Mutual Ground Offers 60-Hour Training for Those Who Oppose Domestic Violence
Anyone who looks at police reports or talks to people in law enforcement or social service agencies in Kane County knows that domestic violence is one of the most-frequent and less-reported crimes.
Talk to anyone at Mutual Ground, and you’ll know that breaking the cycle of domestic violence is key to fighting that crime. Now, Mutual Ground is providing another way to do that, through training of hospital advocates.
Mutual Ground will offer Certified 60 Hour Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Training, from Tuesday, Sept. 15 , through Tuesday, Oct. 6, for hospital advocates. Training will take place from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays.
Anyone who wants to be a hospital advocate for Mutual Ground, should contact Julie Judd at jjudd@mutualground.org or call 630-897-0084 ext. 104.
For more information, visit the Mutual Ground website.
Signs of an Abusing Relationship
There are many signs of an abusive relationship—some are obvious, others are not. Breaking the cycle of violence begins with education, and to that end Mutual Ground has placed this information on its website to help you better understand your situation.
The most telling sign of an abusive relationship is a real fear of your partner.
If you feel like you have to walk on eggshells around your partner — constantly watching what you say and do in order to avoid a blow-up — chances are your relationship is unhealthy and abusive. Other signs that indicate you may be in an abusive relationship include a partner who belittles you or tries to control you. This usually results in you experiencing feelings of self-loathing, helplessness and desperation.
People who are being emotionally abused may:
- Seem afraid and anxious to please their partner
- Go along with everything their partner says and does
- Check in often with their partner to report where they are and what they’re doing
- Receive frequent, harassing phone calls from their partner
- Talk about their partner’s temper, jealousy, or possessiveness
People who are being physically abused may:
- Have frequent injuries, with the excuse of “accidents”
- Frequently miss work, school, or social occasions, without explanation
- Dress in clothing designed to hide bruises or scars (e.g. wearing long sleeves in the summer or sunglasses indoors)
People who are being isolated by their abuser may:
- Be restricted from seeing family and friends
- Rarely go out in public without their partner
- Have limited access to money, credit cards or the car
People who are being abused may:
- Have very low self-esteem, even if they used to be confident
- Show major personality changes (e.g. an outgoing person becomes withdrawn)
- Be depressed, anxious or suicidal
SOURCE: Mutual Ground website
