Tag: domestic violence

Domestic Violence, Mental Health, and Lemon Pepper Wings

We should be teaching boys that masculinity without emotional honesty is a danger. We should be teaching girls that love should never require fear. We should be teaching co-parents that unmanaged conflict can become generational trauma. And we should be teaching communities how to spot a person in crisis before we get in line at someone’s funeral.

We also need to be honest enough to say something else: Many men have never been taught how to handle rejection, shame, powerlessness, heartbreak, or fear. They’ve been taught, instead, how to posture, perform, possess, suppress, joke, deflect, drink, and disappear. And if all else fails, they’re taught to explode.

black and white photo of a man holding his head in his hands

What Fatherhood Programs Must Say About Domestic Violence

As an organization that works daily with fathers — men who are often healing, learning, and rebuilding their relationships — FI sees firsthand that domestic violence is not just a women’s issue or just a criminal justice issue. It’s a family issue. A public health issue. A community issue. 

When fatherhood programs give men the language, space, and opportunity to confront domestic violence, they often become some of the strongest advocates for ending it.