The Make It End Here project is a new domestic violence intervention and prevention project that provides in-depth information about how a child’s exposure to domestic violence negatively affects their growth, development, and future behaviors as adults. We offer domestic violence victims free online education and training programs that  guide and support them in interacting with their children to help them cope with and survive living in a violent and abusive home.
         

Exposure to domestic violence is a major problem throughout all segments of American society. It is estimated that over 15.5 million children 17 years of age and under live in homes where physical violence occurred at least once in the previous year. However, this figure does not reflect the broader issues about how many children and teens also witness emotional or psychological abuse or live in homes where violence and abuse are severe or pervasive.
         

Our project will initially focus on helping Mothers interact with their Sons because boys and young male teens are the population group most likely to carry on the cycle of violent and abusive behavior into adulthood. During Phase II, the project will be expanded to include the unique needs of girls and young female teens.           
        

The Make It End Here project website will serve as a one- stop resource center on issues relating to child victims of domestic violence. We seek to supplement existing domestic violence programs by stressing the critical importance of attending to the needs of these child victims whenever victims access services and develop survival plans. 
        

Our education and training programs will reflect the most topical research on domestic violence exposure, as well as the best practices in the field of domestic violence training. The central objective is to guide victims in empowering their sons to make conscious choices to avoid repeating the patterns of violence and abuse they observed in their future intimate relationships.
         

Shedding light on hidden family secrets and identifying new strategies to avoid continued exploitation and abuse are common characteristics of most victim rights programs.  Our website will educate Mothers and Sons about a broad variety of domestic violence issues and will offer specific training program to enable them to deal with living in a violent and abusive home.  We seek to ensure that the needs of these child victims do not fall by the wayside as their Mothers try to find the resources and supportive services necessary to deal with domestic violence or escape a violent home environment.
         

The educational component will illustrate potential risk factors and how a child victim’s behavior and personality are impacted by exposure to violence and abuse at various ages.  It features summaries of research findings, Frequently Asked Questions about domestic violence and violence exposure, self-assessment tools to determine how the family is being harmed, and downloadable and age-appropriate informational and educational materials.
         

Our education program also teach Mothers and Sons about the complexities and inter-personal dynamics of domestic violence, how the socialization process for males may influence their future behavior, and how they can strengthen the Mother-Son relationship to promote healthy growth and development.  By working cooperatively, they will be armed with the knowledge and tools to develop mutually supportive survival skills.
         

We strongly believe that a Mother’s early intervention and partnership with their Sons will help them emerge as a healthy, sensitive, and non-abusive adult.  Our training component will outline model strategies for Mothers to gauge, monitor and guide their Sons to make conscious choices to end the cycle of violence and abuse.
         

Given the extreme negative consequences of domestic violence exposure, it is critically important to explore innovative approaches that clearly define the problem and help victims and their children cope with and survive exposure to family violence and abuse.  Our project’s emphasis on intervention and prevention will increase public awareness about the the dangers of domestic violence exposure.
         

For many victims, the Make It End Here website may be the first, and perhaps only, real opportunity to examine the complexities of domestic violence exposure. The combination of education and training suited to the family’s individual needs may help ensure that Mothers and Sons can someday successfully proclaim that they did “Make It End Here.”   
       

Please click on the Brief Overview of Research Findings tab to learn more about the nature, extent, and potential behavioral consequences of domestic violence exposure.