By Kayla Woody, House of Hope Prevention Specialist
The CPN House of Hope had the opportunity during the month of April to talk to children of the local community about how to respond in a healthy manner to big emotions. Staff introduced some great book titles to the students of Shawnee Early Childhood Center and read to the kids about how words are not for hurting and also about not responding in a physical way to anger and frustration. Students learned different ways to respond to big emotions like breathing techniques and using their words well.
Too often, children are witnesses to domestic violence in the home or victims themselves of child abuse and neglect. It is important that these children are receiving information on how to communicate and handle situations in a non-violent way. This can help break the intergenerational cycle of trauma that follows victims of abuse.
In a 2018 article from Psychology Today, professor and psychotherapist Teresa Gil said, “Patterns of communicating and relating can be passed down across generations horizontally and vertically from one generation to the next. Some of these patterns are positive such as having the ability to form strong bonds with other people, other patterns can be toxic and continue to cause harm in our lives and the lives of the people we are close to.”
The House of Hope offers many ways to bring awareness about domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking to communities. To set up a book reading for your classroom or youth program, please reach out to our prevention specialist, Kayla Woody, at 405-275-3176 or by email at kayla.woody@potawatomi.org. This is a free service that can provide education and resources to your students.
If you or someone you know is experiencing stalking, intimate partner violence, and/or sexual assault and would like more information, please contact the House of Hope at 405-275-3176 or visit us online at facebook.com/cpnhouseofhope.