Grooming: How Can We Protect Children From Online Grooming

With children being online more it can be difficult to know what is happening in the virtual world. These red flags may not mean that a child is experiencing online grooming however they could be indicators to check in and have a conversation.
Military Sexual Trauma
November 11 is Veterans Day, a day in which we honor the brave men and women who have served our country through military service. Every year, thousands of men and women across the country make the decision to join the military. There may be a multitude of reasons driving this decision. Many feel a calling […]
A Letter from Rachel

My name is Rachel, and like far too many, I am a victim and survivor of a violent crime. You may remember hearing part of my story from this video, but there is so much more to my story. 11 years ago, a stranger broke into my home. After sexually assaulting me at gunpoint, he […]
I am Proud to be a Forensic Nurse

Imagine sitting in the crowded waiting room of the local hospital’s Emergency Department . Around the room you see children with fever or crying of pain, others with lacerations needing to be sutured, some holding ice packs on their sprains, strains or possible fractures and ambulances bringing life-threatening injuries or conditions needing to be seen quickly. […]
VSC as a Link of Support to Community Leaders
Victim Service Center (VSC) and other community agencies partnered to exchange valuable information focused in the assessment, support and tools dedicated to individuals of the community, involved in a crisis situation related to Domestic Violence (DV) or Sexual Violence (SV). The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) report of 2013, indicated 108,030 domestic violence incidents […]
17 Years of Healing
In 1996, the Board of County Commissioners agreed that a portion of the jails’ proceeds needed to be allocated to recovery services for crime survivors in the community and decided to allocate the funding from payphones in the jail to create a support agency. Commissioner Mary Johnson helped lead the charge for victims’ rights […]
The Intersection Between Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence

The Intersection of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Written by: Orialis, VSC Crisis Counselor Many victims are in an intimate relationship with their abuser. Sexual assault and domestic violence exist within the scope of oppression. It is how a perpetrator abuses power and control over a victim. A perpetrator can use a variety of violent […]
Continuity of Care
Written by: Katherine Olsen, VSC’s Social Justice Intern Continuity of Care (COC) is a common concept in the medical and mental health fields and is considered a central goal in both arenas. Although definitions vary, COC can be broadly described as health care events that are experienced as coherent and consistent with the user’s needs. […]