Author: Jessica Teperow, Director of Prevention Programs

3 of the Things I’ve Learned in 15 Years of Prevention Work

Last August I celebrated my 30th birthday: a milestone for me not only having reached a new decade, but also marking 15 years that I had been doing sexual and domestic violence prevention work. In other words, half my lifetime. I took this opportunity to look back over the past 15 years and reflect on the trends I’ve seen in prevention work across Massachusetts and the…

The Tricky Thing About Grief

Over the past five years, I have lost an important person in my life every year. My brother in-law, my paternal grandfather, my maternal grandfather, a friend and mentor, and my paternal grandmother. Sam, Lewis, Oscar, Sarah, and Eleanor. Some of these deaths were sudden, some of them were anticipated- each of them had an impact on my life that defies description; each of their deaths…

DVAM 2015 Recap: Inspiring Conversation

This October it felt like I was everywhere. From coffee shops, to high school auditoriums, college dorms, living rooms, and everywhere in between, I had the honor of getting to speak to hundreds of people about a very important issue- domestic violence. I was impressed time and time again by how many people came out to events this year; not only is October a busy time…

It’s Time We Start Talking About Abusers

In the past few weeks, I have had the opportunity to talk to more Baltimore Ravens fans than I ever knew existed. Some of them were reaching out to offer support, others because they needed to talk. When someone we admire and care about, even from afar, commits an act of violence towards their partner it challenges us. It brings up a lot of uncomfortable feelings…

What Will It Take For Us To Believe Survivors?

Last night, like many of us, I found myself watching the press conference with Jim Harbaugh, coach of the Baltimore Ravens, as he discussed the decision to cut Ray Rice from the team and the NFL’s decision to suspend him indefinitely. While Rice had originally been suspended for two games following the release of a partial video that showed the aftermath of a physical attack on…