On Thursday, December 8 my group and I met with a women named Nicole Epps to discuss with her about future volunteer opportunities we could participate in and learn about Safe Horizons the organization she works for. We learned a startling fact, that 1 in 4 women will be the victims of domestic violence. Safe Horizons has nine domestic violence centers, there are seven emergent care centers (based on severity), and two transitional housing centers that help with trauma. Safe Horizons helps victims with rehousing, vocational opportunities, changes locks if care places are full, pays for hotel, and helps children change schools. Nicole explained to us how domestic abuse is about power and control. People of lower socioeconomic status are more likely to be victims of sexual violence. We learned about some of the people Safe Horizons helps. People who are LGBTQ might have been kicked out of their homes, victims of sexual abuse, and help children who have been pimped out by their families. Nicole said that women are usually abused seven times before getting help and out. However, we learned that boys who have been sexually harmed or kicked out of their home are less likely to seek help, as boys are often brought up to not to be vulnerable and to instead act ‘masculine’. She also explained how there is no specific profile for a perpetrator. We learned to us how hard it is for children or teens who have been ‘pimped out’ by their families or sold into prostitution against their own will have had a very hard time transitioning into school. This is because children who have been exposed to so much it is extremely difficult for their teachers and classmates  to relate to them and visa versa. Therefore if they can’t relate they can’t help.