What is Violence.

Any thought or action that is oppressive in intent, delivery, and/or result.

Violence is any thought or action that is oppressive in intent, delivery, and/or result.
Why be violent? Control others; to maintain a sense of superiority over others.
 
Oppression involves the cruel use of power to separate and dominate. A violent man is anyone who uses emotional, verbal, physical, or sexual force in order to maintain their sense of superiority over others. Men violate their partners to coerce them into their control.

Male-role coercion works by physically, verbally, emotionally, or sexual destroying your partner's physical, intellectual, and emotional integrity so that she will be afraid to be herself, will control herself, and therefore be available to be controlled by you.

1. Emotional violence definition and examples
2. Verbal violence definition and examples
3. Physical violence definition and examples
4. Sexual violence definition and examples
5. Why do we look at emotional and verbal violence when society might ignore or down play it?
6. The programs definition of violence (abuse)
   1. Enforcement arm of a belief system (Male Role Belief System)
   2. Control
      1. Society equates Power with Control - the more I control the more powerful I am
      2. We believe we are empowered by having Choices
      3. The opposite of a Victim - someone who has No Choices - Powerless
   3. 3-Step process to become a Former Abuser
      1. Accountability
         1. Own my behavior (violence)
         2. Impact of my behavior on others (violence)
         3. Willingness to and actively changing my violent and abusive behaviors
      2. Advocacy for change in the Old Male Role Belief System
         1. Self – do the work to change my behaviors and beliefs
         2. Community - give back to the community what I have learned – help others to stop their violent / abusive / controlling behaviors.
      3. Re-Education
         1. Re-Iearning what we previously knew when we were very young, before we were shamed and humiliated into acting like a "big boy", "man", etc.
         2. Build credibility, a history of familiar behavior. It takes accountability, time and practice to stay focused on new beliefs and behaviors.