Welcome to the Home Page of the Make It End Here project which has been created to educate Mothers who are domestic violence victims about the critical importance of focusing on the emotional and psychological needs of children and teens that are witnesses to, or the survivors of, domestic violence.
Initially, the project will focus on boys and young male teens exposed to domestic violence because they are population group most likely to carry on the inter-generational cycle of domestic violence as adults. During Phase II, the project will be expanded to include information about girls and young female teens, whose behaviors and reactions to domestic violence exposure are different than males.
The severe emotional and behavioral effects of a child’s exposure to domestic violence is an issue that deserves increased public attention. Many people “instinctively” understand that boys and young male teens can be negatively affected by witnessing parent-on-parent violence and abuse. However, there is considerably less awareness about the magnitude of the problem or how a child victim’s reactions or behaviors may indicate extreme and permanent emotional, behavioral, and psychological harm.
A recent study estimated that annually a minimum of 15.5 million children from infancy to age 17 live in homes where physical violence occurred at least once in the prior year. This represents about 30% of all children.
However disturbing this figure may be, it is only a partial picture of the nature and extent of the problem. For example, it does not reflect how many child victims are exposed to severe emotional and psychological abuse, the percentage that witness multiple or extreme acts of violence, or how many are directly involved in these acts of violence and abuse.
Our Mission is to increase public awareness about how boys and young male teens can be permanently harmed by exposure to domestic violence. In order to help these families in crisis, The Make It Here Project website offers these Mothers and their Sons vital educational tools and training resources to help them cope with living in a domestic violence environment and how such an environment can have a lifelong impact.
The Make It End Here website is designed to operates as a one-stop resource center on issues relating to child victims of domestic violence exposure. We offer free educational information, as well as links to other available domestic violence programs and services.
This project takes a somewhat different approach in helping domestic violence victims in comparison to most other victim service programs. We believe that strengthening the bonds between Mothers and Sons can be the foundation for breaking the inter-general cycle of domestic violence. The programs encourage Mothers and Sons to face the realities about domestic violence and the importance of building and maintaining mutually supportive relationships and strategic interactions to cope with exposure to domestic violence.
Violence and abuse are learned behaviors so boys and young teens who witness violence and abuse at home are significantly more likely to become perpetrators of domestic violence as adults. Early awareness and intervention can play a key role in empowering them to make conscious choices to avoid carrying on those behaviors.
Please keep in mind that we are in the early stages of prohect implementation and we hope to build upon our work. Please Bookmark our Home Page and visit us periodically.
In the interim, please click the PROJECT SUMMARY tab and related informational tabs. They will give you more detailed information about how boys and young male teens are affected by domestic violence exposure and and how they can be supported in making conscious decisions to end the generational cycle.