A Message from Patti Giggans, Executive Director

Dear Friend,

We are starting off the new year heartbroken. Families and communities continue to be heartbroken by the constant mass shootings that go on in the United States, most recently here in Los Angeles and California.

This past weekend, on Lunar New Year, we were faced with a huge tragedy in Monterey Park, a predominantly Asian community near downtown LA. 11 people have died, and more injured. People gathered to dance and celebrate and it turned into a death dance choreographed by a man with a gun. While everyone was welcoming the Roman calendar new year of 2023 and the Chinese New Year of the Rabbit, we have been confronted once again with mass shootings and people dying from gun violence.

This is too much. It is not new, and it is getting worse.

Mass shootings happen every day in our country. So common they practically don’t make the news. Mass gun killings are part of America’s DNA now. How tragic for us all.

Gun violence recently surpassed car accidents as the leading cause of death for American children.

Domestic violence is a factor in two-thirds or 60% of mass shootings.

The Gun Violence Archive defines a mass shooting as one in which at least four people are shot, excluding the shooter. There have been more mass shootings this January 2023 than at this point in any year on record.

There have been 40 mass shootings in the United States so far this year, including the one in Monterey Park, California — the deadliest attack since the Uvalde, Texas massacre in May 2022. The Monterey Park shooting was one of three mass shootings here in California over a three-day span this month.

If these tragedies do not signal an emergency, I don’t know what does.

We call for treating this like the crisis that it is: a mental health, public health, public safety, political emergency.

I wrote a blog outlining some of my proposed gun safety measures last year, it can be read here. 

In our fifty years of experience in intervening and preventing interpersonal violence, we have always stood with survivors of violence. We recently received funding from California Partnership to End Domestic Violence (CPEDV) to work on gun violence prevention and education, and we will not stop there. Today and everyday, we remain committed in solidarity. We will continue to work together building a world without violence, in spite of our broken hearts.

Let’s protect each other. 

January is Stalking Awareness Month 

• 1 in 6 women, and 1 in 19 men in the US has experienced stalking
• People between 18 and 24 experience the highest rates of stalking
• 72% of all stalking victims knew their stalker

Stalking refers to harassing or threatening behavior that is engaged in repeatedly with the intent to cause reasonable fear. Such harassment can be either physical stalking or cyberstalking.

What does stalking look like? It can take many different forms, but stalking behavior includes:

• Following or surveillance
• Inappropriate approaches or confrontations
• Appearing at place of work or residence
• Unwanted phone calls, letters, emails, or communication on social media
• Threats to the victim or the victim’s family & friends
• Damage to property
• Physical assault
• Intimate partner stalking, in which one partner does one or multiple of the above behaviors in order to exert power over another

While stalking behaviors vary, all stalking acts share two elements: 1) They are actions/behaviors not wanted by the victim, and 2) They threaten or cause fear to the victim.

If you or someone you know is experiencing stalking, Peace Over Violence has programs and services that can help, including a 24/7 emergency hotline. Click here for more information and resources.

More information on stalking in California.
 

Next Month: February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness & Prevention Month and we are gearing up!! Stay tuned for more info and highlights of our work with youth in building healthy relationships and communities.
 

New: Peace Talks with Patti

This year we launched Peace Talks With Patti! These gatherings bring together different and diverse constituencies from around the city and the county to our Metro office to have conversations with POV Executive Director and CEO, Patti Giggans. These organic discussions start with thinking about what it takes to create more peace over violence in our world, and pose the question: where do we go from here? If you have a group or would like participate as an individual in Peace Talks With Patti, contact Anne at [email protected]. 

Save the Date: Denim Day 2023 is Wednesday April 26th!

Make sure to mark your calendars now and get ready for more Denim Day info coming soon. Denim Day is all about spreading awareness around sexual violence issues, supporting survivors, and educating ourselves and others.

Learn more

POV Reads

Andrew Tate as a Teachable Moment

Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?

POV in the News

Column: Looking to make last-minute charitable donations?

Dodgers cut ties with Trevor Bauer rather than keep him for 2023

The Dodgers’ decision to move past Bauer sent a strong message to both fans and professional athletes, according to Patti Giggans, the Executive Director of Peace over Violence, a Los Angeles-based sexual assault and domestic violence agency. “There’s been quite a change in the sports world — teams are taking these issues more seriously in the last few years — and that is so important,” said Giggans. 

POV is hiring!

• Communications Associate
• Director of Grants and Compliance
• Fiscal Grant and Contract Specialist
• Domestic Violence Specialist - DART Pasadena
• Emergency Services Case Manager I
• Part Time On-Call Hotline/Emergency Services Coordinator
• Volunteer Engagement and Hotline Program Supervisor