Violence focus of workshop

Amy Ward, a parishioner of St. Edward the Confessor Church in Clifton Park, thinks it's important for young people to learn about violence in order to make the world a better place.

"Adults now weren't educated about violence," she said at the Domestic Violence Forum at the recent National Catholic Youth Conference in Kansas City, Missouri. "They don't have the capabilities to change it. This [forum] will help stop the process from continuing."

Amy was one of six local youths and two adults to participate in the two-day training. The forum was an outgrowth of the 1995 NCYC where youth identified violence as their number-one concern.

Diocesan interest

In the Albany Diocese, a congress was held last fall titled "Building A Culture of Life" in which strategies were developed to help teens and families reduce violence in their lives.

The Kansas City forum focused specifically on domestic violence. Locally, teens are working on prevention of other forms of violence, including substance abuse, teen pregnancy, violent media, verbal abuse, and physical and sexual abuse.

Kurt Daigle, also from St. Edward's, said that regardless of one's age or gender, domestic violence is an important issue. "Age doesn't really matter," he said, adding that it's important for all people to learn skills to prevent domestic violence.

His goal for participating in the forum was to learn new skills. "I'd like to learn smaller things that you don't see every day," he said.

Learning more

One thing Amy learned at the forum was that suicide is considered a form of violence. "There are different kinds of violence I didn't know about," she said. "Like suicide. I don't see that as violent."

She has had a personal experience with suicide. "One of my friends committed suicide in seventh grade," she said. "I wish she knew another way. I don't think she knew there was someone to reach out to."

Participants also learned that domestic violence has many forms, including emotional, verbal and sexual violence, threats, physical force, and injury. They were also told that domestic violence is a learned behavior that increases in frequency and severity if not confronted, that battery is the single greatest cause of injury to women of all ages, that one-third of all female homicide victims are killed by their husband or partner, that one out of every four women will be abused during her life, and that battery is the single greatest cause of injury to women of all ages.

Causes

Tom Everson, director of the Center for Adolescent and Family Spirituality at Boys Town in Nebraska and facilitator of the forum, said that "the root of all abuse is spiritual abuse. That is, we become disconnected from the very source of power -- God -- that gives meaning and purpose to life."

The local participants discovered that the Albany Diocese is a leader in non-violence efforts. Said Joyce Solimini, associate director of the Office of Religious Education and forum participant, "We did discover our Diocese is well ahead of many others. A lot of the things people suggested we're already doing, like conflict resolution workshops, peer retreats and resources for parishes."

"Participation in this forum helped us affirm that we're on the right track," said Mrs. Solimini.

(12-04-97) [[In-content Ad]]