| It wasn't too long ago that many of us were reeling | | | | believe that love is chaotic so they emulate what |
| from the news of domestic violence involving singers | | | | they've seen. This is why it's important for moms to |
| Chris Brown and Rihanna. According to the Domestic | | | | ensure their sons also see examples of healthy |
| Violence Resource Center, more than one million | | | | relationships and men who represent the example |
| people, on average, are victims of domestic violence | | | | they want their sons to be. Our society is filled with |
| each year. | | | | men who are good men and our families are filled |
| The vast majority of victims are women, and if | | | | with couples who have healthy relationships. We may |
| there is any hope to lessen domestic violence, it's | | | | have to seek those examples out, but it's imperative |
| important that we start educating our sons about it | | | | that we do. |
| at an early age. This includes: | | | | Additionally, we should remind our sons that domestic |
| 1. What Constitutes Domestic Violence. While many | | | | violence is a two way street and can also involve a |
| people think of domestic violence as a man | | | | woman hitting a man. As such, we should encourage |
| consistently abusing a woman, we must help them | | | | our sons that if they are in a relationship where the |
| understand that domestic violence is any violence | | | | woman gets physical, i.e., pushing, hitting, biting, |
| which takes place amongst family members or those | | | | slapping, etc. that they terminate the relationship |
| in an intimate relationship and that it can be a one | | | | because this type of behavior represents the |
| time occurrence or continuous. | | | | emerging stages of what could escalate into |
| 2. Respect For Women. Respect is the foundation of | | | | unthinkable tragedy. |
| any healthy relationship. Men who have little respect | | | | 4. Violence Never Solves Anything. We must |
| for women can often get abusive when things go | | | | reiterate to our sons that no matter how angry they |
| awry. We must continue to teach our sons that | | | | may become about a situation that violence or use |
| women are to be treated with respect and that this | | | | of force, absent of self defense, is not an acceptable |
| means they should love, cherish and never harm | | | | form of behavior and that there are better ways to |
| them. | | | | handle their anger than harming another human being. |
| 3. Don't Remain In An Unhealthy Relationship. In this | | | | In the end, there is a lot we can do to lessen the |
| culture, where many of our young men are being | | | | number of domestic violence incidents that occur |
| raised by single mothers, without any or minimal | | | | each year. One such thing is educating our sons |
| interaction with male role models, their vision of | | | | about the importance of healthy relationships and |
| masculinity can get skewed. The same is true for | | | | better ways to handle their anger than the use of |
| young men who grow up in abusive two parent | | | | violence. |
| households. In such cases, these young men may | | | | |