Additional goals are to discuss conflict and its resolution, the responsibility for violence, and to learn new strategies for problem solving and coping with violence exposure. Group activities designed to identify strengths of families, gender and ethnicity are included. The children s groups allow for discussion of the specifics of violence in the family only after relationships between the group leaders and other participants are well established. Most activities address family violence through displacement - that is by using stories, films, drawings, puppet plays, etc. This method is comfortable for most children because it allows them to react openly to the issues without the pressure to discuss their own particular family.
Moms meet in a separate group to share their parenting experiences, concerns, and support.
All children deserve a safe and supportive family environment in which to grow and develop. However, many young children are disproportionately exposed to violence in their families and communities. Given their limited capacity to understand these upsetting events, young children are thought to be most at-risk for developing problems following exposure to violence. Children who witness violence deserve support, understanding, and the chance to make sense of these painful and difficult experiences in their lives. Children can do so in a supportive and safe environment with other children who have had similar experiences.