Art

Stop the Violence - No a la Violencia

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It's been hard this few weeks.  From politics figures promoting hate, to social events that just left us helpless.  This past weekend, a violent event affected the life of one of my son's class mate, by hands of a group of teenagers from our same community.  It was an incident in my home town, one of the safest City there is.  So, whats happening? I know violence is been around for centuries.  There is good and bad in the world...but, I believe there is more good than bad.  We got to stop ignoring whats happening in todays society, we got to start understanding, educating, and working for a better future and walk towards change.

I was reading this article about what causes violence and 7 steps for stopping it at any age...

"Violence is the result of a combination of biological, social, and psychological factors, especially those that increase exposure to vulnerability, shame, and humiliation. Preventing violence must involve the opposite: making sure people feel safe, cared about, and connected, while ensuring they have a healthy and realistic sense of self-esteem and self-worth.

So how can we prevent children from becoming violent? And how can we treat people who’ve already demonstrated violent tendencies? Here are some of the Do’s of stopping violence among children, adolescents, and adults. This list is addressed to parents, but it truly applies to any influential figure in a child’s life."  - Dr. Lisa Firestone

  • Forming an Attachment - Make sure children have caring adults in their lives.
  • Developing a Conscience - Help your children develop a conscience by A) Being attuned to them, B) Not being violent toward or in front of them, C) Providing a secure, safe base for them, and D) Repairing when you slip up.
  • Developing Empathy - Help your child develop empathy.
  • Getting Attention - Give kids attention, never give them the silent or avoidant treatment.
  • Building Self-Esteem- Help your child find something they are good at and offer real praise for those achievements.
  • Avoiding Harsh Punishment - Don’t punish a child harshly. When we are violent, abusive, or insensitive to our children, we lead by example.
  • Learning Calming Techniques  - Teach your children good ways to calm down when they’re upset.
"The solution to the problem of violence is never to turn our backs, but to keep our hearts and minds open to how we can individually affect change. And that change starts with how we raise our children from the day they are born." - Dr. Lisa Firestone

We can stop the violence...I believe we can start in our homes, educating ourselves and educating our children.

You can read the full article here.