History Over Violence (1981-1990)

1971-1980 1981-1990 1991-2000 2001-current

1982 The agency creates Kids Self-Defense and Safety with funding from state grants through CAPTA.

1984 The Federal Victim of Crime Act authorized state grant of funds to compensate crime victims. The act also funded community-based programs to provide crisis intervention and counseling for crime victims.

1985 Patti Giggans becomes Executive Director.

Office of Criminal Justice Planning (OCJP) awards major self-defense funding to the agency.

1986 The agency receives Governor’s Victim Services Award.

1987 The agency offers a self-defense instructor training for the deaf. Soon thereafter, the Deaf Services Program, run by Lisa Burke, is started.

The agency receives state funding for massive domestic violence training; creates “Surviving Domestic Violence”; and launches the “Some Women” domestic violence media campaign (often known as the ‘body bag’ billboard.)

1989 As his last act in office Governor George Deukmejian cuts all funding to the Child Abuse Prevention Training Act. Kids Self-Defense and Safety is no longer funded. That same year, the agency receives private funding to continue to teach Kids Self-Defense and Safety to deaf children.

The agency’s Violence Prevention program for high school youth begins piloting in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

1990 Before leaving office, Governor of Ohio Richard Celeste grants clemency to 26 women imprisoned for killing or assaulting their batterers

Patti Giggans is given the Governor’s Victim Services Award for Leadership.

California passes the nation’s first Anti-Stalking Law.

Deaf Services is expanded to include the disabled community – it is now Deaf and Disabled Services.

The agency receives funding to write a Violence Prevention Curriculum for youth entitled “In Touch With Teens,” under the project direction of Leah Aldridge. The curriculum is now used throughout the country as a standard for teaching and training educators and facilitators about teen relationship violence prevention. The curriculum has been requested from as far away as Ireland and South Africa.