What Can You Do?

I Can

Speak Out

  • Speak out against violence in television and movies.
  • Take a stand; don’t tolerate jokes about rape, race or violence.
  • Attend rallies and protests against violence.
  • Ask your legislators to increase funding for programs that offer services to victims of violence and/or violence prevention education.
  • Make sure that local schools address violence as part of the curriculum.
  • Call law enforcement when you see or hear that someone is being abused.
  • Educate yourself about domestic violence and then educate your family and friends.
  • Discuss violence with your children and make sure they know what signs to look for when choosing relationships and where to go for help if they are physically assaulted.
  • Attend a DAP Tour with a group of friends!

 

Volunteer

  • Contact DAP or your local Battered Women’s shelter and offer to volunteer.
  • If you belong to a service organization or place of worship, encourage them to learn about and find ways to support your local program or DAP.
  • Volunteer to arrange a speaker from DAP for any workplace or organization of which you are a member.
  • Host a Party With Purpose.
  • Be a Table Captain for DAP’s annual luncheon.
Give Financial Support
  • Donate money to DAP or your local domestic violence program so that they are able to continue their services.
  • Call and ask DAP or your local domestic violence program for a list of needed donations.  Then organize a drive for those items: school supplies, baby supplies, etc.
  • Introduce DAP or your local domestic abuse program to the head of your company and encourage your business to become a Corporate Partner.

Parents Can

  • Be positive role models.
  • Turn of television violence.
  • Explain to their children the acceptable ways to deal with anger.
  • Encourage their children’s teachers, coaches, and community leaders to promote nonviolent solutions to problems.
  • Listen to children; encourage them to discuss their feelings, needs and wants.

Kids Can

  • Treat each other with respect.
  • Turn off violence TV programs.
  • Deal with anger in a positive way.
  • Get to know children of ethnic and cultural groups other than their own.

Teachers Can

  • Develop curriculum for boys and men to help them understand their role in healthy relationships.
  • Seek training to help recognize and assist abuse victims, including children who are witnesses to domestic abuse.
  • Create an atmosphere for respectful discussion of harassment, abusive and violent behavior.

Business Leaders Can

  • Audit the workplace to ensure that inappropriate attitudes about violence, abuse and degrading behavior are not tolerated.
  • Offer training and counseling on issues of domestic violence, abuse and sexual harassment.
  • Provide information on how and where to get help in times of stress, need or actual violence.
  • Engage in Corporate Partnership as a business with DAP or a local domestic abuse program.  It sends a message to employees that you care about them.

Employees Can

  • Refuse to participate in derogatory jokes or stories about women, rape or violence.
  • Treat each other with respect in the workplace and tolerate differences among co-workers.
  • Learn about different racial and ethnic cultures and customs.

Religious Leaders Can

  • Speak out against domestic violence.
  • Assist victims in their religious community who must escape from abusive or violent environments.
  • Offer resources to religious community members who may be perpetrators or victims of domestic abuse to assist them in seeking help.
  • Seek training to enable them to recognize and assist children in violent and abusive environments.

Civic Organizations Can

  • Examine messages promoted within their organization regarding women, minorities, and children.  Are they positive?  Supportive?
  • Encourage awareness of domestic abuse.
  • Promote humane and just treatment for all community members.

Youth Organizations Can

  • Begin discussions about family and personal relationships that focus on respect, understanding and positive behavior.
  • Identify and confront potential aggressors about unacceptable behavior.
  • Seek training for leaders so they can recognize and assist victims of harassment or abusive behavior.
  • Initiate projects that reward positive behavior and seek to eliminate negative images of different groups in society.

Criminal Justice Workers Can

  • Examine policies and practices regarding domestic abuse and sexual assault.
  • Analyze actual and perceived consequences to the perpetrator of abusive and violent behavior.
  • Study how the system treats victims of harassment, abuse, or violence.