Community approaches to preventing intimate partner violence (IPV) target the attitudes and beliefs that allow IPV to remain a private issue that occurs behind closed doors. They also attempt to increase comfort level in the community so that neighbors can talk about the issues and seek help and support from each other. Through a variety of awareness raising, motivational, and activity-focused tactics, these approaches try to engage the whole community in addressing IPV as a social justice issue.
Benefits of a Prevention Approach
A prevention approach to IPV is logical for several reasons. First, high prevalence rates indicate that it should be considered a public health issue rather than a rare pathology to be treated. Second, years of research on intervention with perpetrators of IPV have demonstrated that it can be extremely difficult to alter abusive patterns once they are entrenched. Third, the wide range of negative impacts experienced by victims of IPV validates a prevention strategy in that a considerable amount of physical and emotional harm could be avoided through a reduction in rates of IPV.
Prevention at the community level often takes the form of educating the larger community about IPV and creating motivation to overcome bystander apathy (i.e., by challenging the notion that IPV is a private matter between a couple). These initiatives may also seek to change notions of what it means to be a man. Some initiatives identify specific actions that individuals or communities can take to target IPV. Innovative strategies include interactive theater whereby community members have the opportunity to step into a play about IPV and attempt to change the outcome of events.
Community-Level Approaches
Recent initiatives have focused on outlining the steps necessary to mobilize an entire community or neighborhood. Organizations such as the Family Violence Prevention Fund have created kits to assist communities in this regard. For example, the Family Violence Prevention Fund’s Neighbor to Neighbor Domestic Violence Action Kit includes a step-by-step guide on bringing neighbors together for a community meeting about domestic violence, activities neighbors can plan to raise awareness about abuse, a sample letter to the media, a list of popular topics and films on the issue with discussion points, and a video to jump-start discussions. In addition to these kits, the Family Violence Prevention Fund and other organizations create and disseminate public service announcements on TV or on the radio to raise awareness.
Focus on Engaging Men
In recognition of the fact that IPV has long been considered a women’s issue and that men have been largely absent from prevention initiatives, one current direction focuses on engaging men specifically. The White Ribbon Campaign, started by Kauffman, is an international movement that has encouraged men not only to make a personal commitment to nonviolence, but also to become active agents of change in their communities. The White Ribbon Campaign operates in at least 47 countries around the world. Although it started as a campaign that focused on adult men, it has grown to include strategies for preventing teen dating violence. A key founding principle of the White Ribbon Campaign is that it is a grassroots movement developed by men in response to the particular needs and characteristics of their communities; thus, there is great variability in the activities and nature of involvement across different countries. There are other examples of men-focused campaigns, including the Founding Fathers campaign by the Family Violence Prevention Fund, Men Can Stop Rape, and Dads & Daughters.
