Blog

Protection from abuse orders (PFAs) and threats of calling the police are not always sufficient to protect victims from domestic violence. Pennsylvania statutes reflect this reality, as the law allows individuals to defend...

While many people are lighting candles, baking cookies, and making plans for holiday gatherings, others are struggling in silence. For those living with an abusive partner, winter can make everything feel heavier, darker, and far...

W.C. Fields once mused, “I’d like to see Paris before I die… Philadelphia will do.” There is also no doubt that Philadelphia – in many ways the birthplace of American values and institutions – is a treasure. This...

Federal budget cuts are shutting down the safety net for domestic violence survivors. Shelters are closing their doors. Crisis hotlines are going dark. Legal advocates are being laid off. The organizations that have kept victims...

Domestic violence survivors in Pennsylvania depend on a network of shelters, counseling programs, and legal services to escape unsafe homes and rebuild their lives. But new federal directives from the Trump administration are...

College is an exciting time for students and a time of great anxiety for their parents. While parents may worry about violent crime by strangers on campus, for most women, the person they are dating poses a much greater threat. In...

When we talk about domestic violence or intimate partner violence (IPV), the conversation often centers around heterosexual relationships. Within the LGBTQ+ community, however, IPV is a real and dangerous part of life. Yet due to...

The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence (PCADV) and other domestic violence support groups in 16 other states filed a complaint against the Trump-Vance administration, challenging newly approved restrictions that...

When most people think of domestic violence, they mostly do so within the context of physical, sexual, or verbal abuse. Yet, there’s another form of abuse that an ex-partner can inflict on their victim: contacting them and...

Survivors of domestic violence, including spousal abuse, often face life’s most difficult moments in silence, isolation, and fear. But in Chester County, Pennsylvania, no one has to face being alone. The Domestic Violence...

Domestic violence does not stop when a victim decides to leave; in many instances, the threat of harm and pain intensifies during divorce and post-separation. In fact, it’s common for abusers to escalate their harmful...

A Punxsutawney man is facing assault and child endangerment charges following a domestic dispute incident. The man, 30-year-old Brett Michael Neal, was involved in an argument with the plaintiff, a woman. During the altercation,...

As a victim of domestic violence, making the decision to divorce can be challenging. It can come after years of abuse and denial. The process can be overwhelming, and separating from an abusive spouse doesn’t end the risk of...

In Pennsylvania, anyone looking to file a divorce must do so on no-fault or fault grounds. Unfortunately, for people who are in domestic abuse situations or pregnant, this may prove difficult. It is against this backdrop that...

Speaking up about domestic violence and seeking protection from abuse are never easy undertakings, no matter who a victim of mistreatment may be. Yet, specific circumstances can make the act of pursuing safety tougher for some...

Dating abuse and intimate partner violence are serious issues in Pennsylvania. The state has taken several measures to protect victims of abuse, but it can be hard to know which type of protection order you should get—especially...

Pennsylvania lawmakers recently convened at the state Capitol to advocate for House Bill 1210, a bipartisan initiative designed to amend Pennsylvania’s Protection from Abuse Act that would further protect victims of domestic...

The published advisory of US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and a 9-11-24 news release online in The Hill have raised the alarm that parental stress is now an urgent public health issue. Parental stress levels are currently so high...

In Pennsylvania, the danger of domestic violence is well understood. The legal system prioritizes the protection of victims through initiatives such as the Protection from Abuse Order (PFA). A PFA is a restraining order granted to...

Alexis Smith used her platform at the awards ceremony for Miss Kansas on June 8, 2024, to publicly call out domestic violence and courageously mention that her abuser was seated in the audience. The acceptance speech was published...