What You Need to Know About U and T Visas

Labor Secretary Perez announced that the Labor Department is taking important steps to fulfill its commitment to protect vulnerable workers. Specifically, the Wage and Hour Division will begin certifying applications for trafficking victims seeking T visas. In addition, the division will now certify U visa requests when it detects three new qualifying criminal activities in the course of its workplace investigations: extortion, forced labor, and fraud in foreign labor contracting.

The Wage and Hour Division enforces several critical federal workplace laws — including the federal minimum wage and overtime laws. Because many wage and hour investigations take place in industries that employ vulnerable workers, the Wage and Hour Division is often the first federal agency to make contact with these workers and detect exploitation in the workplace.

Domestic Abuse / Violence - Get Help

Domestic abuse and violence have been front-page news lately, and a topic of discussion throughout the country. The US Department of Justice defines domestic violence as, “a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner.” It can be: Physical Sexual Emotional Economic Psychological If you, or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, there is help out there. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)

More Americans Have Died From Domestic Gunfire Than All Wars In U.S. History

Let’s start with the number: 1,384,171.

1,38,171 people have died in the most devastating war fought by Americans. Which war, you ask? World War I? World War II? The Civil War?

None of the above. This number is from the war being fought on the streets, in the neighborhoods, private homes, schools, and work places of the United States of America. Deaths by gunfire. Domestic gun deaths perpetrated by criminals, the mentally ill; enraged husbands, angry children, and some by unfortunate accident or suicide. And the number only reflects gun death statistics since 1968.

More from AddictingInfo.

Global and Regional Estimates of Violence against Women

Source: World Health Organization

From the Press Release:

The report [PDF] details the impact of violence on the physical and mental health of women and girls. This can range from broken bones to pregnancy-related complications, mental problems and impaired social functioning....

The report’s key findings on the health impacts of violence by an intimate partner were:

Death and injury – The study found that globally, 38% of all women who were murdered were murdered by their intimate partners, and 42% of women who have experienced physical or sexual violence at the hands of a partner had experienced injuries as a result.

Depression – Partner violence is a major contributor to women’s mental health problems, with women who have experienced partner violence being almost twice as likely to experience depression compared to women who have not experienced any violence.
Alcohol use problems – Women experiencing intimate partner violence are almost twice as likely as other women to have alcohol-use problems.

Sexually transmitted infections – Women who experience physical and/or sexual partner violence are 1.5 times more likely to acquire syphilis infection, chlamydia, or gonorrhoea. In some regions (including sub-Saharan Africa), they are 1.5 times more likely to acquire HIV.

Unwanted pregnancy and abortion – Both partner violence and non-partner sexual violence are associated with unwanted pregnancy; the report found that women experiencing physical and/or sexual partner violence are twice as likely to have an abortion than women who do not experience this violence.

Low birth-weight babies – Women who experience partner violence have a 16% greater chance of having a low birth-weight baby.

INFOGRAPHIC/

How Prevalent is Gun Violence in America?

From Bureau of Justice Statistics.


In 2005, 11,346 persons were killed by firearm violence and 477,040 persons were victims of a crime committed with a firearm. Most murders in the United States are committed with firearms, especially handguns.

In 2006, firearms were used in 68 percent of murders, 42 percent of robbery offenses and 22 percent of aggravated assaults nationwide.

Intimate Partner Violence, 1993–2010

From Bureau of Justice Statistics:

From 1994 to 2010, the overall rate of intimate partner violence in the United States declined by 64%, from 9.8 victimizations per 1,000 persons age 12 or older to 3.6 per 1,000. The number of intimate partner victimizations also declined, from approximately 2.1 million victimizations in 1994 to around 907,000 in 2010 — a decline of about 1.2 million victimizations over the 18-year data collection period. From 1994 to 2000, similar declines were observed for overall violent crime (down 47%) and intimate partner violence (down 48%). However, during the more recent 10-year period from 2001 to 2010, the decline in the overall intimate partner violence rate slowed and stabilized while the overall violent crime rate continued to decline.

Domestic violence can be any physical, emotional, sexual, or psychological action that one person uses to gain power or control over another. If you are being abused by a partner--or if you know someone in that situation-- find out how to get help and stay safe.

Indicators of School Crime and Safety

National Center for Education Statistics - Bureau of Justice Statistics

Our nation’s schools should be safe havens for teaching and learning, free of crime and violence. Any instance of crime or violence at school not only affects the individuals involved, but also may disrupt the educational process and affect bystanders, the school itself, and the surrounding community.
Establishing good indicators of the current state of school crime and safety across the nation and regularly updating and monitoring these indicators is important in ensuring the safety of our nation’s students. This is the aim of Indicators of School Crime and Safety.

Well, THAT is Disturbing

Interviews Suspended After Census Worker Bill Sparkman Found Hanged

The FBI is investigating whether Bill Sparkman, 51, was the victim of anti-government sentiment. His body was found near a cemetery in Clay County (KY) Sept. 12 with the letters "Fed" scrawled in his chest.