Prevention of Domestic Violence
Prevention of Domestic Violence against Women and Children
Thou the Council of Europe launched in 2007 a Pan European Campaign to overcome violence, the rate of violent cases in Europe increased with 15%.Domestic violence and emotional abuse are behaviors used by one person in a relationship to control the other.
ANYONE CAN BE A VICTIM! Victims can be of any age, sex, race, culture, religion, education, employment or marital status. Although both men and women can be abused, most victims are women. Children in homes where there is domestic violence are more likely to be abused and/or neglected. Most children in these homes know about the violence. Even if a child is not physically harmed, they may have emotional and behavior problems.
Violence can be criminal and includes physical assault (hitting, pushing, shoving, etc.), sexual abuse (unwanted or forced sexual activity), and stalking. Although emotional, psychological and financial abuse is not criminal behaviors, they are forms of abuse and can lead to criminal violence.
The Churches worldwide stood up against all forms of violence and started to develop program and campaigns against violence.
World council of Churches also continue the campaign “Challenged to overcome violence in Europe” and asked the board of CEC to bring the issue of violence on the 3rd European Ecumenical Assembly.
Focus groups:
Children and Women at risk, State officials, Church representatives, NGOs members, teachers, mass media representatives.
Activities:
1. Producing and dissemination of materials
2. Publications: the methodological guide against domestic violence:
“Violence is not a Solution” addressed to students and teachers.
3. National Campaigns against domestic violence: schools, mass media, general public, international campaigns.
Violence hurts! – an anti-violence campaign organized in high schools and vocational schools
4. Seminars in: schools, Police departments, Churches, focused on “Violence in small communities and the role of co-operation between Police – NGOs – Churches – local administration”; focused on education and improving the methodology of approaching the victims of violence of the police officers, from different areas of activity, general information on domestic violence, statistics, terminology, types of violence, and models of cooperation between State Institutions and Churches in the process of reintegration of the victims
5. Information sessions
a) in schools, training for students in elementary and high schools,
b) in factories, for women workers
6. National Campaign: „16 Days of fighting against violence in Europe”
organized in relation with the International Day of Fighting against Violence-25th of November, in co-operation with SENSI BLUE Foundation, Archbishopric of Targoviste - Christian House and the Romanian Orthodox Church – Diaconia Association.
