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Prevention Services |
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Prevention Services There is nothing natural about domestic violence. And yet children who grow up in homes where abuse is present are likely to perpetuate abusive behavior in their own relationships. STAND! teaches young people and adults that abuse is not acceptable and that violence is not an appropriate way to resolve conflict.
Youth Relationship Violence The best way to stop domestic violence is to prevent it from starting. This program is designed to involve, educate, empower, and mobilize youth to create youth-driven activities addressing relationship violence. The program helps young people develop skills and emotional resilience to maintain healthy peer and dating relationships and engage in positive social behaviors. Young people change their physical and social environments and determine their own strategies and actions. During 2003-04, a total of 4,150 middle school and high school youth participated. The DELTA Project (Domestic Violence Prevention Enhancement and Leadership Through Alliances) includes individuals, community leaders, and county agencies working as a coordinated community response to develop and implement activities designed to prevent domestic violence before it begins. Some project activities include: a regional media campaign, skill-building trainings, the annual Men of Merit event - Men of Merit are outstanding men of character and compassion with a strong commitment to being a positive influence in the lives of boys and young men in Contra Costa County, implementation of the White Ribbon Campaign, sponsoring the MANPOWER: Mentoring Boys into Compassionate Men conference, leading group discussions on the video 'Tough Guise' with faith groups, schools, and community organizations. STAND! recognizes that domestic violence crosses all ethnic, religious and economic barriers. Our programs focus on providing needed services in the growing and often underserved communities of Contra Costa County. Adelante Familia works with the Latino community to overcome the barriers of language, culture and fear to increase awareness of and access to domestic violence prevention and intervention services. During 2002-2003, over 150 Latina women utilized services. Not everyone knows how to recognize domestic violence, much less to understand how to handle it. STAND! trains law enforcement officers, health workers, teachers, school administrators, and county social service providers in the dynamics of domestic violence and ways they can assist people who have been abused. During 2003-04, 251 law enforcement personnel were trained to recognize domestic violence. Since men perpetuate 80 percent of domestic violence, STAND! focuses this prevention program directly on males, reaching out to Contra Costa men and boys to prevent domestic violence before it happens. STAND! operates the program in conjunction with Zero Tolerance of Contra Costa County, a county-wide initiative to end domestic violence. It?s important that our community understands the importance of ending domestic violence. Trained volunteers and staff bring STAND!’s message of hope to community, corporate, and faith groups. Want to learn more about domestic violence at your workplace, association, civic group or social club? Contact our Speaker?s Bureau at 925-603-0175. During 2002-03, there were 167 speaking engagements, with 2,303 participants. |
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