Break the Cycle
As a Family: Look for opportunities to discuss inappropriate relationships with your children, e.g., news articles, TV shows, movies, and affirm the importance of healthy family relationships. Make volunteering at a local domestic violence crisis center a family activity! Form a local group of committed parents. Contact the FJC to schedule a speaker for your group.
In the Home: Exposure to violence in the home can be a predictor of a child’s violent behavior. It can also lead to behavioral and health problems including depression and anxiety. If you are being abused, so are your children! Contact the Family Justice Center at 865-521-6336 to find out how to break the cycle in your home.
Siblings and Peers: Be a role model for younger siblings, neighborhood children and classmates. Let them know it is never okay to hurt others – with words or physical violence!
Sports: Young men and women look up to their coaches and sports heroes. Speak to them about domestic and sexual violence. Coach them on appropriate behavior off the field too!
Men: Domestic and sexual violence is a men’s issue, too. Never hesitate to speak to your male friends and co-workers if you suspect they are acting inappropriately in their relationships. The Verizon Foundation, in partnership with A CALL TO MEN, Joyful Heart Foundation and NO MORE, provides an Action Guide that outlines five simple ways to get involved and a PSA featuring Sportscaster Jim Brown about the importance of speaking up at www.verizonfoundation.org/yourvoicecounts.
For more ways to get involved, contact the Men’s Violence Policy Council at the Knox County Health Dept. (865-215-5061) or go to the Men Can Stop Rape website (www.mencanstoprape.org).
Make A Difference
Educators: Each year, thousands of rapes or sexual assaults occur in public schools. Female teenagers who experience dating or sexual violence are more likely to engage in substance abuse, risky sexual behaviors and/or commit suicide. Visit the National Center for Victims of Crime’s Teen Victim Project (ncvc.org), RAINN, the Rape and Incest National Network (rainn.org), and the Knox County Health Dept. (865-215-5061) for educational programming information.
Religious Communities: Rabbis, pastors, priests and imams trained to understand domestic and sexual violence can be great resources. Contact Faith Trust Institute (faithtrustinstitute.org) or the Knoxville Clergy Task Force (clergytaskforce.weebly.com) for more information.
Friends: If you think a friend is in an abusive relationship, talk to him/her about it. Even unmarried couples can have an abusive relationship. Let him/her know there is help available. FJC 24-hour hotline: 865-521-6336
Employers: Include domestic violence awareness in your orientation or in-service training. Place posters in general areas of your busines such as lunchrooms and bathrooms. Make safety cards, rack cards and other informational literature readily available. If you think someone is in an abusive relationship, talk to them about it and tell them where they can get help. Contact the FJC for literature, posters or help with training.
Everyone: Contact your legislators to urge them to support policies that assist domestic violence victims and give law enforcement the tools they need to hold abusers accountable. Spread the word: distribute posters; volunteer as a speaker for a local domestic violence awareness program; sponsor a drive for donations, cash or in-kind, to support area programs; volunteer at a shelter or agency that helps victims of domestic violence. Contact the FJC for a list of their partners who need volunteers.
Religious Communities: Rabbis, pastors, priests and imams trained to understand domestic and sexual violence can be great resources. Contact Faith Trust Institute (faithtrustinstitute.org) or the Knoxville Clergy Task Force (clergytaskforce.weebly.com) for more information.
Friends: If you think a friend is in an abusive relationship, talk to him/her about it. Even unmarried couples can have an abusive relationship. Let him/her know there is help available. FJC 24-hour hotline: 865-521-6336
Employers: Include domestic violence awareness in your orientation or in-service training. Place posters in general areas of your busines such as lunchrooms and bathrooms. Make safety cards, rack cards and other informational literature readily available. If you think someone is in an abusive relationship, talk to them about it and tell them where they can get help. Contact the FJC for literature, posters or help with training.
Everyone: Contact your legislators to urge them to support policies that assist domestic violence victims and give law enforcement the tools they need to hold abusers accountable. Spread the word: distribute posters; volunteer as a speaker for a local domestic violence awareness program; sponsor a drive for donations, cash or in-kind, to support area programs; volunteer at a shelter or agency that helps victims of domestic violence. Contact the FJC for a list of their partners who need volunteers.
End Domestic Violence
Law Enforcement: Most women’s homicides are committed by their intimate partner. Every domestic disturbance is a potential future homicide. Encourage victims to seek help in the community. Offer the locations and phone numbers of local domestic violence programs. Contact the FJC for safety cards that provide information for victims.
Healthcare: Doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals often see clues that a patient is in an abusive relationship: an overprotective partner; poor eye contact, reluctance to speak in front of a partner; unexplained, multiple old bruises or injuries. Let them know that you are concerned for their safety and that help is available. Give them a safety card and ask if you can contact someone on their behalf. Helpline: 865-521-6336. Contact the FJC for safety cards, posters and family violence screening tools.
Legislators: Support legislation that gives law enforcement the tools they need to protect victims of domestic violence. Help prosecutors put offenders in jail. Domestic violence is a crime – let your community know that you won’t tolerate it!
Healthcare: Doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals often see clues that a patient is in an abusive relationship: an overprotective partner; poor eye contact, reluctance to speak in front of a partner; unexplained, multiple old bruises or injuries. Let them know that you are concerned for their safety and that help is available. Give them a safety card and ask if you can contact someone on their behalf. Helpline: 865-521-6336. Contact the FJC for safety cards, posters and family violence screening tools.
Legislators: Support legislation that gives law enforcement the tools they need to protect victims of domestic violence. Help prosecutors put offenders in jail. Domestic violence is a crime – let your community know that you won’t tolerate it!
