It’s been impossible to avoid the Ray Rice domestic
violence story. My deepest sympathy goes
out to Janay Rice and all people affected by domestic abuse.
One out of four women will experience domestic abuse in
her lifetime, making it an issue we desperately need to talk about and work to
end. I am grateful for the awareness such a story brings to the issue of
domestic violence.
It is the Center Against Domestic Violence’s mission to
end domestic violence in our communities. In the midst of the spotlight the Ray Rice case shines on
domestic violence, I want to highlight and remind you of one of the Center’s
core beliefs: abuse is a learned behavior and, with education, all people can lead
lives filled with healthy, meaningful relationships. This is why we field so many prevention and
education programs.
Our Relationship Abuse Prevention Program (RAPP) reaches
27,000 intermediate and high school students on 15 NYC public school campuses.
Through workshops, individual and group counseling, and peer leadership training,
RAPP works to stop teen dating violence now and prevent domestic violence in
the future. The Center pilots Relationships Are Elementary, a healthy
relationship education program for elementary school children. Focusing our
efforts on younger children creates a better opportunity to break the cycle of
violence. The earlier we reach students, from both violent and non violent
homes, the better chance we have for laying the ground work for healthy
relationships.
Let us concentrate on what we can do to prevent and stop
domestic violence in the future. Everyone deserves a safe, violence-free life.
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