Interval House–the state’s largest domestic violence agency–is asking men to lend their names to the cause against domestic violence for its third annual Father’s Day initiative. This year, as in years past, hundreds of men supporting Interval House will add their names to an honor roll published by The Hartford Business Journal, to be printed June 14.
“We know most abusers in the world of domestic violence are men, but of course most men are not abusers,” said Mary-Jane Foster, Interval House’s President and CEO. “We want those good men to step forward and stand with us as role models to other men and young boys.”
While the initiative raises money, the campaign is focused on raising awareness and getting men involved in ending the cycle of violence, which in most cases is learned in early childhood. According to national statistics, 92-percent of the abusers in reported domestic violence households are men. Of those, 70-percent witnessed and experienced domestic violence in their homes as children. Researchers also estimate that as much as 6-percent of kids nationally–or about 4.5 million children–have seen or heard parents or other adults slap, hit, kick or punch each other in the home. A global study recently of more than 125,000 people from all socioeconomic backgrounds found children who witnessed domestic violence had the same risk and incident of PTSD as soldiers returning from combat.
“The lasting and lifelong negative impact of domestic violence on a child is horrific,” Foster said. “If we can break that chain early on, then we know we can drop those numbers dramatically.”
Men who want to participate in the Interval House Father’s Day initiative can make a donation of any amount (even $1) to add their names to the list at https://intervalhouse.salsalabs.org/FathersDay/index.html. Women can also add the name of a man in their lives who makes a difference.