Information for churches

Show its not OK – a few suggestions for getting involved

• Break the silence – talk about family violence in sermons
• Host forums, seminars and discussions Encourage your church community and your wider community to actively involve themselves in projects that raise awareness of family violence and seek to change attitudes and behaviour
• Name it. Call it family violence. It isn’t a “relationship problem”, it isn’t “just a domestic”, it isn’t “an argument that got out of hand” – it’s violence and it needs to be named if it’s going to stop.
• Don’t accept excuses. Banish victim blaming. Make a clear stand that says family violence is unacceptable – there is never any justification.
• Phone talkbacks. Write letters and articles for newspapers and magazines. Respond to and comment on local issues involving family violence
• Promote the campaign. Use your church newsletters, notice boards and billboards to help raise awareness of the movement for change (resources and information are available from http://www.whiteribbon.org.nz
• Get to know your neighbourhood. Be an activist for a safe community. You could establish a network to ensure that everyone in your street or neighbourhood knows what to do if they become aware of family violence.
• Know the agencies and community groups that deal with family violence prevention, crisis intervention and support. Support their work through involvement, practical assistance, referral, raising community profile or helping to fund-raise.