What can communities do about sex trafficking?
Archive | Domestic and Sexual Violence
Current Focus
MaineFocus on Sexual Violence: This year, we will examine child victims, whose lives are forever altered and the crime against them is often unrecognized, misunderstood or ignored. We’ll also examine programs that treat sex offenders, many of whom were victimized themselves as children. What can Maine do help kids and break this cycle?
MaineFocus on Domestic Violence: We will turn our attention to rehabilitation of domestic violence offenders in Maine. From the Maine State Prison to small anti-violence nonprofits, offenders are given the chance to change. The question: Will they?
Maine’s chance to predict, stop domestic violence homicides
Domestic and Sexual Violence Maine FocusOver the course of 20 years, Dorothy Giunta-Cotter’s husband, William, kidnapped her, beat her and strangled her with a telephone cord. He pushed her down a flight of stairs when she was pregnant. The day he hit one of their daughters repeatedly in the head, because he didn’t like what she was wearing, Dorothy took […]
Human trafficking: Underreported, underground sexual violence
Domestic and Sexual Violence Maine FocusA story Monday by BDN reporter Dawn Gagnon highlighted an issue sexual violence advocates have been working to tackle for years — forced child prostitution, also called human trafficking. According to the story, three victims in a recent three-day FBI sting that netted 150 arrests were children from Maine. The victims’ names and hometowns are […]
The making of Proof
Domestic and Sexual Violence Maine Focus Project AnnouncementsLearn how a team at the BDN created a multimedia project called Proof, about sexual assault in Maine, and our survivors’ response to it.
Sexual abuse is a “gateway experience” that often leads to drug addiction later in life
Domestic and Sexual Violence Maine FocusLesser known fact about Sigmund Freud – early in his career he was all but laughed out of his field for suggesting that sexual abuse within families was a significant social problem. To remain respected he recanted his findings. Toward the end of his career he went back to his original claims and backed them […]
Proof is in the patient’s heart
Domestic and Sexual Violence Maine FocusMichelle Markie is a sexual assault forensic examiner and registered nurse at St. Joseph Hospital in Bangor. She is one of two certified SAFE nurses at the hospital, a certification requiring a 40-hour class, hours of observation, ongoing education and practice administering rape kits. A rape kit, officially known as a Maine State Sex Crimes […]
Dover-Foxcroft police design child-centered sexual violence interview room
Domestic and Sexual Violence Maine FocusSexual violence is traumatic for anyone, but especially for children, who may not understand what happened to them or that they are a victim. As such, advocates argue that interviewing a child multiple times can cause undue stress and should be avoided. Gretchen Ziemer, an advocate with Rape Response Services in Bangor, said officials often […]
An ad to reach abused children that only children can see
Domestic and Sexual Violence Maine FocusA Spanish organization called the Aid to Children and Adolescents at Risk Foundation created an advertisement that shows different messages simultaneously for adults and children. It’s designed to reach children if their abuser is walking or standing next to them. Anyone who is taller than 4 feet, 5 inches, will see an image of a […]
Featuring the Shepherd’s Godparent Home’s newest project
Domestic and Sexual Violence Maine FocusIn January, reporter Alex Barber spent a day at the Shepherd’s Godparent Home in Bangor profiling a new project the organization had unveiled to help young mothers after their babies are born. Women were allowed to stay in the godparent home in Bangor until they gave birth but then are asked to find alternative housing. […]
40 hours: Rape Response Services Advocate training
Domestic and Sexual Violence Maine FocusFor Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April 2013, BDN Newsroom Administrator Natalie Feulner and Editorial Page Editor Erin Rhoda took 40 hours of training to become advocates for victims of sexual assault. The training was provided by Rape Response Services, a subsidiary of Penquis in Bangor, to ready volunteers to meet victims at the hospital […]