So it's been a while since our last post, and a lot has happened in the news during this time regarding intimate partner violence. Stories about Charlie Sheen and Tiger Woods brought domestic violence into the spotlight for a brief time, often minimizing the seriousness of the issue and deriding the victims of the alleged abuse. While this was severely disappointing to those who have dedicated years of work to raising awareness and promoting education about intimate partner violence, it also helped to focus the purpose of the Intimate Violence Project. Because this is a new year, we are getting a fresh start on how we perceive and discuss the issue of intimate violence. Starting soon, we will begin to track our national and local media agencies portrayal of intimate violence. We will keep a scorecard of these organizations based on how responsibly they report on stories of domestic violence, dating violence and sexual violence-- giving grades that reflect whether they are promoting awareness or perpetuating myths.
We will also grade the states on how their legislation and funding reflect awareness of intimate partner violence and promotion of safety for survivors of violence. We'll even look at celebrities who lend their fame to educating others on intimate partner violence or who say irresponsible things that minimize intimate partner violence.
Hopefully these efforts will make 2010 the year that the truth triumphs over the myths of intimate partner violence. Happy 2010, all!
