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aid to victims of violence (AVV)
A Free, Confidential Service Program for Victims
of Violence in Cortland County
Read Our Newsletter! Fall 2005 | Summer 2005
AVV Services | Victim of Domestic Violence? |
Facts | Sexual Assault Prevention |
Prevention Education | Crime Victims Compensation |
Satellite Office
crisis hotline
24 Hours A Day, 7 Days A Week
- call toll free: 1-800-336-9622
- or locally: (607) 756-6363
OUR SERVICES
Aid to Victims of Violence provides comprehensive domestic violence and sexual assault services - we are here to help!
Accompaniment: A staff person will accompany the victim to the police station, the hospital, our safe dwelling, social services, the courts, and other locations as required.
Advocacy: Advocates work to inform victims of their rights, legal options, as well as assistance in filing Crime Victims Compensation applications.
Crisis Intervention: Assistance to victims either on the phone or in person providing support in the midst of a crisis, as well as referrals for additional services.
Legal Referrals: Staff provide referrals to victims for orders of protection and custody petitions. Sources of referrals may include the family court clerk, private attorneys, legal aid services, the public defender's office, or the police department.
Phone Counseling: 24 hour confidential hotline for victims. Advocates are available to offer support, provide intervention options and clarify victims' rights.
Prevention Education: Provides information and programming about the cycle of violence, the various forms of domestic abuse, and sexual assault.
Safe Dwelling: Emergency safe housing for victimized women and their children. Male victims receive safe alternative housing. All basic needs, including food, clothing, and shelter are provided.
Support Counseling: On-going supportive lay counseling provided by advocates as a victim moves through the healing process.
Support Group: Providing survivors with goal setting and life enhancement skills to create opportunities for individual growth and confidence.
The purpose of AVV is to empower victims of abuse to live their own lives free of abuse and oppression by helping them explore options on their own, through this intervention.
A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE?
Sometimes individuals are not sure if they are victims of domestic violence. The following checklist can help you determine if you or someone you know is abused.
Does your partner...
- constantly criticize you?
- behave in an overprotective way or become
extremely jealous?
- threaten to hurt you, your children, pets, family, friends, or him or herself?
- prevent you from seeing family or friends?
- get suddenly angry?
- destroy personal property?
- deny you access to family resources like the car, bank accounts, credit cards, or control all finances and force you to account for what you spend?
- intimidate or manipulate you or your children
- hit, punch, slap, shove, or bite you?
- prevent you from going where you want to, when you want to?
- force you to have intercourse?
- humiliate, put you down or embarrass you in front of others?
If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you may be a victim of abuse. You are not alone - millions of women and men are abused by their partners each year.
FACTS ABOUT SEXUAL ASSAULT
- One in three women and one in six men will become a victim of sexual assault before the age of 18.
- One in four women will become a victim of rape in her lifetime.
- Over one half the rapes that occur are committed by someone the victim knows.
- Only 1 in 10 rapes that occur are reported.
- Rape is defined as forced sexual intercourse and in any form is a crime!
- Rape is not a sexual act - it is a violent assault to express a need for power and control.
- Most rapes are not random acts: rapists choose their victims.
SEXUAL ASSAULT PREVENTION
Awareness: The crime of rape is one of the most underreported crimes in the country. Rapes happen all around us and anyone could be a victim.
Attitude: Even when you are with someone you know, pay attention to non-verbal communication. Are you being treated with respect?
Assertiveness: If you are in a situation that makes you feel uncomfortable, you may need to communicate "NO" clearly. How well you communicate your wishes relates to what will happen next.
Response: If you consider your response to an assault beforehand, you may be able to save your own life. Letting someone else know your whereabouts and who you are with are steps to building safety and awareness. Whatever your tactic is - if it saves your life, it is the right one.
PREVENTION EDUCATION
Prevention education is key to ending the cycle of abuse. Aid to Victims of Violence provides programs, workshops, conferences, and presentations on a wide variety of topics, including:
- Assertiveness Skills and Body Language
- Bullying-Who Does It and How To Stop It
- Celebrating Diversity and Ending Racism
- Children and the Effects of Domestic Violence
- Domestic Violence and The Cycle of Violence
- Elder Abuse: Age Doesn't Matter
- Flirting or Hurting? Teens and Sexual Harassment
- Friends: How to Be One and How to Make One
- Good Communication Skills
- Ground Rules for Fighting Fair
- Healthy Relationships, Healthy Choices
- Males Experiencing Domestic Violence
- Parenting - Discipline vs. Punishment
- Peer Pressure and Self-Esteem
- Pet Safe: The Link between Animal Cruelty
and Domestic Violence
- New York State Crime Victims Board
Compensation Program
- Respect * Responsibility * Accountability
- Safe Touch: My Body Belongs To Me
- Sexual Assault Prevention
- Sexual Harassment
- Stalking
- Verbal Abuse: Words that Hurt and
Words That Heal
- Violence in the Workplace
- The Clothesline and Shoe Projects; Helping
Survivors Heal Through Artistic Expression
Presentations are available for all age groups and can be tailored to meet the needs of the audience.
For more information, contact:
Phone: 607-753-3639
E-mail: avveducator@cortlandywca.org
crime victims compensation
New York State Crime Victims Board offers compensation to help crime victims recover some of the financial losses resulting from a crime. Compensation benefits include:
- Medical expenses not covered by insurance
- Loss of earnings
- Counseling expenses
- Burial expenses
- Cost for repair of essential personal property that was destroyed because of a crime
Our staff is here to help victims of any crime determine eligibility for benefits. For eligible victims, our staff will assist in the preparation of benefit requests.
SATELLITE OFFICE
In partnership with SUNY Cortland, Aid to Victims of Violence operates a satellite office on SUNY Cortland's campus.
Campus Office: Corey Union, Room 411
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