Blog

Every year on Denim Day the staff of AVDA wears denim to work—alongside millions around the world—in protest of the myths surrounding why women and girls are raped. Since the first Denim Day in 1999 in LA, Denim Day is always on a Wednesday in April in honor of Sexual...

Domestic abuse or “intimate partner violence” is described as a pattern of behavior in any relationship that is used to gain and maintain power or control over an intimate partner.​ As Maryville University’s post on domestic violence advocacy highlights, 1 in 4 women...

Texans have had enough of teen dating violence and its sometimes deadly consequencesas witnessed by the recent enactment of Texas Senate Bill 9 recommending that public schools to educate students about abuse. This February as part of its Teen Dating Violence...

January is National Stalking Awareness Month, and it is so important to know the facts. For instance, 76% of women murdered by an intimate partner were stalked first. Stalking generally refers to harassing or threatening behavior that an individual engages in...

Central to both domestic violence and human trafficking is the use of power and control over a victim. Coercion and grooming are tactics used by abusers—and both crimes are often private and hidden from society, leaving victims ashamed, embarrassed, traumatized, and...

Recently, there have been more conversations about how hard it is to leave an abusive relationship, but there isn’t much conversation about how hard it can be after you’ve left. Just because a relationship has passed, doesn’t mean the trauma has, too. When deciding to...

This Father’s Day, AVDA celebrates fathers who act as role models and have a positive impact on their children’s lives.We also celebrate mothers who have to play both roles in their child(ren)’s lives, and encourage those fathers who have not had the opportunity or...

In recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, AVDA announces the recent addition to its legal team of eight attorneys specializing in family law for victims of domestic violence of Evan B. Boyko, an attorney dedicated to sexual assault cases.AVDA and Houston Area...

Living through a pandemic—with an arctic storm of historic proportions on top of that—is stressful for anyone and everyone. The additional challenges of isolation and financial strain faced by survivors of domestic violence during these unprecedented times also extend...

The second blog post of a series on evoking change. As part of the anti-violence movement, AVDA stands at a monumental crossroads at a historic moment in time, and we recognize the role we can play in racial justice. We are inspired to assess and understand how...

The first in a series of blog posts on evoking change. As part of the anti-violence movement, AVDA stands at a monumental crossroads at a historic moment in time, and we recognize the role we can play in racial justice. We remain steadfast in our mission to end family...

"Having courage does not mean that we are unafraid. Having courage and showing courage means we face our fears.”   - Maya Angelou Staying Safe During Quarantine While Living with Perpetrator/Abuser Create or update your current safety plan. Given that most businesses...

With the “Stay Home” orders for Fort Bend and Harris counties, people who are surviving violence in their relationships and families are experiencing even greater isolation and danger. If you are experiencing domestic violence, you are not alone. One in four women...

We know health, economic, and natural crises can add to the pressures facing survivors of domestic violence. People who are surviving violence in their relationships and families may be experiencing increased isolation and danger due to the current outbreak of...

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. Dating violence is a pattern of abusive behaviors used to exert power and control over a dating partner. Teens can prevent dating abuse before it starts and intervene when friends need help. One in three girls in the...

Most parents don’t realize how common teen dating abuse is. One in three teens in the U.S. will experience physical, sexual, or emotional abuse by someone they are in a relationship with before they become adults. Nearly half (43%) of college women report experiencing...

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. One in four women and one seven in men experience domestic violence in this country. Unfortunately, reports of family violence are on the rise in Houston. The Houston Police Department reported that in 2018, domestic...

In recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, we wanted to share the facts on sexual assault as a form of domestic violence. Perpetrators who are physically violent toward their intimate partners are often sexually abusive as well. Intimate partner sexual assault...

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (TDVAM), a national effort to raise awareness about abuse in teen and 20-something relationships and promote programs that prevent it. Locally, AVDA (Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse) works with schools, programs for...

In November of 2015, Andrea Thibodeaux came to AVDA seeking legal custody of her then two-year-old granddaughter, Audrey. Several months earlier, Audrey’s father had brutally murdered Audrey’s mother. Audrey’s mother had tried to protect herself and her daughter by...

  AVDA’s Legal Advocacy Program provides free legal representation in family law matters to victims of domestic violence in Harris and Fort Bend County courts. We have attorneys who are dedicated to obtaining protective orders, and others...

  Since 2006, AVDA has actively recruited summer Legal Interns from ABA-accredited law schools for clerkships in family-law litigation. They work side-by-side AVDA’s eight trauma-informed attorneys and eight paralegals, aiding with legal research,...

AVDA stands with other Houston-area, nonprofit organizations that serve family violence victims in opposition to the recent ruling that disallows the asylum requests of victims of domestic violence. This one decision has turned back the clock on four decades of...

Did you know that one in three adolescents in the U.S. is a victim of physical, sexual, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner, a figure that far exceeds rates of other types of youth violence? Throughout the month of February, AVDA (Aid to...

AVDA  recently partnered with METRO to build awareness of its transformational, life-saving services for victims of domestic violence. Thanks to METRO, there are 1,900 “Domestic Abuse Hurts Everyone” (950 in English and 950 in Spanish) bus cards on...

For 37 years, AVDA has served an important need in our city by providing free legal advocacy and representation to survivors of domestic abuse. As needs rise and societal and environmental changes occur, AVDA remains nimble, flexible, and responsive. In...