NATIONAL “CUT IT OUT” PROGRAM COMES TO MARYLAND

For Crime Victims Rights Week, Cosmetology Students Learn About Domestic Violence

Baltimore, MD, April 27 & May 5, 2009—In recognition of National Crime Victims Rights Week, cosmetology students at American Beauty Academy learn to recognize the signs of domestic violence in their clients. A total of 85 students will be trained by domestic violence advocates to recognize, respond and refer victims of domestic violence for help.

Cut It Out is a national program linking local salons and cosmetology schools to local domestic violence programs for referrals, fundraising, and partnerships. Stacie Beard, Prevention Specialist at SARC (Sexual Assault/Spouse Abuse Resource Center, Inc.) will train students on Monday, April 27 at 9:00 AM. On Tuesday, May 5, Angela Fizer, Community Family Advocate for Women’s and Children’s Services at Sinai Hospital, will conduct the training for the evening students at 5:30 PM. In Maryland, Cut It Out is coordinated by the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence (MNADV).

Cut It Out provides stylists with the tools they need to help the clients who trust them. When there are several signs indicating a pattern of abuse, stylists can offer support and refer the client for free, confidential help at a local domestic violence program.

Stacie Beard believes that the Cut It Out program “helps empower bystanders by giving them concrete things that they can do” when they discover that one of their clients is in a domestic violence situation. SARC provides services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking in Harford County.

Clients are not the only victims of domestic violence that the Cut It Out program benefits. Salon professionals, stylists, and cosmetology students can also learn about abuse and how to get help for themselves, their friends, or family members.

Angela Fizer believes that Cut It Out “is a powerful tool for reaching hundreds of women who have been affected by intimate partner violence, either in their own personal lives or the life of a friend.” In addition to her work in domestic violence for Women’s and Children’s Services at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, Fizer has also been a hairstylist for over 15 years. Sinai Hospital provides crisis support, individual counseling, group counseling for women, legal information, court advocacy and education on domestic violence and all services are free of charge.

Throughout Maryland, Cut It Out trainers are available to cosmetology schools and salons. Contact info@mnadv.org or call 301.352.4574 for more information on the Cut It Out program in your community. Your local domestic violence program can be found by visiting www.mnadv.org and clicking on “Service Providers.” 

For more information on Cut It Out in Maryland, contact Erin Boguski, Coordinator/Trainer at the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence at 301.352.4574 or eboguski@mnadv.org

Response to Dating Violence

By Erin Boguski, Coordinator/Trainer, Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence

            Celebrity news has been buzzing about Chris Brown’s alleged assault on Rihanna which occurred at the beginning of this month. On the internet, and in the sound bites from other celebrities, the response has ranged from condemning violence against women, to “hoping for the best” for both parties, or even wondering what Rihanna did to “provoke” Chris Brown. Even Harvey Levin, from TMZ, wonders why more people aren’t speaking out against violence against women. Certainly this and similar domestic violence incidents in the press strike a cord with teens and young adults throughout the nation and in Maryland. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (2001),16 to 24 year old women experience the highest rate of domestic violence. Pregnant or parenting teens are especially at risk for abuse. Last year in Maryland, there were two teen girls who were killed by their boyfriends, and both deaths occurred in Baltimore City (MNADV, FY 2008). Certainly, the context of one’s social environment and community can influence how violence against women is perceived.

            Children and teens learn about dating relationships and gender roles through their families, peers, media, community, and values they are taught. In effect, many young people are socialized to believe that forms of dating abuse—including physical violence, verbal abuse, threats, or sexual assault—are acceptable… particularly against women. We often hear how domestic violence is an intergenerational cycle of violence. After the assault, Chris Brown interviews were circulated detailing the domestic violence he witnessed as a child. While, of course, not every child who has witnessed domestic violence becomes an abuser later in life, these early experiences help shape children’s expectations about what a relationship is supposed to be and how conflicts should be resolved. Music, media, and celebrities also help shape these values in young people today.

            Although the sound bites and internet chatter range from condemning to condoning the actions of Chris Brown, the criminal justice response to arrest him is a step in the right direction towards accountability. As a young person who is obviously conscious of his past, we hope that the legal system, the public, his family, friends, and spiritual community will support and encourage him to change. He has an opportunity to demonstrate to many young men and women who look up to him that the cycle of domestic violence can be broken. While many abusers are “sorry and saddened” (in Brown’s words) for their abusive actions towards their partners, a real man will admit that he is wrong, accept responsibility, and will make major cognitive and behavioral changes to match their lip service: Brown has yet to take those steps. Self-reflection and prayer is an insufficient response to assaulting the woman you supposedly love. Many domestic violence and community groups are taking this as an opportunity to speak out against violence against women and to promote healthy relationships. On the national level, resources are available: www.loveisnotabuse.com has lots of resources; the National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline is 1-866-331-9474 and live chat is available at www.loveisrespect.org; and there are new interactive materials at www.thatsnotcool.com.

            The Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence (MNADV) began a Children and Teens Initiative to address teen dating abuse and healthy relationships in Maryland. MNADV is a statewide coalition working together with local domestic violence programs, criminal justice and law enforcement personnel, legal advocates, health care and social service providers, faith-based groups, educators, businesses, community groups, and concerned individuals to promote a coordinated community response to end domestic violence. On February 27, MNADV is hosting Shaping Future Generations: Round Table on Children and Teens, for professionals and community leaders working in domestic violence or working with children and teens. To join this initiative, email info@mnadv.org or call 301-352-4574.

To download a version of this opinion piece, click here.

MNADV's 2008 Annual Award Winners

Congratulations to the 2008 Annual Award winners who were recognized at MNADV's Annual Meeting in October.