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Domestic violence programs geared toward effective intervention

by | Jul 23, 2013 | Domestic Violence, Firm News |

In each state and county there are many different programs and resources that reach out to help domestic violence victims. There are a multitude of different programs throughout California. It’s helpful to look at what some counties or agencies in California are offering to combat domestic violence.

In one California County, the YWCA is currently sponsoring a unique program akin to a creative arts exposition against domestic violence that will run for three nights in October, which is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The YWCA Sonoma County is inviting writers throughout that county to participate in their fourth annual ‘Changing Hurt to Hope: Writers Speak Out Against Domestic Violence’ campaign. The organization defines domestic violence as threatening behavior that seeks to control another person by the use of power. 

Domestic violence can include emotional, psychological, physical, sexual and verbal abuse. It can include threats of violence to the other’s pets and children. It involves those who have been in an intimate relationship. The organization explains that three out of every ten women in Sonoma County will experience domestic violence.

The impact can be not only on the victim but also on children, family, friends and community. In anticipation of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, coming up in October, the YWCA’s project is to ask writers to address the subject of domestic violence in poetry, flash fiction and memoir. Authors and poets may explore the topic from different perspectives; creativity is encouraged. Past participants have used art, music, haiku and slam poetry, along with the usual traditional methods of expression.

Throughout California, these kinds of programs help to network diverse interests within the community and to further solidify the campaign against domestic violence. It provides expansion of the organization’s supporter base and helps in the purchase of necessary resources. If you’re a resident of California who needs assistance to escape from a domestic violence pattern, check out the organizations in your county that may be of similar assistance.

Source: 

Sonoma County Gazette, “Changing Hurt to Hope: YWCA writers speak out against domestic violence,” July 16, 2013

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