Brochures

Example of a Completed Brochure

The work of addressing domestic violence involves the on-going process of education. In each community someone must lead the effort to speak out against the violence women experience, acknowledge the existence of domestic violence in the community, and get the community to break the silence. In order to address domestic violence, it is important for people to understand the problem and know how it impacts their lives.

The Domestic Violence brochure touches on the historical shift our cultures experienced that undermined our traditional acknowledgment of the importance of a balance of power between men and women and respect for the different roles each gender played in society. It also looks at domestic violence in today’s society as a pattern of behaviors used to control relationships, and closes with suggestions on how to address DV in our communities. This brochure is intended to be a starting point for people to think about domestic violence from a broader societal perspective, rather than an isolated problem between two people.

Click to download Domestic Violence Brochure

The Abusive Relationships brochure is designed to give women an overview of abusive behaviors and potential risks for her and her children. It offers examples of abuse women experience in battering relationships, including the batterer breaking or smashing things, making threats or intimidating gestures, pushing, shoving, choking, name calling and insults. This brochure also gives women who are in violent relationships quick assessment points to determine their risk of increasing danger, listing behaviors that show the violence is escalating: an increase in the frequency and severity of the violence, needing more outside help from places like the courts, police, or advocacy programs; the batterer’s obsession or preoccupation with her activities. These assessment points are meant to provide women with some warning signs, but makes the point that no assessment can predict the potential for increased violence or murder--a woman who is experiencing the violence is the best judge of her situation. Many women have expressed concern over the impact domestic violence may have on their children (in many cases their fear for their children is the deciding factor in seeking help) and this brochure includes a list of the effects of violence on children. These range from the batterer’s use of the children as tools for manipulation and control, to the behavioral changes children in violent homes experience: frequent illnesses, anxiety, bedwetting, becoming violent themselves and having troubles in school.

It can be difficult for women in battering relationships to identify the relationship as violent. The brochure for women is intended to help them look at some of what they may be experiencing in their relationships in order to identify abusive and controlling behaviors. Having the local program’s contact information listed on the brochure will provide women with someone to contact if they feel they need more information or assistance.

As common as it is for women to fail to see the violence in their relationships as battering, it is even more common for men not to recognize their own behavior as violent or abusive. This is the reason we have created the third brochure, Respectful Relationships, which is geared toward men and their relationships.

Click to download Abusive Relationships

Respectful Relationships lists facts about battering for men, looking at the dynamics in our society that teach and give permission to men to use violence as a means of enforcing their authority over family members. It asks men questions about how they view their role in intimate relationships and presents a list of abusive behaviors. To help men identify abuse and violence, we include examples of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse in addition to controlling behaviors such as intimidation, isolation, using children, coercion and threats. It is our belief that people are not born inherently violent, but rather that society teaches and supports violent behavior. In keeping with this belief, we have listed suggestions for change to give men who identify with abusive behaviors alternatives that can help them create respectful relationships and a non-violent lifestyle.

These brochures are intended for programs offering domestic violence services. They are not intended for distribution where there are no specific services available. Although the information contained in the brochures may benefit community efforts to raise awareness about domestic violence, harm could be done if there are not services available for women and men. Seriously consider the unintended consequences of distributing these brochures and raising these issues without having a place for people to go and get help. If specific programs do not exist for men and women, it may mean that individual community members will need to be identified as resources for people looking for help.

The brochures are available to download in MS Word so the look can be customized to suite the local program. Each brochure is designed as a three panel, single sheet document that will fit an 8 ½” x 11” standard sheet of paper, so it can be easily duplicated by your desktop printer or taken to a print shop for professional reproductions for larger distribution. The exterior page contains areas for you to provide program contact information, program logo or insignia, statistics, information about services provided, or additional resource information. A sample copy is provided illustrating the different ways to use the space on the exterior side. The text on the interior page is designed to fit the margins of a tri-fold brochure--it is not designed to be altered. Simply click on the brochure you want and save each file on your computer. Open the documents using MS Word and make the changes you desire on the exterior page and print. Then turn the paper over to print on the opposite side and print the interior page. Now your own customized brochures are complete.

Click to download Respectful Relationships

TThis website is supported by Grant No. 2005-WT-AX-K013 awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Dept of Justice. Points of view in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.