A warning: this post contains a photo and descriptions of domestic violence. Disturbing pictures of celebrity chef Nigella Lawson being choked in a restaurant by her husband of 10 years Charles Saatchi started circulating over the weekend. The couple was in a British restaurant Scott’s, which is known for being frequented by celebrities, when the incident occurred. A witness said: “I have no doubt she was scared. It was ... Read More

As the centenary of Emily Davison's death approaches, we're reminded of how far we've come over the years, but also of the tough road that still lies ahead for women's rights. Davison was an incredibly prodigious activist in both life and death.  She fought arduously for women’s suffrage in Britain, leading her to be arrested nine times and force-fed a whopping 49 times. Her most infamous stunt involved stepping in ... Read More

When we think of domestic violence, the image that most often comes to mind is that of an aggressive male perpetrator and a beaten female victim.  However, the American Journal of Public Health’s most recent large-scale study of domestic violence shows that in reality, women are actually more often the perpetrators. Analyzing data gathered from 11,370 respondents, researchers found that “half of [violent relationships] were ... Read More

I’m not going to lie. When Rihanna took Chris Brown back I was not happy. In fact, I bordered on morally outraged. How could the girl who had me fantasizing about singing, "Want you to make me feel like I'm the only girl in the world" to the boy who was breaking my heart be so…stoopid? How could the star that millions of young girls idolize set such a bad example as to take a man who has abused her back? Easy. Rihanna is human, ... Read More

[Trigger Warning: This post contains a description and photos of physical assault that may potentially be triggering for survivors of such abuse.] Just as Congress was debating the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, photographer Sara Naomi Lewkowicz’s 39-frame photo essay “Photographer As Witness: A Portrait of Domestic Violence” was featured in Time Magazine and is receiving serious backlash and hate from ... Read More

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, most people are focusing on dinner plans, gifts, and parties. The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), on the other hand, proposes a slightly different agenda. Seven out of ten women experience violence at some point of their lives, and UN Women is working to change that. The organization works to end all forms of violence by aiding the passage of ... Read More

Later this month, NBC’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit plans to shoot an episode that features convicted rapist, Mike Tyson, as a guest star. Tyson will play Reggie Rhodes, “a murderer on death who is also the victim of a difficult childhood.” You may recall that the boxer physically abused his wife, Robin Givens. Or that in 1991, he raped Miss Black America contestant, Desiree Washington, in a hotel room in ... Read More

  A couple of weeks ago, we announced the good news that Verizon improved their policies to assists victims of domestic violence, such as a new protocol for cancelling contracts with abusers.  Now, Verizon is taking their campaign on the road in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, spreading awareness in local communities via their “Journey of Hope” bus that will have stopped in six cities in America by the end ... Read More

Not too long ago, the BUST Blog covered a New York woman’s efforts to re-vamp Verizon’s cancellation policies for domestic violence survivors. Almost 200,000 signatures later, her petition was successful! Today, as part of its annual Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Verizon is implementing some brand-new policy changes to better assist victims of partner violence. Customer service reps now have specific protocol for assisting ... Read More

Something I can get behind: a man critically evaluating how society views traditional “manhood” and how this limiting perspective is affecting women all over the world. Tony Porter is a co-founder of A Call to Men, an organization that works to end violence against women by promoting healthier attitudes about masculinity. Porter and his co-founder Ted Bunch have spread the message of A Call to Men everywhere from the NFL to ... Read More