A paid advertisement circulating on local radio stations is sending a very dangerous message. The ad states that protection from abuse orders (PFAs) don't work, and encourages women to buy guns to protect themselves from abusers.
1. The Weapon Can Be Used Against the Victim Any victim can be overpowered by her abuser while trying to use the gun. Additionally, the abuser can find the gun before the victim has a chance to use it, and, in turn, use it to harm the victim. The victims’ children can find the gun and harm themselves.
2. Women Who Kill Their Partners Sentenced to Longer Jail Time Than Men Women who kill their partners in self-defense face significant jail time more often than not. In fact, according to the
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), the average prison sentence of men who kill their women partners is 2 to 6 years. Women who kill their male partners are sentenced--on an average--to 15 years, despite the fact that most women who kill do so in self-defense. 3. PFAs DO work On any given day in the State of Pennsylvania, 40,000 PFAs are in effect. PFAs, which are signed by a judge, hold abusers accountable. The order legitimizes victims’ rights to be free from violence, and demonstrates that victims have access to the legal system. When a victim is killed by an abuser while a PFA is in effect, the fault lies with the batterer. If at any time the PFA is violated, the abuser is held accountable and can face serious legal consequences. The order offers civil legal protection from domestic violence to both women and men victims. To read more about PFAs, please refer to our Winter Newsletter by clicking the link below and read the feature article beginning on page 5.
Winter Newsletter.pdf
What can you do? When you hear this offensive advertisement, we encourage you to raise your voice by calling the radio station or write a “Letter to the Editor” expressing your outrage. Turning Point has responded to the ad in the past, but we need increased and varied voices to have the impact required—which is to debunk the ads, and hopefully have them pulled, permanently. Together we can
not only work towards the elimination of domestic violence, but we can educate the public about the realities that victims of abuse face and discredit ads that are filled with erroneous —and in this case, dangerous—information. Thank you so much.
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