Survivor Stories

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  Survivor Story: Amy Olsen

  ‘I felt like a prisoner of war, just trying to survive’ | I’ve blocked out a lot of my childhood, but I have flashbacks of abuse and neglect. I can remember witness... read more

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  'I Went Back'

  Why some survivors return and what happens next | In an anonymous survey on DomesticShelters.org, more than 40 percent of the 366 responders said they chose to retu... read more

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  Survivor: Jennifer

  Two abusive husbands later, one woman says all she can do is hope for a better future | I had a great childhood. I was raised by a single mom. I felt loved, but the... read more

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  Volunteering to Heal

  Could helping others help you? | Pictured above: Audrey Mabrey, right, with a fellow survivor. Audrey Mabrey’s husband wasn’t abusive during their marriage. ... read more

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  Survivor Story: Ron Blake

  'I found my own, unique way to take back my life.' | One December night six years ago, while Ron Blake was asleep in his Phoenix, Ariz., home, three men bro... read more

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  Ignoring Abuse By a Police Officer

  How everyone looked the other way when one cop abused another | As a young female recruit of the Chicago Police Department in the 1980s, Rev. Sharon Ellis Davis, Ph... read more

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  Survivor Story: April Hernandez-Castillo

  Actor and activist shares her story of overcoming teen dating violence | April Hernandez-Castillo is an actress with roles in the movie Freedom Writers and the TV seri... read more

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  Survivor Story: E. Marie Hall

  Enduring the deaths of her mother and sister, one survivor went on to share a message of hope | Many domestic violence survivors share their stories, hoping they ca... read more

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  Survivor Story: Amy Thomson

  She knows it’ll take her whole life to heal, but she’s grateful she escaped with her life | Survivors know their abusers and their own personal situations better th... read more

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  Survivor Story: Brigid Cox

  ‘Now I can breathe. I’m free’ | For 25 years, Brigid Cox thought the abuse she faced at the hands of her husband wasn’t that bad. “Even when he put a gun up to my h... read more

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  Survivor Story: Crystal Sanchez

  She’s using her experience with dating abuse as a teen to help adult survivors today | Crystal Sanchez is a survivor. But a decade after leaving her 8-year relationsh... read more

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  Survivor Story: Katelyn

  Mother's childhood domestic violence carried over to her children | Three years ago, Katelyn was the victim of a brutal assault, stabbed with a knife in her bac... read more

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  Survivor Story: Maralee McLean

  Her ex-husband committed the ultimate act of domestic violence when he sexually abused their daughter—and then got custody of her | Maralee McLean endured years of em... read more

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  Survivor Story: Amy Phoenix

  The struggle to end a marriage for good | Amy Phoenix could be considered a two-time survivor, a badge of honor that no one really wants to wear. Her first marriage... read more

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  Survivor Story: Caroline Abbott

  Her biggest regret is shielding her children from the truth | “The first years were good,” says Caroline Abbott of her 20-year marriage. It wasn’t until the last 10... read more