http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/program-aims-to-break-chain-of-recurring-domestic-violence/

^ Watch the video here. Listen as the anchor reflects on her visit to JBWS's Abuse Ceases Today. She discusses that abusers can be rehabilitated and that working with abusers at the right time is just as important as working with women.

Watch the CBS Evening News tonight at 6:30 p.m. as corespondent Elaine Quijano talks with men working to turn their lives around through the JBWS batterers' intervention program.

Breaking The Cycle of Abuse: Solutions for Deviant Children

Breaking The Cycle of Abuse: Solutions for Deviant Children

The link above is a fantastic video from ABC News on parenting skills. The video discusses how praising children on their positive behaviors and not constantly telling them what NOT to do, actually decreases stress hormones in children; this results in them showing less aggressive behavior. In the DV shelter where I intern, every mother in the shelter is required to attend a parenting skills class. These same skills are encouraged to ensure that children will not replicate the aggressive behavior they have seen at home. Young children, especially boys, need positive encouragement from a young age. The cycle is not guaranteed; the video discusses that a child's behavior can change once new parenting skills are practiced and implemented. Prevention of abuse needs to start in the home from early on in a young boys life.

This is an exceptional Ted Talks video by Jason Katz "An author, filmmaker, educator and social theorist, Katz has worked in gender violence prevention work with diverse groups of men and boys in sports culture and the military, and has pioneered work in critical media literacy.Katz is the creator and co-founder of the Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) program. This particular video is on why men are such a key figure in attempting to understand Intimate Partner Violence. He goes on to promote the use of speaking up within our friend environments and really getting at some of the main issues. At some point Jason Katz goes onto say that instead of treating people in a binary fashion of men and women we should really treat everyone as bystanders. 

The Infamous Snackman: The Type of Hero we Really Need

Have you all heard of "The Snack Man?"  In 2012 a man was riding a subway in New York City when a domestically violent physically fight broke out on the train between a man and woman.  "Snack Man" came to the rescue, not by confronting the man, or throwing around some equally violent fists, but with potato chips.  Yes, we said potato chips.  He calmly stood in the middle of the two people and continued snacking on his bag of potato chips.  He didn't say a word, he strategically moved to remain a physical barrier, but he effectively broke up the fight.  This "Stand Up Guy" is exactly what we're talking about.  Let's foster men coming together to address violence, in a non-violent way.  Check out the clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Erlw-ODVZxU

The Good Men Project

As we've already mentioned, domestic violence or intimate partner violence is often seen as a woman's issue, but this blog tends to disagree.  Where we need to focus a greater portion of our efforts is toward prevention or treatment work with men.  Let's get into elementary schools, high school sports teams, college fraternities, doctor's offices, pro-sports teams, etc.  Let's talk to our men about what it means to be a "good man", to stand up to male dominance, and to stand up to violence.  

The Good Men Project is certainly picking up what we're putting down, or maybe rather we're picking up what they're putting down!  In 2009 a Stand Up Guy named Tom Matlack created the Good Men Project in an effort to collect stories from men about what it means to be a man (not society's expectation of a macho man, but a sensitive, kind, good partner, good father type of man.)  Check out their website, follow their Twitter account, etc., but pay attention to what these folks are saying.  They get the importance of this work; it's not just addressing the problem, but changing the culture! 

http://goodmenproject.com/ 

Same Sex couples and Stress

It had been a previous myth for quite some time that Same-Sex couples were not drastically affected by Domestic Violence. However a recent study blew that completely out of the water. Published recently in the Journal of sex and Marital Therapy, links the added pressures and stress of normality with a heightened or equal intimate partner violence response. This is an extraordinary publication and may help solidify other areas of Same-Sex stressors for further studies.

What this may also do is suggest ways that interventions may be implemented into this population. Reducing the stressors in any relationship is key to helping intimate partner violence reach a new low over all.

http://www.northwestern.edu/newscenter/stories/2014/09/domestic-violence-likely-more-frequent-for-same-sex-couples.html