SAFETY ALERT: Computer use is traceable and Internet activities can never be fully erased from your hard drive. If you think your computer use might be monitored please find a safer place to surf the web, like at a friend's house or the public library. Or call the 24 hour domestic violence hotline at (707) 255-NEWS (6397) if you are in Napa County or (800) 799-7233 if you are outside of Napa County. If you are viewing our site and need to get away quickly to an unrelated site, click the red ESCAPE button in the upper right corner and you will be redirected. Please test this feature on your computer RIGHT NOW to ensure you are comfortable using it.

En Español Continue

ALERTA DE SEGURIDAD: El uso de una computadora puede ser identificado y actividades en la internet nunca pueden ser totalmente eliminadas del disco duro. Si piensas que tu uso de computadora posiblemente esta siendo monitoriado favor de encontrar un  lugar seguro donde puedas navegar la red social, por ejemplo la casa de una amistad confiable o la biblioteca publica. O llama a nuestra  linea de Violencia Domestica disponible las 24 horas al 707-255-NEWS (6397) si te encuentras en el Valle de Napa, o a este (800) 799-7233 si te encuentras fuera del Condado de Napa. Si estas visitando nuestra pagina y necesitas salirte rapidamente a una pagina no relacionada, oprime el boton rojo de ESCAPE arriba en la esquina de la mano derecha y seras desviado/a. Favor de probar este función en su computadara AHORA MISMO para asegurarse que se sienta comodo/a usando esta función.

Los servicios de NEWS están disponibles para todos, independientemente del estatus migratorio.

In English Continuar

En Español Continue

NEWS is here to help!

NEWS is committed to supporting victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse, especially during this time of unprecedented transitions and health concerns. Out of deep respect for our employees and their families, for the time being, we will be pausing the ability to take walk-ins at our administrative office, and will be serving clients by appointment only. In no way will our commitment to providing safety, hope, healing and empowerment for survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse be minimized.

The NEWS Emergency Shelter programs remain operational 24-hours a day, and we continue to provide safe housing, emergency counseling, and emergency needs to victims escaping violence.

If you, or anyone you know, needs to access NEWS services at any time, please have them call our 24-hour help line (707) 255-6397 for immediate assistance. Also, you may continue on to our website or email us.

Thank you for your understanding and consideration,


Tracy Lamb
Executive Director


In English Continuar

Los servicios de NEWS están disponibles para todos, independientemente del estatus migratorio

¡NEWS está aquí para ayudar!

NEWS se compromete a apoyar a las víctimas de violencia doméstica y abuso sexual, especialmente durante este tiempo de transiciones sin precedentes y preocupaciones de salud. Por un profundo respeto por nuestros empleados y sus familias, por el momento, suspenderemos la capacidad de recibir visitas sin cita previa en nuestra oficina administrativa y atenderemos a los clientes solo con cita previa. De ninguna manera se minimizará nuestro compromiso de brindar seguridad, esperanza, sanación y empoderamiento a las sobrevivientes de violencia doméstica y abuso sexual.

Los programas de Refugio de Emergencia de NEWS permanecen operativos las 24 horas del día, y continuamos brindando vivienda segura, consejería de emergencia y necesidades de emergencia a las víctimas que escapan de la violencia.

Si usted, o alguien que conoce, necesita acceder a los servicios de NEWS en cualquier momento, pídales que llamen a nuestra línea de ayuda las 24 horas (707) 255-6397 para obtener asistencia inmediata. Además, puede continuar en nuestro sitio web o enviarnos un correo electrónico.

Gracias por su comprensión y consideración.


Tracy Lamb, directora ejecutiva de NEWS

707-255-NEWS (6397)

24 HOUR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ABUSE HELP LINE
LINEA DE AYUDA LAS 24 HORAS PARA VIOLENCIA DOMESTICA Y ABUSO SEXUAL

1-800-799-7233

OUTSIDE OF NAPA COUNTY
FUERA DEL CONDADO DE NAPA

Being an Active Bystander

Planning for prevention and intervention

One of the many advantages to a bystander approach is that it enables everyone to take a role in ending domestic violence. By shifting the responsibility to end violence onto the community at large, a bystander approach discourages victim blaming, invites both men and women to share responsibility, and reduces community-wide risk factors for domestic violence.

 

Bystander Basics

Why It’s Hard to be a Bystander

To be blunt, domestic violence is frightening. If you’ve witnessed an incident of abuse, or if you suspect a friend is experiencing violence at home, finding a supportive way to get involved may seem overwhelming. We may fear that our instincts are wrong, that we’re being nosy, or that we’re unqualified to intervene. These are all valid emotional responses to witnessing violence that make it hard to speak up against violence.

In cases where we’re speaking up against the social norms that contribute to domestic violence, we may fear coming across as argumentative or intrusive. We may fear embarrassment or retaliation, or we may not know what to say when we want to speak up. When it comes to speaking up against sexism, men and women both fear the perception of being too politically correct or aggressive. All of these emotional responses are understandable and make it difficult to intervene. 

For all these reasons, it’s understandable why we to hesitate speak up when faced with an opportunity to be active bystanders. But the more we understand about safe interventions and what social norms we need to look out for, the more comfortable we can become when speaking up, and the more effective we’ll all be in creating safe, violence-free communities.

 

Why Bystander Intervention is for Everyone

A bystander approach to ending domestic violence is about enabling community members to prevent and intervene in violence.  In this approach whole communities are part of the solution to end abuse. Though it sounds intimidating, bystander intervention is not always as direct or as confrontational as it sounds. It’s true that a bystander to domestic violence may witness an actual incident of abuse—but more commonly, a bystander may witness a sexist comment, a victim blaming remark, or any other word or behavior that can contribute to a culture of violence. The truth is that all of us have probably been bystanders to conversations or behaviors that can contribute to domestic violence, and more than likely, we’ve all been unsure about how to speak up, or we’ve felt afraid or anxious to do so.  Learning to recognize these behaviors and to respond appropriately, however, can help to alleviate this anxiety and can enable you to be an active bystander in a way that’s right for you.

While anyone can be a bystander, an active bystander is one who recognizes a problem and decides to intervene in a way that feels safe and appropriate for him or her.  No two interventions will look the same, because there is no “right way” to be an active bystander. 

Being an active bystander may mean intervening in violence that’s already occurring, whether it’s physical, verbal, emotional, or sexual abuse. The abuse could be between people you don’t know, or you may find out about a friend or acquaintance who’s experiencing violence. But speaking up against abuse that’s already occurring is only a small part of bystander intervention.  

Most of the chances we have to be active bystanders are about stopping violence before it starts. Leading up to every incident of abuse are all kinds of behaviors, words, and actions that can normalize and condone violence in a community.  Even actions like a sexist joke or victim-blaming remark can contribute to a culture in which domestic violence is tolerated. The good news is that if we all view ourselves as potentially active bystanders and learn strategies for speaking up against the social norms that contribute to abuse, all of us can play a role in ending domestic violence.