The Network - Advocating Against Domestic Violence

Less than 40 percent of Crime Victim Compensation applicants are compensated, but many more never apply in the first place, an investigation by The Trace found. Our partners at Ascend Justice helped push SB 3713 to help crime victim compensation more accessible and equitable.

A reminder: once a bill is sent to the Governor he has 60 days to decide whether to sign it into law. If he does not sign or veto the bill, it defaults to becoming state law after the 60 days are up. If a bill is passed by May 31 and does not have an effective date explicitly written in as part of the legislation, it goes into effect January 1 of the following year.

Sign up for our policy action alerts to get involved in advocacy that prioritizes survivors and their families
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“For people in controlling relationships, the voting process — at a polling location or at home by mail — can be even more fraught, domestic violence experts say...”

can affect a survivor’s ability and safety to being politically active. It is important to note that your voting information is private, and no one will be able to know which candidate you voted for.

If you are in Illinois experiencing domestic violence and would like help safety planning to vote, contact the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline at 877-TO END DV

Here is the Illinois voter registration site: https://ova.elections.il.gov
Remember that Illinois has same day voter registration!



Read the full article here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/08/12/voting-privacy-election-2024-spouse-online

Can my spouse or partner see whom I voted for? The upcoming election is raising questions about privacy in the internet era.

We're looking for sponsors!

Our annual Leading Together Partnership Breakfast is a perfect opportunity to meet like minded individuals in the community who are committed to ending gender-based violence.

Visit our event page to view sponsorship opportunities and benefits: https://bit.ly/3LSZKjz

Did you know that if you are a survivor of domestic or sexual violence, you may have the right to end your lease early or change your locks? A lot of folks don't know about this right, and that's what SB 3652 is intended to fix. Swipe right to learn more!

A reminder: once a bill is sent to the Governor he has 60 days to decide whether to sign it into law. If he does not sign or veto the bill, it defaults to becoming state law after the 60 days are up. If a bill is passed by May 31 and does not have an effective date explicitly written in as part of the legislation, it goes into effect January 1 of the following year.

Sign up for our policy action alerts to get involved in advocacy that prioritizes survivors and their families
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Our Special Report on is out now! Here is a brief overview of the findings from our report 👀

Domestic Gun Violence (DGV), as defined by The Network in the context of this report, is an incident of gun violence documented by the Gun Violence Archive characterized and publicly identified as being connected to

As part of our series, this Special Report on Domestic Gun Violence features a deep dive on data from Illinois, discusses context on the recent Supreme Court , and gives background on a legislative solution, .

These are the effects of DGV in Illinois:
📌After looking at national data, IL ranked 9th in 2023 for highest total deaths and injuries related to domestic gun violence. The top 3 states include Texas (458), Tennessee (206), and Louisiana (186).
📌 Even though the number of shootings has stagnated in IL, they have grown in lethality. Compared to pre-pandemic 2019, domestic gun violence deaths in IL have increased by 63%!
📌 On average in IL in 2023, each domestic violence shooting resulted in more than 3 times as many deaths as non-domestic violence shootings.
📌 DGV-related murder-suicides have doubled since 2019, and in 2023, accounted for 82% of all gun-facilitated murder-suicides in the state.
📌 Although DGV only accounted for about 12% of all mass shootings in Illinois in 2023, it accounted for 64% of all mass shooting victim deaths, demonstrating once again the staggering lethality of DGV.

Illinois reflects a national issue of the intersection between gun violence and domestic violence. Despite critical federal and state laws like the results from the , more must be done to ensure those who have caused harm do not have access to fi****ms. clarifies and strengthens the law to ensure firearm removal and enforcement can occur consistently and judiciously as part of the order of protection granted by a judge.

We encourage you to get involved with our policy advocacy work by downloading our report
➡️https://the-network.org/measuring-safety-2024/
and signing up for our policy action alerts!
➡️ bit.ly/3JHbhBx

Our September 40hr Domestic Violence Training is next month!

Do you work directly with survivors of gender-based violence? Are you an advocate for survivors and would like to learn more about gender-based violence? Then this training is for you!

The 40-Hour Domestic Violence Training is the basic state-required certificate training for new domestic violence professionals, including volunteers and interns. It is a stepping-stone for individuals who will be working directly with victims and survivors.

The training is also open to anyone who would like to learn how to address domestic violence in their own communities. Participants will leave with a comprehensive understanding of domestic violence, and the best practices to safely and appropriately support victims and survivors. Individuals must attend all virtual sessions in September to receive a Certificate of Completion.

Session Dates: Sep 3rd, 4th, 5th, 9th, 10th, 12th All dates are 9AM-5PM CT

Topics covered include:
💜Empowerment Advocacy & Counseling
💜Safety Planning & Basic Crisis Intervention
💜Partner Abuse Intervention Strategies
💜Impact of Domestic Violence on Children
💜Reproductive Justice
💜Housing Instability
💜Disability Justice
💜Criminalization of Survivors
💜Teen Dating Violence
💜Mental Wellness & Substance Use Issues
💜IDVA & other Legal Concerns
💜Heterosexism & Domestic Violence in LGBTQIA+ Relationships
💜Vicarious Trauma & Compassion Fatigue
💜And much more!

Register for our training here: https://bit.ly/3LUdBq3

Our Special Report on Domestic Gun Violence is out NOW!

This article features some of the key data from our report talking about .

“Shootings related to domestic violence in Illinois were significantly more lethal in 2023 even as their overall number remained mostly stable from previous years, a new report from The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence found. The report projected that 130 people in Illinois would die due to domestic gun violence in 2024.”

Read the rest of the article HERE: https://bit.ly/4dmiRyq

Interested in learning more? Join us for our Lunch and Learn this week where we will discuss the key takeaways from our new report! https://bit.ly/4f1CEEV

Deaths from domestic gun violence rose in 2023 in Illinois, report says A new report projects that 130 people in Illinois would die due to domestic gun violence in 2024.

NEW Special Report on Domestic Gun Violence has been released TODAY! 🤩

As part of our series, this Special Report on Domestic Gun Violence features a deep dive on data from Illinois, discusses context on the recent Supreme Court , and gives background on a legislative solution, .

Visit our website to download the report and learn more about the effects of in Illinois
➡️ bit.ly/3JHbhBx

Interested in hearing from us about the report? Register for our Lunch and Learn this Thursday, August 8th from 12-1:30pm.

In January 2023, an Illinois law took effect that was meant to help survivors of gender-based violence petition for reduced sentences in some circumstances. Instead, the law was undercut by an Illinois Supreme Court decision saying that survivors who took plea deals wouldn't be eligible, meaning that only one survivor was able to use the law as intended: Crystal Martinez, assisted by our partners at Ascend Justice. SB 3285 clarifies the law to explicitly allow petitions from those who took pleas—which is the case for most incarcerated criminalized survivors. Swipe right to learn more!

A reminder: once a bill is sent to the Governor he has 60 days to decide whether to sign it into law. If he does not sign or veto the bill, it defaults to becoming state law after the 60 days are up. If a bill is passed by May 31 and does not have an effective date explicitly written in as part of the legislation, it goes into effect January 1 of the following year.

Sign up for our policy action alerts to get involved in advocacy that prioritizes survivors and their families
➡️ https://p2a.co/TUE8lgH?iframe=1

Tickets are LIVE for the Leading Together Partnership Breakfast on October 17 at The Dalcy!

Our annual Leading Together Partnership Breakfast is a time for our supporters, member organizations, champions, and community leaders to celebrate accomplishments and set bold goals for the future - to ultimately end .

We are thrilled to announce our Leadership Award winners this year:

💜 Nikki Patin: Featured in The Guardian, Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Reader, on WBEZ, WTTW, FoxSoul, and on international television and radio, multidisciplinary artist Nikki Patin has been writing since she was 7. In 2014, Patin addressed the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland on behalf of Black women and girl survivors of sexual violence. Nikki Patin holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction from the University of Southern Main. She is the Founder and Executive Producer of Surviving the Mic and the Program Director for the Resident Association of Greater Englewood. Patin’s debut memoir, Working on Me, was recently released on Vine Leaves Press.

💜 Commissioner Brandie V. Knazze: Brandie Knazze is a native Chicagoan and has served as Commissioner of the Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) since June 2021. As DFSS Commissioner, Ms. Knazze oversees the strategy, operations, budget, and framework for citywide human and social-support initiatives in children services, community service centers, domestic violence, homeless services, senior services, workforce development, and youth services. DFSS’ vast spectrum of services touches almost every Chicago household from birth to senior years.

💜 CBS Chicago: CBS Chicago has consistent and committed reporting on violence against women and steadfast investigation into domestic violence cases.

We invite you to join us on this special event during !

Get your tickets today! ➡️ https://bit.ly/3LSZKjz

The Evanston City Council passed amendments to the Evanston Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance that will further protect tenants and survivors of gender-based violence in Evanston.

The Network, along with other community supporters and advocates, proposed two amendments aimed at keeping survivors safe when interferes with their housing stability.

The first recognizes that it is retaliation to increase rent, decrease services, evict someone, or refuse to renew their lease if a tenant exercises their right to a lock change or lease termination under the Illinois Safe Homes Act.

The second states that a lease agreement cannot limit a tenant's right to contact emergency assistance or otherwise penalize a tenant for contacting emergency assistance, which protects survivors that contact emergency assistance for their safety.

These updates will go into effect January 1st, 2025.

We’re for another Intern position! Join our Development and Communications team

The Development and Communications Intern will be primarily responsible for logistics related to the Run Domestic Violence Out of Town program, in addition to assistance with the Leading Together Partnership Breakfast and miscellaneous development and communications tasks.

✔️ Hybrid with remote and in person days required
✔️ Minimum 16 hours per week
✔️ Full academic year
✔️ $2500 for an academic year
✔️ In case of in-person events, evening and weekend hours may be required
✔️ Current graduate students pursuing degree in relevant subject matter preferred

Visit our website to apply! https://bit.ly/3V5lVrf

Do you want to know the impact the U.S. vs. Rahimi case had on domestic gun violence?

Learn more about The Network’s Special Report on Domestic Gun Violence at our Lunch and Learn!

As part of the series, our special report features a deep dive on domestic gun violence data in Illinois, discusses context on the recent Supreme Court , and gives background on a legislative solution, .

Following its release on August 5th, join us on Thursday, August 8th from 12-1:30pm to discuss the key takeaways from this special report!

Register here: https://bit.ly/4f1CEEV

Recently, the US Government Accountability Office ("GAO") released a report exploring how to improve assistance to survivors of gender-based violence in subsidized housing under the Violence Against Women Act. The GAO specifically considered how housing providers are using VAWA to emergency transfer survivors and challenges to the emergency transfer process. During this process, the GAO interviewed The Network to learn more about our work with the HUD Region V VAWA Pilot Program, under which we support Illinois survivors living in Project-Based Section 8 housing as they move under VAWA. As the GAO noted in its report, many housing providers struggle to transfer survivors, leaving Illinois survivors forced to choose between their subsidized housing and their safety.

Read GAO’s Opportunities Exist to Improve Oversight of Assistance to Survivors of Domestic Violence or Sexual Assault report here:https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-24-106481.pdf

A report from the Women's Justice Institute and the ACLU found that county jails in Illinois often restrained pregnant prisoners unnecessarily, did not provide them with the extra medical care or nutrition pregnancy requires, and otherwise treated pregnant incarcerated people without dignity. HB 5431 aims to address this.

A reminder: once a bill is sent to the Governor he has 60 days to decide whether to sign it into law. If he does not sign or veto the bill, it defaults to becoming state law after the 60 days are up. If a bill is passed by May 31 and does not have an effective date explicitly written in as part of the legislation, it goes into effect January 1 of the following year.

Sign up for our policy action alerts to get involved in advocacy that prioritizes survivors and their families.

➡️ https://p2a.co/TUE8lgH?iframe=1

We’re still taking Abstract submissions!

Our 4th Reclaiming Our Love: Social Justice & Domestic Violence Conference will take place in person at the Gleacher Center at Chicago Booth on March 19-20, 2025.

The focus of our 2025 conference is ‘advancing knowledge – refining practice’. We will continue to build on the foundations that have been set in our last three conferences and move forward with perfecting our understanding of concepts and practices that enable dismantling systemic power-based violence and creating better pathways to justice for survivors and advocates.

Are you interested in presenting at the conference?
Our Call for Abstracts is live!
Please submit your proposal by August 31.
➡️ https://bit.ly/4cR8LoY

Did you know that Illinois is among the top 10 states with the highest domestic gun violence deaths and injuries?

Learn more about Domestic Gun Violence in Illinois during our Lunch and Learn!

As part of the series, our special report features a deep dive on domestic gun violence data in Illinois, discusses context on the recent Supreme Court , and gives background on a legislative solution, .

Following its release on August 5th, join us on Thursday, August 8th from 12-1:30pm to discuss the key takeaways from this special report!

Register here: https://bit.ly/4f1CEEV

We're happy to announce the release of a Special Report on Domestic Gun Violence!

Part of the series, this special report features a deep dive on domestic gun violence data in Illinois, discusses context on the recent Supreme Court , and gives background on a legislative solution, .

We will be hosting a Lunch & Learn on Thursday, August 8th from 12-1:30pm to discuss the key takeaways from this special report!

Join us and register for our upcoming Lunch & Learn!
https://bit.ly/4f1CEEV

This week, we launched Affording Survival, our guaranteed income pilot project for survivors of domestic violence.

While individuals of all economic backgrounds experience gender-based violence, individuals earning a lower income are far more likely to be victims of gender-based violence and experience pervasive negative effects of the abuse. In 2021, forty-two percent of survivors in IL reported existing on $500 per month or less. During this program, The Network and partners will support at least sixty survivors of domestic violence with a guaranteed income for one year ($1000/month). Survivors will receive domestic violence services, including housing, from domestic violence service providers and financial coaching from advocates trained by LIFT.

Survivors for this pilot project have been selected and we cannot wait to get started!

Thank you to everyone who attended our launch event in support of this project. Thank you to our panelist: Amanda Pyron, Executive Director, and Colleen Norton, Director of Special Projects, from The Network, Sarah Spunt, Executive Director of LIFT, Joyce Coffee, CEO/Executive Director of Family Rescue, Rebecca Darr CEO of WINGS Program, Inc., Dr. Briana Nichols, Administrative Research Scientist from University of Pennsylvania, Center for Guaranteed Income Research, and Sharisse Kimbro, Senior Manager/Program Officer from The Allstate Foundation. And a very warm welcome back to Stephanie Love Patterson, the CEO from The National Network to End Domestic Violence.

This project would not be possible without the steadfast leadership from our funding partners at Polk Bros., Allstate Foundation, Michael Reese Health Trust, and local partners who choose to remain anonymous.

Please join The Network for a skill-building workshop to learn and practice transformative justice strategies. This workshop is for folks who already have some knowledge of transformative justice and are looking to deepen their skills in community with others.

Transformative Justice: From Theory to Practice
UPDATED: Friday September 27th 10am - 12pm
Free virtual training, open to the public! Registration is required.

LSW, LCSW and ICDVP CEUs will be provided.

Trainer Bio:
Erica Victoria (she/they) is a disabled, neurodivergent, non-binary q***r survivor, disability justice advocate, mental health worker, educator, and abolitionist. Erica's work centers primarily on supporting disabled survivors of violence. They teach on topics of disability justice, transformative justice, and the intersection of the two.

Register Here: bit.ly/3xY9iXs

Our housing advocacy team was out at an Accelerated Moving Event today, where survivors of GBV were matched to rapid rehousing while we provided them with legal advice, connected them with the Survivor Fund cash payments, and distributed Ventra cards under the DV and SA RTA Public Transportation Assistance Program.

Survivors who seek safety from domestic violence are brave. Children are healthier and happier when surrounded with safe, positive adult role models. A child who grows up in a safe, healthy environment learns to trust and is more likely to explore and interact with others. These relationships help build a lifetime of trust, increased self-esteem, and better performance in school.

Survivors, we see you. We hear you. We celebrate you. Your safety is your superpower, and no one can take that away from you!

If you need help safety planning or connecting to services, please contact the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline at 877-863-6338.

We’re a Data and Research Intern! 🤓

This intern will assist in all policy and data projects including researching state and local policies and analyzing relevant data sets to identify key trends. The intern will help develop, organize, and analyze data sets, and compile information for Measuring Safety, a series of reports published by The Network.

✔️Hybrid with remote and in person days required
✔️12-15 hours a week (flexible schedule)
✔️Full academic year
✔️$1,250 per semester
✔️College credit is available
✔️Student must currently be enrolled in a degree program in Public Policy, Political Science, Data Science, Economics or a related field.

Visit our website to apply! ➡️ https://bit.ly/3W7poWR

The Illinois General Assembly convenes every Spring from January through May 31 to pass legislation and pass the state's budget. The Network works to introduce, support and advocate for legislation and a budget that supports survivors and their families. The policy making process can be a long and challenging process, however with the support of the community change can happen.

This year with the help of your advocacy The Network sent 1,641 contacts on our priority bills. Your voice as part of the fight to enact policies and a state budget that invests in survivors is crucial!

While bills may pass through both the House and the Senate, Governor Pritzker has to decide to sign it into law or veto it as it's sent to his desk. Once a bill is sent to the Governor, he has 60 days to make a decision or the bill defaults to becoming state law after that period. If a bill does not have an effective date explicitly written in as part of the legislation, and is passed by May 31 it goes into effect January 1 of the following year.

Want to stay up to date on the on our policy work? Sign up for our Policy Alerts!
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🛑 Millions of U.S. workers are still not protected from workplace harassment and discrimination. The BeHEARD Act aims to change this by closing legal loopholes and extending protections to all workers, including those in the service industry and domestic work. 💪🏽

👉🏾 Join us in urging Congress to co-sponsor this critical legislation.

Support the BeHEARD Act to end sexual harassment Did you know that many low-wage, part-time, and contract workers aren't protected from workplace harassment? is the solution to end this. Quickly email lawmakers ensure a safe and respectful workplace for all! : []

“Labelle is one of at least 14 transgender and gender-nonconforming people slain in Chicago since 2016, according to data compiled by the Sun-Times.

Ten of those cases remain unsolved...

Most law enforcement agencies do not track transgender homicides, but researchers have recorded over 300 transgender people murdered nationwide between 2010 and 2021. The national clearance rate was just over 50%, but police in Chicago cleared only 14%, they found.”

Most murders of transgender women in Chicago go unsolved: 'I can’t let go without answers' Most law enforcement agencies do not track transgender homicides, but researchers have recorded over 300 transgender people murdered nationwide between 2010 and 2021. The national clearance rate is just over 50%, but Chicago police have cleared only 14%, researchers found.

seeks to create a 24-hour crisis response hotline for mental health-related emergencies and to reopen Chicago's shuttered mental health clinics.

Sign the petition⬇️
https://bit.ly/chicagomentalhealth

“Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a law that says domestic abusers with protection orders are banned from owning guns. But there are still problems domestic violence survivors face trying to get guns out of the hands of abusers, as in the case of one Chicago mother who was killed earlier this year after her abuser was allowed to keep his guns.”

China Mitchell went to court in October 2022 and was granted an Emergency Order of Protection against her former boyfriend, Louie Foster, whom she accused of abuse. But she needed more than the order, said Pauline McQueen, who was raised with China.

"It didn't help her," said McQueen. "Nothing helped her."

Our system is failing survivors of . China is, yet another example, of victims who look for protection and help, but we failed her.

, named after a woman and her daughter who were gunned down by an abuser, would enforce the firearm removal, close the transfer loophole, and protect survivors of domestic violence.

Sign up for our Policy Alerts to be notified of calls to action that support critical legislative, budgetary, & community efforts leading �to systemic improvements for survivors.
➡️ https://p2a.co/TUE8lgH?iframe=1

Read full article here: https://bit.ly/4bAaBtu

Chicago mom was killed after abuser was allowed to keep his guns A murky law involving emergency protection orders leads to some judges allowing domestic abusers to keep their weapons.

To celebrate the launch of our new pilot guaranteed income program survivors of , we would like to thank our funders!

This innovative pilot, in conjunction with LIFT, WINGS Program, Inc., Family Rescue, and other partners, will provide income and economic supports for survivors who have already enrolled into the program. It is our hope that, in addition to making a lasting impact in these survivors’ lives, The Network will be able to scale and use this pilot as a model program for other domestic violence agencies.

One of our program funders is the Michael Reese Health Trust, a longstanding partner of The Network. We are so grateful for their commitment to survivors and addressing as a public health issue.