Breaking the Cycle

7/6/2021

DID YOU KNOW?  Children and teens who witness abuse in the home are twice as likely to become perpetrators or victims in a future relationship.  

As the summer season is upon us, We're reminded this is often one of the busiest times of year for our emergency shelter.  Not only do we tend to receive more hotline calls from survivors seeking shelter, but many clients residing in shelter have young children, who are now out of school for summer break. 

While we work hard to ensure there are activities planned daily for the young children in shelter, we have also started offering teens various opportunities for growth as well.  Recently, two teenagers entered shelter with their mother after fleeing domestic violence.  We helped them register for school and they attended every day through the end of the year.  Our staff also spoke with the teens and their mother regarding some of the programs we offer, such as our Workforce Development Program, and one of the teens decided she wanted to attend the childcare training class through the Red Cross.  She registered, successfully completed it, and even received a certificate in Childcare and Babysitting!  The entire family also completed the CPR and First Aid class offerings, and received certificates of completion.  The mother ultimately found a job and they have since moved into their own home!

Successful endings like this only happen because of the support we receive through our local community.  It is critical we don't just focus on intervention, but prevention in breaking the cycle as well.  So in addition to opportunities such as these, SafeHomes’ Teen Advisory Board (TAB) raises awareness and provides educational opportunities about dating violence and healthy relationships to their peers.

If you want to learn more, or your teen is interested in applying to serve on the TAB during the upcoming school year, click here for more information and an application.

Heal. Empower. Transform.