Family violence conditions children for further violence in their lives. It forces them to bury the parts of themselves that allow them to feel empathy for others and slashes their expectations for respect from those with whom they are intimate. It distorts their images of masculinity and womanhood and teaches them that love hurts. It creates obstacles to success in all areas of their lives: academic, emotional, social, and physical. In our country 300,000 children experience this violence directly, and at least 3 million are witnessing it, (www.endabuse.org), putting them at great risk for violence in their own teen and adult relationships.

After 20 years of providing expert evaluation and treatment for victims of family violence, VIP has initiated a program to end family violence before it begins.

To learn more about the Between Men/Between Women school-based prevention program, please click here.

For more information, or to request the Between Men/Between Women groups on your campus, contact: Ellen Sanchez, Director of Community Outreach at esanchez@vip-cmhc.org.