Contest Email

For those of you who haven't heard, DEMi has officially announced "One Great Contest"!!!

The contest email will be demicontest@live.com!

To enter a submission, PLEASE include in the subject line the name of the social media group you belong to AND your name on that group.

For Example:

"Facebook Susan Smith"
"Twitter JaneDoe1"
"Yahoo JaneDoe1"

This allows us to weed out in advance ANY false entries and duplicates.

All entries must be received within 24 hours of the posting of the question to be considered eligible. Duplicate entries will make ALL entries disqualified.

Have a great time and good luck!!!

Pennsylvania and Minnesota

PENNSYLVANIA

27% of domestic violence homicides in Pennsylvania are male victims.

MINNESOTA

In 2005, the Minneapolis Police Department received 20,210 domestic violence calls through 911. There was a 19% increase in domestic violence calls over the past year. The number of calls involving weapons, however, increased by 20%.

Oregon and Kentucky

OREGON

One out of ever 6 adult women has been the victim of forcible rape at some point in her lifetime.

KENTUCKY

With a shelter capacity of only 433, Kentucky was unable to shelter 2,087 eligible victims in 2004.

Georgia and Iowa

GEORGIA

Domestic violence and sexual assault are the LEADING CAUSE of injuries for girls and women between the ages of 15 and 44 in the state of Georgia.

IOWA

49% of the victims of domestic abuse were cohabitants of abusers. An ADDITIONAL 26 % were the wives of abusers.

North Carolina and South Dakota

NORTH CAROLINA

Abuser treatment programs are available in only 66 of 100 counties. 17 counties have NO shelters available.

SOUTH DAKOTA

As of July 1, 2005, 15% of ALL inmates in South Dakota prisons were serving time for sex offenses.

Virginia and Illinois

VIRGINIA

2,367 domestic violence victims were turned away from shelters in Virginia in 2005 because no beds were available.

ILLINOIS

44% of domestic violence crimes in Illinois were committed by a spouse, ex-spouse, or common-law spouse.

Louisiana and Idaho

LOUISIANA

In 2005, 84% of female victims murdered by males in Louisiana knew their offender.

IDAHO

Of all murder victims in Idaho in 2003, 33.3% were killed by an acquaintance, 18.2% were killed by an intimate partner, and 21.2% were killed by someone to whom they were related by blood or marriage.

This means 72.7% of these murders were committed by someone they KNEW.

Michigan and Washington

MICHIGAN

About 4 out of every 10 females seen in emergency departments for injuries related to assault were there because of intimate partner violence.

WASHINGTON

In 2006, 47% of domestic violence homicides occurred AFTER the victim had left, divorced, separated, or was planning on breaking up with the abuser.

This means women are in just as much danger WHEN leaving and AFTER leaving as they are IN the relationship.

Doubling up! Texas and Delaware

DEMi fans we are excited to ramp up production on this awareness project. For the next 10 days we will feature 2 states PER DAY.


DELAWARE

In Delaware, 16.7% of criminal domestic violence incidents resulted in actual injury.

TEXAS More than 27% of the young people in Texas have been victims of physical dating violence. If you include emotional and verbal abuse, the rate rises to nearly 50%. This means roughly 50% of the ENTIRE population of the largest state in the continental US is already in a domestic violence situation at least once before they even reach the age of 30.

Arkansas

Arkansas consistently ranks among the top three states for domestic homicides. It is also ranked FIRST for domestic violence homicides against African-American women.

There are NO health care statutes in the areas of domestic violence training, screening, protocol, or insurance discrimination. There are also NO current laws requiring unemployment insurance for victims meaning that victims forced to flee for their lives who lose their jobs may not receive any benefits.

Wyoming

In 2004, the majority of domestic violence victims were between the ages of 18 and 29.

Missouri

In 2001, 10% of female high school students in Missouri reported having been forced to have sexual intercourse and over 16% of seniors reported forced sexual intercourse.

Connecticut

In 2005, 40% of all reported domestic violence was viewed by or directly involved a CHILD. This means 8,041 children watched or were part of one person they loved ABUSING another.

Statistics show that at LEAST 50% of these children will grow up to be abusers and/or abused themselves. They don't HAVE positive role models for what a real, true, loving relationship looks like and the scars of domestic violence run deep.

For the sake of these children, PLEASE, help D.E.M.i. stop domestic violence in this lifetime. Help us END THE CYCLE of abuse.

Rhode Island

Despite new programs and increased awareness about domestic violence, Rhode Island health care professionals STILL do not routinely screen their clients for domestic violence. This prevents cases from being detected and victims from getting help when they are already removed from the situation and in a safer environment.

Tennessee

In Tennessee, 40% of ALL crimes against persons and 50% of ALL simple assaults are crimes of domestic violence.

New Mexico

The New Mexico Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey states that 12% of high school students reported that a boyfriend or girlfriend had hit, slapped, or physically hurt them on purpose while 11% of students reported being physically forced to have sexual intercourse when they didn't want to.

According to domestic violence service providers, 30% of children victim-witnesses in New Mexico experienced physical abuse and 5% experienced sexual abuse.

In 58% of domestic violence incidents in 2003 children were present at the scene.

72% of the children who witnessed a domestic violence incident was 12 years old and under.

56% of adult domestic violence victims and 59% of their offenders in New Mexico report that they were abused as children.

Maryland

The relationship between perpetrator and victim in domestic violence in 2006:

43% - females assaulted by male cohabitants
32% - wife of the aggressor
12% - males assaulted by female cohabitants
11% - husband of aggressor
2% - same sex relationship

Notice a pattern here? Let's add 43, 32, 12, 11, and 2. It equals 100%.

100% either lived with, were in a relationship with, or were married to their aggressor.

Ohio

135,645 people received domestic violence services in 2006. However, only 20,608 cases were actually filed.

Arkansas

The state of Arkansas ranks among the top three states for domestic homicides in America. Surprisingly, it is also the ranked first in the domestic violence homicides of African American women in the United States.

Lacking in funding and resources, the organizations assisting both sexual assault and domestic violence victims are forced to turn away hundreds of victims every year. There are no health care statutes for domestic violence screening and protocol and no insurance discrimination laws making the availability of health care to victims difficult to obtain. There are also no laws for those who become unemployed to due domestic violence. Victims who must leave their jobs to save their lives and the lives of their children are not eligible for benefits making it impossible for many to leave their circumstances.

DEMi calls on the people of Arkansas and America to stand up and fight against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. Pass legislation that matters and will make a difference in these victims lives and save the lives of these victims. Stand with DEMi today and say, "We are standing up for those who cannot."

West Virginia

18% of all crime victims in the state of West Virginia are domestic violence victims.

Of those victims, 30% of domestic violence assaults were committed between spouses or common law spouses and 31% were between intimate partners or dating relationships.

1 in 5.6 murders that are a result of domestic violence in West Virginia are CHILDREN.

Alaska

According to DEMi's research, nearly 75% of Alaskans have experienced personally or know someone who has experienced domestic violence or sexual assault.

DEMi was shocked to learn that the Alaska rape rate is 2.5 times the national average.

What scared us the most, however, is the fact that child sexual assault in Alaska is nearly 6 times the national average.

CHILDREN are being abused at 6 times the national rate in an area where 30% of them can't even access victim services because there are no services available in their area.

At the same time, we need to tip our hats off to Alaskans. Nearly 90% of them would vote to increase funding for victim service programs and over 90% would support increased penalities for domestic violence and sexual assault perpetrators.

Help Alaska save it's children today. Help DEMi stop the sexual abuse of children in their home.

Arizona

Every 44 minutes in Arizona, one or more children witness a domestic violence incident.

New York

The most common relationship between perpetrator and victim in New York is marriage.

California

California law enforcement received 176,299 domestic violence-related calls in 2006. 80,946 of the calls involved weapons, including firearms and knives.

In California, one forcible rape occurs every 56 minutes.

Mississippi

Mississippi ranks 2nd highest in the nation for domestic violence.

But let's get down to the "real deal".

Who is putting these people in danger?

In the instance of women, for homicides in which the victim to offender relationship was able to be identified, 100% of female homicide victims in Mississippi in 2003 were murdered by SOMEONE THEY KNEW.

White House Adviser on Violence Against Women

DEMi was shocked to learn that President Obama has created a new post, White House Adviser on Violence Against Women, to address the problem of domestic violence in this country.

While this post is, in some ways, a large step forward and a show of dedication to fight domestic violence, it ignores a very large portion of the abused. MEN.

DEMi implores the White House to either make this a White House Adviser on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault or to create an equal position of importance of a White House Adviser on Violence Against Men. To ignore the millions of men in this country who already suffer in silence is a direct affront to them and those who love and support them.

For more information on this new post and the appointment of Lynn Rosenthal who will now report directly to the President and Vice President regarding violence issues, please check out this article.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/01/opinion/01wed4.html?emc=eta1

Vermont

Over the past 10 years in Vermont, 50% of ALL homicides in Vermont were domestic violence related.

Over the past 10 YEARS. This is a long term trend not a one year statistic.

Clearly our friends in Vermont are in need of a safe way to get away.

Even more shocking is that 95% of ALL violent crimes were committed by an intimate partner, acquaintance, or family member in 2006.

ALL violent crimes.

Stand up and fight for those who are not yet able to fight for themselves. Join DEMi in our fight to end domestic violence in this lifetime.

North Dakota

In North Dakota, 59% of reported sexual assaults occurred within the home.

However, statistics show that the majority of sexual assaults are NOT reported and this is particularly true when the perpetrator is known by the victim.

Even more interestingly, 28% of domestic violence victims were abused by a FORMER spouse or partner.

Help DEMi end domestic violence in North Dakota today.

Alabama

There were 26,501 domestic assaults reported in 2005.

Hands, fists, or feet were used as a weapon in 51% of the offenses. Other dangerous weapons were used in 17% of the offenses, including knives and firearms.

Utah

For the state of Utah, we are going to feature sexual assault and, particularly, the sexual assault of children.

According to the Utah Office of the Guardian ad Litem one in three girls and one in five boys will be sexually assaulted by the age of 18.

Rape is also the only category of violent crime for which Utah's rate exceeds the national average.

According to a survey of Utah women, 86.2% of victims experience their first sexual assault before their 18th birthday.

New Jersey

1,726 adults and 1,903 children were sheltered by domestic violence programs in 2006.

MORE children then adults were forced to flee their homes in terror of people they knew and trusted. They leave with nothing more than the clothes on their back and, if they're lucky, a backpack of extra clothes and memories. Everything else is sacrificed to save themselves.

Even more heartbreaking, in the same year, 3,888 children were involved in and 20,857 were present during a domestic violence offense.

Subtracting the 1,903 who were able to flee, that leaves 1,985 and 18,934 children still witnessing the violence in their own homes.

These children will likely be the abusers and abused of tomorrow unless we intervene and stop the violence.

Help DEMi fight domestic violence for the sake of these faces.

South Carolina

The vast majority of both domestic violence aggravated assault and homicide in South Carolina is committed by boyfriend/girlfriend or by a spouse. The number committed by a boyfriend/girlfriend is higher than those committed by a spouse.

South Carolina also ranks 7th in the nation for murders of women killed by men and has consistently remained in the top 10 for over 10 years.

Clearly there is a need for a safer way for the abused to alert the police in case of an emergency without the assailant finding out.

For more information on how to protect those you love, please visit www.getdemi.com today.

Hawaii

Land of the sun and surf is also a breeding ground for domestic violence.

The average age of a mother who is being abused is 35 in the state of Hawaii.

But the average age of an abused woman is 18 years old.

However, unfortunately, the next statistic DEMi is all too familiar with.

It's not only the story in the state of Hawaii but nationwide.

Statistics show through EVERY age group that the majority of sexual assaults occur in the victim's home, workplace, or a hotel.

For that reason alone we made DEMi able to travel with you! DEMi can plug into ANY phone line, anytime, anywhere. ALL of those places have them.

So take DEMi on vacation. Take DEMi to work.

And if you're up to it, take pictures of DEMi wherever you bring her! We'd love to see where your DEMi went with you!

Washington

In one day, 267 service requests were unmet in 2008. Lack of funding and shortage of staff are the reasons this occurs. 237 were requests from victims seeking emergency shelter or transitional housing.

70% of Washington’s programs have less than 20 paid staff including 43% which have less than 10 paid staff.

The average starting salary of a full-time, salaried front-line advocate is $24,803.

Yet again, DEMi is seeing a dramatic lack of funding for domestic violence asssistance. We remind and implore you to contact your state and federal representatives and senators and demand adequate funding for domestic violence programming.

Maine

In 2006, 58% of domestic assaults were male to female violence. Therefore 42% were the “minority” groups (female to male, male to male, and female to female). That’s a very large group of ignored people.

So nearly half of those abused were not the "standard" set forward by stereotypes.

DEMi was also surprised to learn that forcible rapes in Maine increased by 4.8% in the year 2006. Faster than the rise of the cost of living, forcible rape likely grew more than your paycheck in that year.

But most shocking to DEMi was this. 99% of personal weapon domestic violence assault was done with hands.

Everywhere we turn we hear about statistics about people owning firearms putting them at an increased risk for domestic violence assault with a weapon. Yet, in Maine, 99% of "personal weapon domestic violence assault" was committed with HANDS. Leaving only 1% for knives, firearms, and other physical weapons not permanently attached to the body.

Indiana

In Indiana, of the adult victims in domestic violence shelters, 30% were the spouse of the perpetrator, 5% were the separated spouse, and 32% were in a dating relationship. That means 67% of the adult victims were abused by a spouse or boyfriend/girlfriend again proving that you are more likely to be attacked by someone you know and trust.

But what about the other 33%? Who abused them?

And what about the 1471 that were turned away?

How about the age of the average adult victim in an Indiana shelter? 34% were between the ages of 26-35. 27% were between the ages of 36-45. 26% were between the ages of 18-25.

What do you think of when you see that 87% of these adult victims are between the age of 18 and 45? DEMi thinks of mothers and fathers. People who likely have children coming with them.

And we were right.

4,414 adults stayed in a shelter in 2003.

4,356 children stayed in a shelter in 2003.

Nearly identical numbers. Children being forced to flee their homes to save themselves from being attacked by someone they loved and trusted.

They leave everything behind. They take only what they can carry when they go.

Think of what summer would be like hiding in a domestic violence shelter as a child. No sand toys, no camping, no trips to the beach or the local amusement park.

Contact your local domestic violence shelter today and ask if you can deliver some toys for children to play with. Ask what they need. Think about those young children. Even dropping off travel size containers of baby shampoo so they don't have to use adult brands that sting their eyes makes a difference to them. Donate a case of diapers. Donate your child's old clothes that are still in good enough shape for another child to wear. Give from your heart to these child victims of circumstance.

And do it today.

Florida

The state of Florida serves a large elderly population. Many of them are far from their families and end up being abused by medical personnel, caretakers, and others.

From 2005-2006, 101 people 60 years and older received victim services from emergency shelters and 1,200 were served in outreach programs.

Now imagine how many weren't able to get to assistance. Who didn't know how to find the information they needed. Who can't maneuver in places like this to find the help they so desperately need. Imagine those who literally couldn't speak about their abuse because diseases like Alzheimer's have taken away their ability to articulate the horrors they are living through.

But the elderly aren't the only at risk group in the state of Florida. In fact, DEMi staff were shocked to read the following quote.

“99% of all the women who died as a result of domestic violence from 2005 to mid-2006 never stayed in a shelter, and 95% had no contact with a certified domestic violence center within five years of their murder.” Staff, Florida Department of Children and Families Domestic Violence Program Office

Women aren't reaching out for the assistance they so clearly need in Florida. If you know someone who is in a domestic violence situation, please, encourage them to reach out. Encourage them to find allies who want to help them. Domestic Violence staff across the nation know that they might not want to leave, but they need help desperately to deal with their situation. To KNOW that they have an ally even in their darkest hours.

Help them take that first step today.

Nevada

Nevada is ranked the 4th highest state in America for sexual assault crimes. A forcible rape occurs every 1.98 minutes.

Sadder still, resources are stretched tightly as the 8,548 registered sex offenders avoid being monitored. Only 3,750 are monitored by Parole and Probation.

But something struck DEMi's staff more than any of these other statistics.

"In 56.7% of domestic violence cases in 2001, no arrest was made because the perpetrator was gone upon arrival of police."

No arrest because they ran away.

But why would they run?

BECAUSE THEY KNOW WHAT THEY DID WAS WRONG.

And without them there to be arrested for it, burden of proof falls squarely on the victim.

DEMi says NO MORE! With the ability to record your domestic assault by our Care Specialist Center, proof of your assult is now available.

And your assailant will HAVE to stand up and admit to the crime that was committed.

Stand up today and tell Nevada's runaway abusers that they don't have a chance anymore because DEMi is here and their victims will never be alone again.

New Hampshire

New Hampshire recently released a study on violence within the male population of it's state regarding domestic violence, sexual assault, and physical violence. The DEMi staff was completely shocked to learn that in the state of New Hampshire, nearly 3 out of every 4 men experience sexual or physical violence at some point in their lifetime.

One in 20 men reported sexual assault and 68% reported that assault occurred BEFORE their 18th birthday.

One in 4 men reported being physically abused by an intimate partner.

These statistics are astounding. Other studies have shown that number to range between one in six and one in twenty.

DEMi stands proudly with the state of New Hampshire to fight domestic violence against men and women.

For more information on domestic violence in the state of New Hampshire or to get assistance for you or someone you love in that state, please contact:

New Hampshire Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence - www.nhnadsv.org

DEMi Webpage Update!

DEMi is excited to announce that you will soon be able to link to ALL our social networking media from our website. Visit http://www.getdemi.com/ and click on the "Follow DEMi" tab on the left hand side!

Nebraska

First off, DEMi would like to take our hats off to the state of Nebraska for being the very first to abolish marital rape exemption all the way back in 1976. What a great way to celebrate the bi-centennial and push yourselves and the rest of the country into the future. Congratulations on setting the standard and placing it high before others could see that abuse within marriage is STILL ABUSE.

The Nebraska Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalition (NDVSAC) answered 70,000 calls in its various 24 hour hotlines from 2003-2004.

DEMi tips our hats off to your hotline workers who staff those phones and clearly help so many people.

Wow, Nebraska is sure stepping up in the world of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault.

That said, as always, the picture isn't always so rosy.

Of the 30 child deaths in Nebraska from 1998 - 2003, 46% were a direct result of domestic violence.

46% of those little angels died because of abuse.

What if they had a button to push to summon help? Save their OWN lives? What if their bigger brothers or sisters could have pushed it for them?

DEMi doesn't just provide one pendant. On request, we can provide multiple pendants so all children old enough to understand the meaning of an emergency can push the button in an emergency. And if they push it by accident, it's no problem. They say the safe word, say oops, and the day moves on just like nothing ever happened.

Help DEMi never see a statistic like this again. If you are aware of a child who is suffering from domestic violence, be a positive force in their life and encourage them and their abused loved ones to seek help.

Wisconsin

According to the Wisconsin Coaltion Against Sexual Assault, 93% of Wisconsin sexual assault survivors are violated by someone they know and trusted.

That's right. SOMEONE THEY KNOW. Someone they would let right into their front door would sexually assault them.

Help DEMi end domestic violence and sexual assault in this lifetime.

For more information on how you can help domestic violence and sexual assault organizations contact them directly at:

Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault – http://www.wcasa.org/

Colorado

Colorado is the first state on our 50 Days of Awareness.

Colorado Statistics:


In the state of Colorado, nearly half the murders are committed by an intimate partner.

Children, age 18 and under, comprised 43% of Colorado shelter residents in 2007.

In 2007, 6,341 individuals were turned away from shelters in Colorado due to a lack of capacity, a 7% increase from 2006.



Those 6,341 individuals could be helped by DEMi if they knew she was out there. Help us let Colorado know that they need DEMi in their arsenal in the fight against domestic violence and sexual assault.



If you or someone you know are a victim of Domestic Violence in the state of Colorado, the following organizations stand by ready to help you in your moment of need. Their websites are:

Colorado Coalition Against Domestic Violence – www.ccadv.org
Colorado Anti Violence Project – www.coavp.org

50 Days of Awareness

Every day for the next 50 Days, members of DEMi's social media groups will receive one statistic on domestic violence in America. Each day will represent one state in America. DEMi will still continue our normal updates and functions throughout this period, but we are asking each and every one of you to pay attention to these very special releases.

Domestic violence has a shroud covering it's face. We look away from the bruises and cast our glances down as victims walk past us day after day.

The goal of these statistics is to remove the shroud and give the world a face for domestic violence. It's your brother, your sister, your father, your mother. Your cousin, your aunt, your uncle, one of your grandparents. It's your best friend, your first love, your neighbor, your spouse.

Join us as we follow domestic violence across the nation and raise awareness of how it affects every community, every culture, every race, and every social group.

New Poll at Yahoo Group!

Many Domestic Violence victims fear they are alone. That they deserve the treatment they are receiving. While they fear for their lives, the honestly believe no one cares about what is happening to them.

Come and Vote on DEMi's Yahoo Group Poll about if you or someone you have loved (daughter, wife, friend, family member) have been a victim of domestic violence at some point in their lifetime. Show Domestic Violence Victims that they are not alone and that there are people in this world who want to support them and who DO love them.

At DEMi, we cherish and value the lives of Domestic Violence victims. NO ONE is worthless.

Come, Vote, and show your support to the millions of Domestic Violence victims worldwide and tell them that you want to see Domestic Violence end in your lifetime.

DEMi is on YAHOO GROUPS!!!

DEMi has an official Yahoo Group for Friends, Family, and Fans! We're excited to be announcing open forum discussions, weekly polls, and a place for your stories and DEMi feedback. Join us today and keep up to date on everything DEMi has to offer!

Join the Fight

Help us STOP domestic violence in our lifetime.

Domestic violence is a leading cause of injury across the globe. More people are affected by domestic violence at some point in their lifetime than will have cancer. Yet we choose to stand idly by while our neighbors are abused and beaten by those they trust most in this world.

Join DEMi's blog and comment here to let us know that you stand with us in the fight against domestic violence. Together, we can end this tragedy and begin the ball rolling for the world to have peace within the home.

DEMi on the Hunt

DEMi is looking for your stories of Domestic Violence in your life. Statistics show at least 1 in 5 women and 1 in 20 men are victims of domestic violence. Let us know how domestic violence has touched your life and how DEMi could have made a difference. If the person you know affected is still in an abusive situation or at risk for being abused, please contact us and let us help you get them the help they need.

Welcome to DEMi's Blog!

DEMi is the new state of the art emergency notification system for domestic violence. This safe alert system provides a method of contacting emergency services without risking your own safety. Visit us at www.getDEMi.com for more information and join us on Facebook and Twitter!