![]() ![]() ![]() The group then debated over whether the boyfriend should resort to violence, even in an emergency situation.Ĭase discussions like this are a critical part of the teen group meeting, Batista says. Luis recalled another member of the group took the boyfriend’s side and tried to justify the violence. I wouldn’t use violence,” said Luis, a junior at Aviation High School in Long Island City. “The purpose of doing that is to give them a little bit of empowerment,” Batista says, “let them know they also have a voice and they can do something.”ĭuring the discussion about the fictional Nick and Caitlin, Luis Campos was the first to offer a solution. Her goal is not only to let children open up to her and understand her perspective but also to allow them to learn about other teens’ experiences and give each other suggestions so they don’t feel alone in their situation. That is exactly what Batista hoped for when she started a teen therapy group in June 2012. “There is intergenerational transfer, but early intervention helps children understand what a healthy relationship is and helps them gain a mastery of the environment because, ultimately, domestic violence is about loss of power.” “Some of the teenagers we see who are enrolled in abusive teen relationships are also the children who grew up in a household of domestic violence,” says Beth Silverman-Yam, DSW, LCSW, clinical director at Sanctuary for Families, a nonprofit based in New York that assists victims of domestic violence and their children. The staff of these programs hope that through awareness and discussion, children will not become batterers or victims in their own future relationships. They are also looking to “break the cycle”-stop the generational repetition that often comes with victims of domestic abuse. Through individual and group therapy, the Violence Intervention Program-and a few other programs in New York-not only aims to help children work through trauma with therapy. The goal for Batista and others working with the children of domestic violence is to get teens to draw a line between acceptable and unacceptable behaviors between intimate partners, even if that line has been all but erased in the relationships they have witnessed in their own homes. “What would you do if you were in Nick and Caitlin’s position?” Batista asked the group. By the end of the story, Caitlin is asleep on Nick’s shoulder as they drive home. Nick then hit Caitlin and then tried to apologize with sweet talk and kisses. His girlfriend, Caitlin, panicked and tried to grab the steering wheel. Nick threatened to drive the car into the water as the pair traveled along a long two-lane bridge. The meeting started with Batista distributing a handout describing a story in which a couple quarreled as the boyfriend was driving. Each had experienced some level of domestic violence in their households, and all of them were Batista’s clients in a previous individual counseling session. These five, aged 13 to 17, were not chosen at random. Seated in a circle in front of her were five junior high school and high school students, backpacks lying on the ground at their feet. It was time for the monthly meeting at the Violence Intervention Program at a confidential location in Queens, New York, and Batista was ready to introduce the discussion topic of the day: dating abuse. Michelle Batista, MS, remembers her last meeting with her clients vividly: She walked across the wood floors of the small conference room promptly at 5 pm on an October evening. Preventing Intergenerational Transmission of Domestic Violence ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |