Through the NYC Healthy Relationship Training Academy, peer educators work to involve the younger generation in an effort to prevent domestic violence through knowledge.
The program, which is part of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence, was started in 2005. Between its start and June 1, 2010, it had conducted 769 workshops with more than 15,000 young people.
Peer educators, who range in age from 18 to 26, conduct the workshops, which are mainly for those between 11 and 24 years of age. However, they do sometimes conduct workshops for parents. The workshops are held in a variety of locations, including schools, GED programs, and after school programs.
“I think that a lot of young people are in relationships and as a young person they really throw themselves into a relationship,” said Kristen deFur, the Director of Research & Prevention Programs. “They really need a stronger model of healthy relationships.”
DeFur explained that relationships can be very important to a younger person, although they many times don’t know what the warning signs are of an unhealthy relationship or how it can turn unhealthy. One of the focuses of the workshop is to talk about a healthy relationship based on mutual respect and equality.
Another focus of these workshops, which are designed to be interactive, is educating the participants about abuse and that abuse can happen to anyone.
“We just want to raise awareness that domestic violence doesn’t mean that you have to be beat,” said peer educator Sophia Hiadijan, a 19-year-old resident of Astoria. “There are different types of abuse.”
Keren Sharon, a 19-year-old peer educator from Forest Hills, added, “Basically we try to show them what sort of behaviors really are abusive that they wouldn’t think are abusive.”
Another message that deFur said they want participants to take away from the workshops is that “no matter what, help is available.”
“Everyone has the right to a healthy relationship and no one deserves to be abused,” deFur said.
At the end of the workshops, participants are asked to share one thing that they have learned. DeFur said that they can see the participants have changed their mindsets based on their answers.
The younger individuals respond better to their peers, according to deFur. She said that participants are more interested in learning from their peers since they are all on the same level.
To become peer educators, they must complete 25 to 30 hours of training in which they learn about dating and domestic violence, how to facilitate effectively and troubleshooting. DeFur said there is also the opportunity for ongoing training and staff meetings are held to go over new developments.
Hiadijan said there are times when someone will see her age and think “what are you going to tell me.” But, she said that once she starts the workshop and begins teaching them information they didn’t know, those people start to feeling better and their attitude changes.
Sharon said that another problem the peer educators sometimes face it that “teenagers especially think that they know everything.”
“It doesn’t matter the age,” Hiadijan said. “The information that we talk about is information that anyone [can benefit from].”
More on domestic violence: part 2 of our series.
THE CRIPPLING DAMAGE TO CHILDREN
TRAINING PEER EDUCATORS TO PREVENT ABUSE
LANGUAGE LINE SPEAKS YOUR LINGO
VERIZON ‘HOPES’ TO USE OLD PHONES TO HELP
Stories and links from part 1 of our series on domestic violence can be found here:
THE SILENT SHAME- AN INTRODUCTION TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
