| The Bridge | |
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Male Victims |
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Between 20 and 40 percent of all victims of intimate partner violence are male, depending on what source you use. Despite these numbers, the amount of services available to male victims of domestic violence are significantly less than what female victims can find. To begin to bridge that gap, First Step started to offer services to men, both victims and offenders, in the early 1990s. In the five years leading up to the opening of the Bridge, First Step saw an increase in the number of men being referred for victim's services. Our readiness to open a shelter for men was based on the growing needs we witnessed among our clients. Our hope is that through the services offered at The Bridge, men, their children, and their families can find the necessary resources to establish safety, stability, and self sufficiency. |
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| The Importance of Fathers | |
Based on our research, First Step has always supported the position that caring fathers in the home are an indispensable part of positive childhood development. Of late, however, this issue has taken on greater urgency based on the increase in referrals to our agency. As we work with clients, our ultimate focus is on the wellbeing of children and their development. Teaching men to be better fathers, and better partners to the mothers of their children, is just one way of helping to create a healthy, nurturing envirionment for kids. Beyond the practical outcomes, however, we also believe that the right of men, women, and children to be safe, happy, and healthy within the home is fundamentally a human right. If that right is not upheld and protected for all individuals it is an injustice. First Step sees it as an integral part of our vision to uphold these rights. |
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