Speaker Janine Latus Weaves a Spellbinding Narrative

Speaker Janine Latus contributed to our knowledge of Abuse at our November 14 th AAUW meeting by speaking about her New York Times best-selling book, If I Am Missing or Dead: A Sister’s Story of Love, Murder, and Liberation. Latus’s presentation involved the telling of this difficult story with a mastery of timing, tension, and perspicacity. She revealed that victimization is often characterized by a lack of awareness of what is, and what is not, acceptable behavior in relationships. Through her narrative, she expressed how important it is to establish boundaries so one does not find themselves in the depths of an abusive or violent relationship. She also presented the “Power of Control Wheel,” a guide used by the National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence to help a person recognize the signs that reveal offensive behavior, whether it’s emotional, physical, sexual, or financial in nature.

Following her presentation, Latus took questions, answering each one with expertise and clarity, giving insights that were to the benefit of anyone wishing to help stem the very serious problem of abuse. She requested that anyone who knows of a contact at a university where her message could be further distributed, to please let her know.