The Impact of Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence

Overview: This community education class is designed to create a safe place to explore concepts related to the abuse of power in relationships and how family system members can be impacted. The class will also consider cultural factors, discuss safety issues and safety planning, and identify local and national resources. Duration: 8 weeksTime: 90 minutes per session Cost: FreeWho Should Attend: Adults 18 or older who are dealing with domestic violence or know someone who is. Referrals from domestic violence programs and shelters are welcome.

Domestic violence can involve violence and threats between any family members. Intimate partner violence addresses a specific relationship between two people. The violence can take many forms, including emotional, sexual, financial, spiritual, and physical abuse and threats of abuse. It can happen in heterosexual or same-sex relationships, and all too often, in families with children. Abusive relationships are characterized by an imbalance of power and control.

What You Will Learn

• Understand the scope of domestic violence in our society
• How to recognize signs of all types of domestic violence
• Understand thoughts and actions of perpetrators and collaborators
• Where to go for help when experiencing or seeing an abusive situation
• How to create a comprehensive safety plan and how to be a part of a safety plan for someone else
• Understand the arc of surviving domestic violence and leaving it behind to create a safe and healthy life -- which often involves dealing with complex PTSD

Session Topics

• Understanding violence -- the dynamics of power in social and family systems
• Warning signs of unbalanced, unhealthy relationships
• The impact of abuse and threats on mental, emotional, and physical health
• How domestic violence and intimate partner violence can impact children, adolescents, and adults
• Examining the life arc of a survivor of domestic and intimate partner violence
• How to support a friend or family member who is in an abusive relationship
• Elements of safety planning and self-care
• Wrap up and closing