Ending Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Starts with All of Us

Designed to increase awareness and action to end domestic violence and sexual assault, the NO MORE symbol is spreading the message nationwide. It asks supporters to join in saying “NO MORE silence, NO MORE violence and NO MORE excuses.” Learn more at nomore.org.

Before the late 1990s, the general attitude about domestic violence was that it was bad, but that it was a private matter. But all too often, domestic violence that existed in the home of a neighbor or family member would end in a terrible tragedy. And then the news coverage would tell the story of how this good husband just lost it one day and murdered his family. And instead of inspiring a community to work together to end domestic violence, that sort of reporting would often encourage victim-blaming. Thanks to the cutting-edge public awareness work of Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the National Network to End Domestic Violence and others, this has started to change. But we have a long way to go.

The fact is, domestic violence and sexual assault cannot be ended without each community working together to hold abusers accountable and to change social norms that lead to violence against women. Domestic violence is a pattern of power and control. Batterers don’t murder their victims because they lose control over themselves – they do it as an ultimate expression of control over their victims.

And the fact is, it IS your business. The new “No More” public awareness campaign says it all: together, we can end domestic violence and sexual assault.