylvania last year for domestic violence was 153, which included 110 victims who were murdered and 34 perpetrators who committed suicide; other perpetrators died in shoot-outs with the police. At least one in four girls and one in six boys are sexually abused before the age of 18. Women with a childhood history of sexual abuse are 4.7 times more likely to be subsequently raped. They are more likely to develop PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) than combat veterans. Perhaps you are thinking that none of this applies to you or anyone you know. But the reality is that these statistics wear the faces of people in our community, in our civic clubs, in our workplaces, and in our congregations. Family violence occurs without regard to race, class or religion. Often, the cries of the victims are only heard by God. We all want to live in safe communities. We all want streets we can walk without fear and safe schools for our children. But these will remain elusive dreams until we can understand the connections between the physical, sexual and emotional violence that occurs within so many families and the systemic violence that permeates our society. To help us learn how we can reduce violence and create safer communities, the Samaritan Counseling Center’s Walking Together program and the YWCA’s Sexual Assault Prevention & Counseling Center have joined together to offer a full day conference and a free community address featuring noted international speaker and author Dr. Sandra Bloom. The conference and associated events offer an exceptional learning opportunity for parents, social service professionals, clergy and faith communities, school nurses and guidance counselors, medical caregivers, therapists, survivors, advocates and others. The Conference Creating a Safe Place: A Community Response to Family Violence will be held September 23, 2005 from 8:15 AM – 4:45 PM. In addition to Dr. Bloom’s keynote address “Creating Sanctuary: An Organizational Model for Treating Survivors of Trauma” the conference offers nine workshops, exhibits, an interactive panel discussion by community experts on violence, survivor art and much more. Registration by July 29, 2005 is $40 per person, and $50 after July 29, 2005. Student rates and group discounts are available. Continental breakfast and lunch included. For a brochure and registration form, contact the Samaritan Counseling Center at 717 560 9969 or click on Events on our website. Associated Events Community Address A free community lecture will be held on Thursday, September 22, 2005 at 7:00 PM. Light refreshments will be served. In her innovative presentation Creating Sanctuary at Home, at School, at Work and in the Community, Dr. Bloom will help us to think about violence as a contagious disease and offer us the opportunity to learn how to increase our "social immunity". To do so we must understand the roots of violence, what triggers it, the way it spreads, and factors that protect a community against violence. Creating nonviolent, safe environments at home, at school, at work and in the community requires us all to redefine what “safety” really means in its broadest sense and then to commit ourselves to achieving more safety in our individual and social lives. Dr. Bloom will discuss how we actively create and/or support a culture of violence and what goes into creating nonviolent, safe environments for healing and for living. Coffee House Following the conclusion of the “Creating a Safe Place” conference on Friday, an informal Coffee House will be open to conference participants and the general public from 5:15 PM – 6:45 PM. Art from survivors of domestic and sexual violence, music, poetry, readings, and light refreshments will be served. Survivors – and those who care for them – are invited to “speak out” and share a part of their story if they wish during this time. NO REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED FOR THE COMMUNITY ADDRESS OR COFFEE HOUSE. ALL EVENTS WILL BE HELD AT THE FAMILY LIFE CENTER of the LANCASTER CHURCH OF THE BRETHEN.
	Samaritan Counseling Center 1803 Oregon Pike Lancaster, PA 17601 717-560-9969 · 1-800-400-7789 Fax 717-560-9553