RADV Presents: From the Archives
Before the polished graphics. Before the new logos. Before RADV became what it is today… there was this. I came across another piece of early RADV history. Looking at it now, I can see plenty of things we would design differently today. Our branding has changed. Our message has grown. We’ve learned a lot along […]
RADV Article: HOPE — The Other Four-Letter Word
By Dave Beatty | Riders Against Domestic Violence There are some four-letter words we use when life hurts. Words we say when we are angry. Frustrated. Scared. Exhausted. But there is another four-letter word that deserves a place in a survivor’s vocabulary. HOPE. And sometimes, hope is one of the hardest words to believe in. […]
RADV Article: You Didn’t Break Because You Were Weak
There is a difference between being weak and being wounded. Survivors need to hear that difference. When someone lives under enough pressure for long enough—fear, intimidation, humiliation, manipulation, isolation, threats, control, or physical violence—eventually something inside them reacts. Maybe they become anxious. Maybe they stop trusting people. Maybe they shut down during conflict. Maybe they […]
RADV Article: Why Are We Always Telling Survivors What THEY Need to Do?
When we talk about domestic violence, listen closely to where the conversation often goes. We tell survivors: Leave. Make a safety plan. Watch for the warning signs. Document everything. Protect your phone. Change your passwords. Find somewhere safe. Get a protective order. Don’t go back. Don’t answer the messages. Don’t meet them alone. All of […]
RADV Article: Keep Moving — Not Every Obstacle Deserves Your Energy
There comes a point in healing when you realize something important: You don’t have to fight everything in your path. For a long time, survival may have taught you otherwise. You learned to defend yourself.Explain yourself.Prove yourself.Anticipate the next argument.Prepare for the next accusation.Fight to be heard.Fight to be believed. Sometimes you became so accustomed […]
RADV Article: You Are Not Alone
There are three words we want every survivor to hear today: You are not alone. Abuse has a way of convincing you otherwise. It can make your world smaller and smaller until it feels like there is nobody left to turn to. Friends may have drifted away. Family relationships may have become strained. You may […]
RADV Article: They Feel It Too — When Domestic Violence Affects Our Pets
When we talk about domestic violence, we naturally talk about the people living through it. But sometimes there is another victim in the room. The dog hiding beneath the table. The cat disappearing into another room when voices begin to rise. The animal that once greeted everyone at the door but now becomes nervous at […]
RADV Article: Again.
There is a word I want every survivor to hold onto today. Again. You will have hope again. You will dream again. You will smile without forcing it again. You will laugh—the kind of laugh that comes from somewhere deep inside you and makes you forget, even for a moment, everything you’ve been through. You […]
RADV Article: Your Children Are Watching — Own Your Choices
There is strength in being a man who can say: “I was wrong.” Not “but she…” Not “you don’t understand…” Not “look what they did to me first…” Just: “I was wrong. I made that choice. I need to do better.” That is accountability. And if you are a father, grandfather, stepfather, uncle, coach, mentor, […]
Before There Was RADV
Chapter 5: Back to the Dumpster Last Saturday, I told you about walking out of the hospital with donated clothes, a small bag, and nowhere to go. What I didn’t tell you was what happened next. This is one of the hardest parts of my story for me to write. Because even after all these […]