Lead. Stand. Live with Respect: A 5 Year Marketing Campaign

Hands of Hope, a division of Family Service Society, Inc. has received a challenge from the Center for Disease Control to reduce the incidents of domestic violence in Grant County over the next five years.

The CDC recognizes that intimate partner violence is a public health issue just like smoking. In 1983 the CDC established the Violence Epidemiology Branch to focus its public health efforts in violence prevention. Focus was mainly on general violence, child maltreatment and youth violence.

Hands of Hope/Family Service Society, Inc. is part of a nationwide initiative called Delta Focus. The DELTA FOCUS 5-year grant, began in 2013 in 10 states and 19 communities. In Indiana, the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence is taking the lead with Grant County serving as the only county in the state to be a Delta Focus community.

The goal is prevention: to stop intimate partner violence (IPV) before it begins using a phased approach that supports state domestic violence coalitions as they 1) build organizational readiness; 2) enhance their state and community-level abilities to prevent IPV; and 3) build evidence for effective primary prevention practices, programs, and policies.

With your help, Hands of Hope and the Mayor’s Commission Against Domestic Violence will be reaching out to individuals, community members, churches, schools, youth serving organizations and the medical community with strategies to reduce risk factors and increase protective factors.

We have our work cut out for us. I was reminded of that just yesterday when Rosalyn Turcott who presents Hands Are Not For Hitting to second graders at a Grant County school shared her thoughts:

“I just came from doing day 2 of Hands Are Not for Hitting in 2nd grade at a local elementary school.  The first day I read a powerful story of a family where the dad hits (common occurrence) his wife.  As expected, I had several students say out loud that happens in their family.  Anyway, today when I asked the post question “Should you keep it a secret if the adults in your home hit each other or throw things when they’re mad?” a boy said, “Yes.  My mom says what happens at home stays at home.”  Others agreed w/him.  In the other 2nd grade class a boy responded to the question, “It ain’t nobody’s business” and repeated it several times as I attempted to discourage that mindset and reiterate the importance of talking to a trusted adult to help not only usvoice our feelings but perhaps get help for the adults.  In both classes students brought up not to tell because the police will take someone to jail and they don’t want that to happen.”

Sad, sad, sad…

SO NOW FOR OUR CHALLENGE TO EACH OF YOU:

Lead. Stand. Live with Respect.

For those second grade students respect is not in their homes – violence is. In order for those second grade students to have their minds changed about domestic violence, they must hear messaging from their teacher, janitor, lunchroom staff, after school program person and neighbor to list a few.

Specifically what can you do?

First and foremost examine your life and your attitude – are you respectful to yourself and others?

Remember people are watching –children are watching.

Then, educate yourself about Hands of Hope – pick up materials and plexi-glass stands to place in your churches, businesses and youth serving organizations.

And, always remember to Lead. Stand. Live with Respect.