TO: News Media

FROM: Linda Wilk, Hands of Hope Director, a division of Family Service Society, Inc.

RE: AACTION article for October

DATE: Sept. 12, 2005

 

“Toddlers mimic parents’ smoking, drinking” - was a recent headline that caught my eye.

 

The article written by a reporter with the Gannett News Service detailed how a new study finds that even 2-year-olds are more likely to “smoke” and “drink” during pretend play if their parents smoke and drink regularly.

 

 Of course, as Director of Hands of Hope, a division of Family Service Society, Inc., I can’t help but believe that children also act out aggressively based upon what they are seeing in their homes. Hands of Hope focuses on domestic violence and sexual assault prevention and intervention. We do know that research has shown that a child born into a violent home is more likely to grow up as an abuser or victim.

 

I believe, it is important, as nationally we enter Domestic Violence Awareness Month, this October, that we remember that our children are watching. They are watching what we say, but more importantly they are watching what we do. They are watching how we treat each other and our own bodies.

 

There is such a clear tie between domestic violence and alcohol and drug usage that we can not ignore the correlation.

 

Locally, Hands of Hope has found that about 45 percent of the domestic violence and sexual assault victims assisted in 2004 disclosed alcohol or drug usage as a factor in the violent situation.

 

In remembering this, we must as a community stand together and send positive messages to our children. Messages that say we won’t tolerate domestic violence, drug abuse or excessive alcohol consumption. We must send positive, strong messages so that when our toddlers and children pretend play, they are telling their friends violence is not OK, and neither is doing drugs or consuming alcohol to excess.