Together Against Domestic Abuse (TADA) is an organization that aims to bring awareness to domestic violence through educating teens throughout the country.

Problem

Statistics show that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men will be abused in their lifetime. However staggering these statistics may be, they are not completely accurate. Thousands of victims of domestic violence remain silent due to fear, embarrassment, and instability. Thousands more of these cases go unnoticed because of a lack of education. Domestic violence affects millions, yet it is only brushed upon in high school health classes. Many believe that only physical and sexual abuse count as actual abuse, and that men cannot be victims. Our goal is to bring awareness to students to ensure they recognize the many kinds of abuse that exist, and that they understand that anyone can be a victim.

Solution

To bring awareness to domestic violence, I decided to go to the youth. I speak to various health classes and youth groups for middle and high school students, sharing my own story of abuse and those that others have shared with me. I encourage the students to participate in the presentation; as a student myself, I realize that most of the time a presenter in class is simply an excuse to take a nap. However, domestic violence is an important issue that all students need to be educated about. Therefore, I try to keep my presentations interesting, allowing the students to voice their own opinions, share their stories, and help decide the pace of the class. I also provide brochures to locations that teens frequent to ensure that they can receive the necessary information while remaining anonymous.

Example

Although each presentation I give varies based on the response I get from the class, the typical model is the same. First, I ask the students to help me create a chart on the front board. The chart contains two columns: one of the various abusers that could be in their life, and one of the types of abuse. Although many of the students will say "anyone" when asked who can be an abuser, writing out the chart makes them think of people they wouldn't normally: coaches, doctors, cousins, and women. I also encourage them to come up with many kinds of abuse, including financial, spiritual, and emotional. I then read one or two stories aloud with the class. These stories are ones that other students have written about their experiences with abuse and shared with us. I then share my own history of my abusive father. I believe that this part is very important; it shows that I have experience in this field and know what I am talking about, and that it is possible to escape abuse. Next, I move on to a powerpoint presentation to back up the stories we read with facts. I encourage the students to examine each aspect, considering what makes an abuser and what the affects of abuse are. Finally, I have each student sign a pledge saying "I am joining the fight to end domestic violence because..." I then share these back with the class. Students write both generic and personal responses, and in hearing their classmates' words, each student recognizes just how many people are affected by domestic violence, and will hopefully keep the lesson in mind as they enter future relationships.

Marketplace

There are many other organizations working toward ending domestic violence, such as the divisions of the National Coalition Against Domestic Abuse. We choose not to see our fellow groups as competitors, but as partners; we share information and encourage each others' growth, as we each have different specialties, and know that abuse cannot be eradicated with only one group working toward the change. As we are close in age to high school students, we are able to relate to them easily, and we focus more on stories than on facts, which separates us from the other groups. We encourage students to examine the stories we share with them for the various types of abuse exemplified, and through these exercises, they are then able to more readily identify similar situations in their own lives.