Violence Prevention Education
Help End Domestic Violence
What will it take to end domestic violence in our communities? How can we address its root causes, support survivors, and prevent future abuse? These questions are central to the movement to end domestic violence. Drawing from nationwide prevention strategies and key theoretical approaches, YWCA aims to decrease domestic violence in Glendale and surrounding areas.
Domestic violence is a pattern of behaviors used by one person to control another in a relationship, whether married, cohabiting, or dating. Abusive behaviors can be subtle, like controlling finances or showing jealousy, or more obvious, like physical violence or threats. Many of these behaviors can coexist in the same relationship.
To end intimate partner violence, we must address it at societal, community, relationship, and individual levels. Prevention efforts aim to stop violence before it starts by challenging cultural norms that support it. Successful prevention promotes a culture of respect, equality, and peace in all relationships.
Prevention Levels and Strategies
-
Primary prevention strategies take place before domestic violence has occurred to prevent first time victimization or perpetration by removing the cause or preventing the development of risk factors associated with the problem.
-
Secondary prevention is aimed at decreasing the prevalence of domestic violence after early signs of the problem, preventing violence from happening again. Priority is usually given here to utilizing interventions directed at those in the population who are at particularly at high risk for violence exposure.
-
Tertiary prevention is aimed at intervening once the problem is clearly evident and causing harm. Programs utilizing the tertiary prevention approach provide ongoing support to survivors at both an individual and social level. Tertiary prevention programs are focused primarily on regaining safety.
Domestic Violence Counselor Training
YWCA Glendale and Pasadena offers our 40-Hour Domestic Violence Counselor Training twice a year to staff, volunteers, and community members who are looking to better understand the experiences of survivors of domestic violence and their children. Completion of this training meets the requirements set by California Evidence Code 1037.1 as part of a process to become designated a Domestic Violence Counselor. After completing 40 hours of training, participants will receive a Certificate of Completion that allows them to pursue volunteer and employment opportunities working directly with survivors of domestic violence in California. To learn more contact jomieliu@ywcagp.org.
What We Do
YWCA Glendale and Pasadena tailors our prevention programs to meet the unique needs of our communities, as aligned with three key platforms: racial justice and civil rights, empowerment and economic advancement, and safety of women and girls. All of our prevention programs focus on the intersections of our three platforms, to develop healthy communities free of violence.
We offer a range of programming, trainings, presentations, activities, and workshops that help build awareness of domestic violence issues, break the cycle of violence, and work to prevent future incidents of violence. We also support local community events, health and wellness fairs, school events, and many more through tabling and presentations about our services.
Safe Dates Teen Dating Violence Prevention Education
We teach Safe Dates, an evidence based, violence prevention curriculum to support middle school students in understanding and ultimately, preventing teen dating violence. The curriculum educates students on the forms of interpersonal violence, challenges the societal norms and misconceptions that contribute to harmful beliefs, attitudes and actions related to the perpetuation of violence, and provide opportunities for students to practice bystander intervention skills to disrupt violence and support survivors.