One of the first requirements in any community mobilization effort is to raise awareness of the
problem. If people do not know that family violence exists in their community, if they don’t
understand its impact or know where to turn
for help, they will be unlikely to get involved
or to communicate the unacceptability of
violence. Violence is often seen as a private
matter, one that families are hesitant to talk
about. But the organizations discussed here
discovered that families who have a safeplace
and opportunity to speak about violence
have no reluctance to do so. Raising
awareness allows people to think differently
about the problem, and to own the issue as
one they can do something about.