KEEPIN' It Real

“…Thank you for a fantastic presentation at CoAmerica Park, Detroit. As you could see, you had a profound effect on many of the Cooley High School students. Celia Bobrowsky, Community Relations Director, Detroit Tigers Major League Baseball Team.

"According to our surveys your session on intimate partner violence was rated highly and enabled the youth to open their eyes to things that they have never seen, or thought about before," Quincy Roseborough, Teen Summit Advisor, James Jordan Boys & Girls Club, Chicago, Illinois.

" Thank you for your positive words of encouragement. We needed them."
Girls INC. Dothan, Alabama.

“We are excited to sponsor this discussion on a very serious public health concern to our community residents and promise to honor your time and commitment. It is our vision that by coming together to share our experiences and express our concerns we can augment the past and current work of so many who have show their dedication to solving our community’s problems.” Debra Wesley-Freeman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Sinai Community Institute, Chicago.

KEEPIN' IT REAL is designed to educate young men and women to recognize the signs of abuse, to identify the elements that make up healthy intimate relationships, and to encourage them to seek relationships based on equality and mutual respect. These goals are accomplished through interactive discussions, personal testimonies of survivors of dating violence, and professionals working in the field of family violence prevention. The program impresses upon the youth, that nothing justifies intimate partner violence. It combats successfully the negative images of gender stereotypes portrayed by the media, movies, and music.

KEEPIN' IT REAL dispels the common myths about dating violence.

Women are at a greater risk of being assaulted by strangers.
Jealously is a sign of love.
A woman that is physically assaulted by her intimate partner provoked it.
Women stay in abusive relationships because they enjoy being abused.
Men cannot control their sexual urges.
Men have the right to expect sexual favors if they have a long-standing relationship.
Things will get better.
"Name calling" isn't abuse.
I can tell if a guy is going to be a "hitter" just by looking at him.
It'll never happen to me.

There are a total of six interactive sessions. The topics and program objectives are researched based and best practiced in community based organizations or churches with existing youth ministries.

Session One: Seeks to increase awareness of gender stereotypes portrayed in the media and how these images promote unrealistic standards and expectations for men and women.

Session Two: Encourages the youth to talk and listen to each other about their sexual values, desires and the need to respect limits.

Session Three: Teaches the youth to recognize that jealously and conflict are normal experiences that can be resolved in healthy ways while understanding how equality, trust, communication, compromise and respect work together to create relationships which are nurturing, supportive, healthy and fun for both partners.

Session Four: Identifies valued characteristics in a dating partner and increases the young people's ability to make healthy dating choices. The participants create a "job description" for an ideal partner and develop interview questions for screening potential "applicants."

Session Five: Features a dramatic monologue or dating violence prevention skit. The youthful participants breakout into single sex sessions pairing off with Michael and Sandra Craig to discuss, problem-solve, and role-play how to help themselves and their peers involved in or recovering from toxic relationships.

This session increases the participant's ability to recognize and respond to the warning signs of abuse. It demonstrates how to seek help for oneself, peers, and family members.

Session Six: Is a call for action with the participant's developing a plan to improve their own personal relationships, help their friends and families trapped in or recovering from abusive and violent relationships and effect changes in the way other people in the homes, schools and community relate to one another.

The above workshops can be presented all or in part to sponsoring organizations.