Domestic Violence and Families & Nature
Feature Article

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By: Marilyn Simpson-Johnson, L.M.S.W., Family Welfare Extension Specialist

Urban Extension is often challenged to find new and nontraditional niches in the human service field. With so many providers engaged in various aspects of service delivery to clients of all ages, genders, abilities and creeds, an approach mandated by the creation of services that are "new" and "nontraditional" can stretch the imagination.

The Urban Affairs unit faced such a challenge when it launched Extension Team Project (ETP) 602: "Trapped in Poverty, Trapped by Abuse and Trapped by Poor Health!" This ETP is a statewide public education initiative designed to share information and resources with county agents, other professionals, and the general Extension audience on the best contemporary methods to end domestic violence and improve the quality of life of urban families.

Initially, Urban Affairs launched the program system wide to introduce domestic violence prevention into its existing family development outreach efforts. Information through ETP 602 sought to devise innovative responses to the epidemic of domestic violence through public education initiatives, family violence prevention training, and county agent participation in local violence prevention networks. Many agents are now members of their local domestic violence prevention task forces and assist in ongoing program activities of these local groups.

Social marketing strategies augmented existing community-based media campaigns through the use of professional dramatic productions from Plays-for-Living in New York and public service announcements on domestic violence preventions on radio stations such as WJAB-FM at Alabama A&M University.

Efforts to sensitive professional service providers to the realities of life faced by low-income people, particularly the working poor involved the use of the ROWELL Welfare Simulation: "Can you Survive one Month in the State of Poverty?" Training materials were prepared and focused on the premise that "domestic violence is everybody's problem." Exercises on how fragmented community responses can cripple family efforts to address the problem were introduced through exercises like "The Blanket," a demonstration of how weak community responses to family crises can escalate violence and hardship.

Collaborations with other community partners like the Migrant Head Start Program of Oneonta, Alabama and another specialist who conceived and planned a special Hispanic Fiesta in Decatur, Alabama, increased outreach on domestic violence issues to Hispanic audiences.

But, how do you shift from a beginning program thrust directed at individuals and families such as domestic violence prevention to community/neighborhood initiatives that strengthen capacity building in resource-limited communities? This shift reflects the reality that too many pockets of at-risk behavior, including domestic violence, drug abuse, poor youth academic performance, and health care issues are concentrated in at- risk communities with fragmented family service networks. Communities must constantly work to strengthen resources and opportunities for families, especially those in violent situations and resource-limited households.

A family-centered community is one that strives to maximize the infrastructure of municipal resources to create a climate of support and nurturing for families of all types, but especially families with children. Strengthening family-centered communities enables at-risk individuals and families to find the supportive services necessary to enhance family options and individual aspirations. An approach to strengthening the infrastructure of at-risk communities ripples to individuals and families, particularly those in violent homes where self-esteem and family development are further being crippled.

The vision of Saving Towns at Risk or STAR is to leave no Alabama community behind. STAR's goal is to create avenues of opportunity for enterprising civic and municipal leaders who are committed to seeking a broad range of ideas, relationships, strategies, and techniques to improve the quality of life for families and communities. Saving at risk communities affirms a commitment and dedication to at-risk families; all families exist within some type of environmental arrangement.

STAR seeks to become a think-tank composed of innovative visionaries committed to building citizen dialogue, networking with diverse coalitions and creating municipal infrastructure projects designed to revitalize towns through the use of various assets.

Alabama towns that have been "left behind" is the special outreach target of STAR through the development of a pool of special services, resources, and assistance interwoven with existing community assets in a comprehensive campaign to strengthen family-centered communities. When communities are strengthened to aggressively address broken families; family development coexists with community development, thereby, ensuring that family and community development and revitalization enhance all sectors of society, not just the most economically secure.

Human service professionals, including those involved in implementing Extension programs in urban settings, are continuously striving to meet the challenge to strengthen family-centered communities with new and nontraditional programs. Such initiatives operate with a family and community asset focus, as well as a commitment to interlink family and community outreach.