Youth are not the only individuals affected by violence. Domestic violence is highly prevalent among residents in Hawaii, and the state is increasing its programs available to assist victims of these horrible crimes. The Hawaii State Coalition against Domestic Violence is a strong partner in preventing violence and offering a safe place for victims to come. Their website offers information about identifying signs of violence occurring in the home, and how to get out of this situation. Many people involved in a violent relationship do not think the possibility of leaving is realistic. However, no one should have to be subject to this type of violence. The Coalition is designed to offer a private and secured place for any victims of violence to learn more information and become empowered to the situation which they find themselves in. It also offers anonymous hotlines which individuals can call to get information, resources, and legal help if necessary to get out of the dangerous situation.
In Hawaii, the amount of domestic violence that exists is kept quite secret. Many people who are victims of domestic violence will never come forth, and some won’t even realize that they are in such a situation. If a person grows up around parents who are more violent, either physically or emotionally, then being in a relationship where similar behaviors are found is not uncommon, and these people will often not see it as a problem. However, the resources available include key signs of domestic abuse, and individuals must be aware of what is normal behavior and what constitutes abuse. Friends and family members who suspect abuse can watch for signs of physical wounds that are not easily explained or do not heal, or listen to the way the individual is treated in his or her relationships. Constant criticism or being made to feel like one is not good enough or that something is wrong with them is considered emotional abuse, and can severely damage self esteem.
The new home shopper interested in applying for the FHA loan will find that there are changes being made now or changes that will be made in the near future to the way FHA home mortgages are birthed. There are some aspects of home ownership that are technical in nature and time comsuming. One of these aspects is the procuring of a home loan. Generally, there have been recent changes made to the regulating of the process and requirements of home mortgages. Specifically, FHA home mortgages also have additional hoops to get through. The more the home mortgage shopper knows about the process, the simpler it will be.
Before applying for an FHA home mortgage, you must inquire if the bank is FHA-approved by any one city or state. FHA loans may be safer than conventional loans because of recent government-setregulations but just because a bank has been given FHA rating at some point in the past, does not mean they are currently in compliance.
Another change that has occurred with new FHA loans is that the borrower is required to have a credit score of at least 580 in order to qualify for a down payment plan of 3.5%. The borrowers will need to put 10% down if they have a credit score under 580.
The FHA loans are now required to have an increased amount of transparency in the process of FHA home mortgages. The lenders who are FHA-approved have to be in compliance with a “neighborhood watch” initiative. This initiative requires the FHA lender to submit the home mortgage loans made to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The public will be able to view them to see how many of the loans have some level of delinquency. This information will display a snapshot of any particular bank or lender and their financial health.
No matter what type of violence is taking place, whether it is emotional, physical, or otherwise, all individuals should free themselves of these types of situations. Many women in particular feel restricted in their freedoms, partially due to the fact that they have probably been downtrodden and abused for long periods of time prior to even considering leaving the situation they are in. Additionally, because victims of abuse are often told that they deserve the abuse or have committed a behavior that initiates the abuse, the victims will often justify their partner’s behavior in order to rationalize that they are at fault for the violent act. This is not true. No one, regardless of what behavior they feel may instigate violence, should be punished in this way. Relationships only work when partners are equal and discuss their problems instead of resorting to physical or emotional violence in order for one partner to have dominance over the other.
It is nearly impossible to prevent violence, because someone who has turned to abuse in the past to deal with problems and frustrations will usually choose to abuse again regardless of what steps one may take to avoid it. However, some individuals have found peace through religion and other types of faith, or other support groups within the community. There are groups and assistance available for both the victims as well as those who have abused in the past and wish to get help to stop. However, those who have abused must be prepared to face the consequences of their actions; this is a serious crime and they must be aware of that fact. No one who abuses will get off easy, but paying for the crime in the legal system is often the first step in getting help and beginning the road to maintaining healthy and happy relationships.
If someone suspects that they or someone they love is a victim of violence, whether domestic, workplace, or otherwise, they must turn to available resources as soon as possible. The sooner a situation has been recognized as dangerous, the sooner the victim can get help and leave before they are seriously injured or even killed. This can be a very difficult subject to approach, because of the social stigma around abuse, and many victims will defend their attacker without realizing what is going on around them. When approaching the subject, friends and family members must use caution to avoid words and phrases that could offend the possible victim, and not speak ill of the possible abuser. This will often lead the victim to close off and not allow anyone to know of the situation they are in. Instead, use more vague and general questions about life at home that may allow the victim to open up without having to share a lot of details. From there, the victim will often open up when feeling as though they are in a safe and private environment, where they will not be attacked. Often, simply knowing that someone cares enough about the individual to notice their emotional or physical troubles is the first step in giving the victim the courage and strength to leave an abusive and potentially dangerous situation.
Regardless of the situation, no one who is involved in a violent relationship should feel stuck or tied down. There are plenty of resources available to everyone in order to offer protection and a feeling of safety. Hawaii residents can turn to a number of websites, telephone hotlines, and other places in order to obtain security and a private place to discuss and escape from the frightening experiences of being a victim of violence.
The most common types of violence are youth (gang) and domestic violence. However, there are several other types of violence as well that should never be tolerated. One example of this is workplace violence. In a pamphlet distributed by the state of Hawaii, the Hawaii Workplace Violence Working Group Committee, it reported that more than 2800 people in the United States filed claims to worker’s compensation funds as a result of workplace violence over the past five years. In addition, more than two million people per year are victims of assault, including rape and even murder, every year. These attacks lose businesses $35 million per year in reparations and other methods of coping with workplace violence. It is more common than one might think, and many people may be afraid to come forward with their claims. Some are physically assaulted by individuals who are their superiors in the company, or fear that they may lose their job if they report the incident. However, most companies are designed to protect each and every employee, and anyone who is a victim of workplace violence should report the incident immediately to their human relations department in order to prevent further violence from taking place against them or others.
Workplace violence is a common problem, and one that continues to grow as more people spend extended periods of time with their coworkers. Those who could be victims must take precautions to avoid dangerous situations, such as walking alone at night or spending time singly with coworkers outside of work. Preventing violence must first be done by making smart decisions to protect each person, and doing so will hopefully decrease the number of victims of workplace violence. Programs are often designed to protect employees, such as having a friend to walk out of work with on dark nights, and these programs should not be taken lightly in order for each person to remain safe.
It’s back-to-school time, and that has parents thinking about a lot of things: buying clothes and supplies, fixing lunches, attending school events, and helping with homework. But there’s one thing that’s involved with children going back to school that most parents probably don’t think about: keeping our kids safe while they’re in school.
It’s no secret that violence has broken out over several schools in the United States over the last decade. Students are reacting to negative attention with more and more violent behavior, and the threats aren’t necessarily stopping. There are steps that parents, teachers, and administrators must take to prevent a tragedy from happening this school year.
The community, teachers, parents, administrators, and students must all come together to help prevent violence from occurring in our schools. One way to help prevent it is to increase security in schools. In a survey taken during the 1996-97 school year by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 84 percent of schools had a low security system in place, 11 percent had moderate security, only 2 percent had stringent security, and 3 percent had no security measures at all. One way we can help protect our children from violence at school is to increase these security systems throughout all the schools in the country.
Some ideas for increasing security in our schools include issuing name badges which must be worn by all students, faculty, and school employees at all times, and instituting violence prevention programs and zero tolerance policies in all schools. Parents can do their part by paying attention to warning signs their child might be showing that could indicate a violent situation could arise, including a sudden lack of interest in things, obsession with violent games, depression and mood swings, writing that shows despair and isolation, a lack of anger management skills, talking about death or bringing weapons to school, and showing violence towards animals. If your child is showing these signs, you’ll want to seek professional help for them. Your school’s guidance counselor is a good place to start when seeking help for your child.
Trouble with homework, not knowing what to have for lunch, and deciding what activities to take part in are some typical problems your child is faced with when returning to school in the fall. But there’s one other problem that some students have to face when summer’s over and school begins: facing bullies.
School bullies have been around since long before you and even your parents were in school. Today, bullies may be more of a concern than they were when you were the target because of the violence in schools we’ve been experiencing over the last couple of decades. If your child is being targeted by a bully, there are steps you can take to help your child deal with him or her.
First, you’ll want to alert your child’s teacher or principal about the situation privately. The last thing you want is to find out that the bully could cause even more problems later on. You want to make sure that this student doesn’t have any severe violent tendencies that could end up endangering your child’s school. By speaking about this privately, you’ll ensure that the other students aren’t aware that you “tattled” on the bully.
After speaking with your child’s school, you’ll want to speak to her directly. Let her know that she’s not alone with this problem. There are also steps you can take to help her prevent the bully from bothering her anymore. This is a two-part process that includes preventing a run-in with the bully and what to do if she ends up face-to-face with the bully.
To prevent a run-in with her bully, tell your child to avoid her as often as possible. Take a different route than she does, don’t sit by her in class (your child’s teacher can help with this discreetly), don’t sit near them at lunch, and walk away if you see her coming.
When preventive measures don’t work, and your child has to face her bully, she must learn to stand tall and be brave. She can even ask a friend to help her feel braver around her bully.
Your child has just started high school, and you are overwhelmed with emotion. It’s hard to believe that your baby is actually in high school, and growing up faster than the speed of light. You’ve probably had several talks with her about your own high school experiences, which has led you to start contemplating about what it will be like when she starts to date. The last thing that will probably enter your mind when thinking about this is violence.
You’d like to think that your child’s dating experience will be as exciting and innocent as yours was. But in this day and age, it may not always be innocent. Violence can show up in unexpected places, including your child’s dating life. There are some things you’ll need to talk with your daughter about before she starts dating so she understands that teen dating abuse can occur, and she should not tolerate it. If she finds herself in a violent relationship, she needs to remove herself from it immediately.
The facts about teen dating abuse are shocking. One in five teens that have been in a serious relationship has reported being hit, slapped, or pushed by a partner. One in three teens has reported that they know a friend who has experienced dating abuse. And one in four teen girls who have been in a relationship has reported that they’ve been pressured to perform sexual activities with their partner.
Of course, dating abuse isn’t always physical. It can be emotional or verbal too. Controlling behavior may also be a factor. With today’s social networks and texting options on cell phones, it’s easier for predators, including your daughter’s boyfriend, to use these tactics to keep her under his control. This kind of behavior is a warning sign that violence can occur too.
As a parent, there are steps you can take to protect your daughter from dating abuse. Talk to your daughter about it so she’s aware that she doesn’t have to be a victim, and can come to you for help. Let her know up front what is not acceptable.
You are never immune from the possibilities of financial trouble. Life can throw you a curveball at any minute so you never know when you are going to come up short for the next car, mortgage, or electric bill payment. It’s a scary feeling when you have to scramble for fast cash but know that the best thing you can do is keep your cool, remain calm, and follow a few simple steps to securing cash fast.
The first, and best option, when dealing with an overdue payment is to contact the company that you owe money to and explain your current financial difficulty. Let them know that you are short on cash and need a little grace period to gather the money owed. If you are usually a good customer and this never happens and it’s only one payment they may be willing to let it slide for a few weeks. However, if this isn’t your first time they may be far less forgiving.
The next step is to speak with your family and friends about the potential to borrow money. This is an uncomfortable situation for both parties but it makes the most sense because it’s usually interest free. However, if you are going to borrow money from a relative then make sure that you are upfront about what you will be able to do to pay them back. Don’t tell them you will give them every dollar back in one week if it is not feasible. Be honest. It will save you an awkward situation down the road.
If family and friends cannot help you out then there is always payday loans. This may be your best bet to borrow a large amount of cash without the guilt and awkwardness of borrowing from friends and family. Whatever you do, just relax and know that it will all be okay.
Neighborhood safety watch programs are being set up in communities all over the country to help keep crime rates down. You can set up a neighborhood watch program in your community if you’re experiencing break-ins, theft, or any other similar problems that affect the safety of you and your neighbors, especially the kids. Your local Sheriff’s office can help get you started with their USAonWatch program.
The first thing you’ll want to do is register your safety watch group. You can do this in five easy steps. First, recruit and organize as many of your neighbors as you can. Then schedule a time you all can meet with your local law enforcement agency and set up an appointment. At this meeting, you’ll want to discuss the concerns your group has with your community, and create an action plan. Once your program is set up, you’ll need to schedule regular meetings for training, organizing, and keeping the program up-to-date. You should also create a phone tree to contact each other in cases of emergencies. Then, you’re ready to start taking action.
Your local law enforcement agency can also provide you with publications that will help you set up and maintain your neighborhood safety watch program. You can search the Internet for online publications, but make sure you’re looking at legitimate websites, such as the USAonWatch organization’s homepage. You can also request an Action Pack once you register your group, which contains valuable information on setting up your watch group and holding meetings.
There are several benefits to setting up your neighborhood safety watch program. The most important benefit is that you’ll be in direct partnership with your local law enforcement agency and your neighbors. This will help reduce the crime rate in your neighborhood. You’ll also be creating a more secure community, and be better prepared in emergency situations.
Your neighborhood safety watch program will help your community become united, which will help everyone in more ways than just staying safe. Your program will help improve communication amongst your neighbors, which will make for not only a safer neighborhood, but a friendlier one too.
