Last Best News (https://montana-mint.com/lastbestnews/author/beth-wiley/)
Everyone sees headlines in the newspaper about abuse. People often ask, why didn’t the victim just leave? Why didn’t they tell anyone? It’s understandable to feel that way when you might not know about the dynamics of abuse. I’d like to help shed light on some of those dynamics. Continue Reading →
Some studies suggest that about 70 percent of all rape victims know their attackers. For victims college age and younger, that number increases to between 80 and 90 percent, depending on the study. However, there’s something wrong with what I just wrote. (more…) Continue Reading →
Aurora was terrified. She had received another rose delivered at her place of work. It was from an anonymous sender, but she knew it was from Adam. Her co-workers couldn’t understand Aurora’s reaction—crying and insisting she needed to leave work early to contact law enforcement. They thought the flower was sweet and romantic, even though Aurora had broken up with Adam six months earlier. Continue Reading →
Names and biographical information have been changed to protect client confidentiality. The smell of gingerbread and sugar icing filled the air when Madison came to our office that December. Her three daughters bounced around as they helped the staff eat the treats they’d brought while Madison talked with an advocate. (more…) Continue Reading →
Human beings have a dual nature—a dark and light side. Yet, we label those we like as “good,” and those we dislike as “bad.” We often have problems believing anyone we label as “good” could be guilty of domestic or sexual violence. We forget that a person can be “good,” but still be capable of making bad choices that hurt others. It might easier to see this contradiction clearly in celebrities. It’s hard to imagine the possibility that Hope Solo might have physically assaulted her half-sister and nephew. Continue Reading →
RED LODGE — At Domestic and Sexual Violence Services, we follow national news stories that deal with issues we see close to home. Lately, we’ve been following the media blitz about the Stanford rape case. If you haven’t heard, at the beginning of June, Brock Turner, a Stanford student, was convicted by a jury of three counts of felony sexual assault. Sadly, Judge Aaron Persky gave Turner an extremely light sentence of six months in jail with a high likelihood that he would be out in three months. After this farce of justice, the victim went public with an eloquently written letter to the court and the rapist. (more…) Continue Reading →
