Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Natalie Merchant Featured in Domestic Violence Prevention PSA

natalie merchant
opdv.ny.gov

As a closing point to Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence has sponsored a series of PSA videos.  Singer and songwriter Natalie Merchant appears in the videos as a spokesperson for encouraging people to step up and say something when they suspect abuse.

Vera House's Annual Report to the Community Wednesday listed some sobering facts. New York State's domestic violence and sexual assault hotlines received a total of 329,164 calls in 2012; there were a total of 119,355 assaults reported by police agencies outside New York City during the same year. Intimate partner assaults where females were the victim increased by 6% since 2011.

For further information and a description of resources available to those in need, visit http://www.opdv.ny.gov.

Chris Bolt, Ed.D. has proudly been covering the Central New York community and mentoring students for more than 30 years. His career in public media started as a student volunteer, then as a reporter/producer. He has been the news director for WAER since 1995. Dedicated to keeping local news coverage alive, Chris also has a passion for education, having trained, mentored and provided a platform for growth to more than a thousand students. Career highlights include having work appear on NPR, CBS, ABC and other news networks, winning numerous local and state journalism awards.