SAFETY ALERT: If you are in danger, please use a safer computer, or call 911, your local hotline, or the U.S. National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 and TTY 1-800-787-3224. See more technology safety tips here. There is always a computer trail, but you can leave this site quickly.
What does “Caminar Latino” mean? Caminar Latino or “Latino Journey” signifies the main goal and purpose of Caminar Latino, which is to walk with people who want to change their lives and in so doing, change their communities.
What is Caminar Latino’s mission? Caminar Latino’s mission is to create possibilities for Latino families affected by violence to transform their lives and their communities.
How do you carry out the mission of Caminar Latino? The way we carry out our mission is by
Providing safe spaces in each group where men, women, and youth can carry out this work in a framework of trust and respect.
Increasing awareness in the Latino community about the issue of domestic violence through an annual community festival, various media, and participation in community events.
Engaging in culturally appropriate and relevant research and dissemination to increase accurate understanding about the issue of domestic violence among Latinos and Latinas.
How does the philosophy of Caminar Latino differ from the philosophy of other Hispanic domestic violence organizations? Possibly in three major ways:
We provide a comprehensive program for entire families
We see ourselves not as service providers, but rather as social change agents.
We emphasize the role of community, rather than the role of the professions in addressing this serious social problem.
How does the philosophy of Caminar Latino differ from the philosophy of American domestic violence organizations? In addition to the previous three ways in which CL differs from other Latino domestic violence organizations, it differs from mainstream organizations in that the program was developed and continues to evolve totally within a Latino cultural framework. This allows CL to bring into the intervention many of the “cultural codes” that may have had an important role in the occurrence of domestic violence in the first place and thus are essential elements in its eradication.
What services does Caminar Latino provide? Culturally-specific services:
Support and reflection groups for Latina survivors
24-session, state-certified Family Violence Intervention Program (FVIP) for batterers (which includes a substance abuse education component)
Four groups for youth 0-17 years old (0-3, 4-7, 8-12, 13-18)
Crisis intervention
Information and referral services
Parenting classes
Cross-training opportunities:
Domestic violence
Cultural competence
What do you want to achieve during the weekly activities with the groups?
The main goal of the weekly groups is to provide, as stated previously, safe spaces for entire Latino families to explore their experience of violence as perpetrators, survivors or witnesses and gain an understanding of their options and possibilities.
For many women, the weekly groups become a much-needed break from isolation, fear, and loneliness and a place where they can share experiences usually too difficult to talk about, while becoming aware of resources, services, and options.
For youth it is a place of stability and safety in which they can share their experiences (if they so choose) with other kids who have had similar experiences, while being supervised and mentored by people who genuinely care about them. It is also a place in which they can be kids, without the burden of feeling responsible for the violence that is present in their home.
For Latino men who have used violence against their families, the groups start (usually) as a court mandate but can turn (if they want to genuinely change) into places in which they can learn a great deal about their violence, explore its origins, and find workable solutions for its eradication.
At the same time, the weekly groups serve as a terrific training ground for students and community volunteers who want to understand in more depth this tremendous social problem. For some, it is an opportunity to come face-to-face with the limitations of our professions and our society and the common ground we share with people quite different from ourselves.
Does Caminar Latino encourage women to leave their husbands? NEVER! CL believes that survivors are the real experts concerning their lives. They have kept themselves and their children alive when they come to us so we do not want to do anything that will jeopardize the very tenuous balance that often exists in relationships in which there is violence. We are well aware of the statistics that show that over 70% of the women who are killed or seriously hurt have already or are attempting to leave their abuser. As a result, encouraging someone to leave may increase their risk exponentially. Studies have found that women are the best predictors of when violence will happen again and we believe that they must make their own decisions. Leaving is one of the several options that the group talks about, but CL is more about supporting each woman along the path she has chosen – even if we don’t necessarily agree with her decision.
What is the purpose of having sessions/groups for men and not only the women? This was a question that CL was asked early in its history. The idea of working “outside the box” by honoring the women’s voices in providing services not only for themselves and their children but for their partners as well was seen with great concern and misgivings by long-time shelter movement advocates and allies. They were worried that the presence of services for men would put women and their children in danger. Although this was a very valid concern that we continue to take seriously, CL has developed internal safety precautions that reduce the risk to women and children. As mentioned above, the comprehensive nature of CL in which entire families are invited to attend is not only culturally appropriate and effective, but also addresses the reality of women who are still living with their partners and want to continue doing so. Interestingly, CL is now recognized nationally as an innovative and promising way to address domestic violence in many communities.
What are some common characteristics of the fathers/husbands inflicting domestic violence? Reflecting what is known about domestic violence, most of the Latino men don’t appear that different from any other men. They are, overwhelmingly, responsible financial providers who are very proud of whatever work they do. Their families are central to their lives, they tend to be very good sons and family members, they would do anything for their children, AND they have used violence against their partners. One central characteristic of these men is the fact that they had not been aware of the tremendous impact that their violence was having on their families and CL is the first time they have had a space in which to learn about and work on their violence. The men usually arrive very upset about having to attend the program and in the initial interview try to blame their partners for being there. As time goes on and they listen to each other’s accounts of their violence and begin to take responsibility for it, they are much more willing to use the program to gain knowledge and skills necessary to create a more violence-free environment in their families. I don’t believe that there is such a thing as a “prototype” of a batterer. Their violence was learned growing up in a violent world (many of them came from homes in which violence was present) and they used violence as a way to resolve family conflict or challenges to what they perceive are their rights as men.
Does Caminar Latino provide couple’s therapy? CL NEVER does couple’s therapy, as this might increase the danger to the women and children.
Does Caminar Latino counsel women that come alone and not with their husbands? Except in very rare circumstances, CL does not provide individual counseling to women. We offer support and reflection groups for any Spanish-speaking woman who has been or is being affected by domestic violence, regardless of whether or not she lives with her partner, attends the weekly program with her partner or alone (or with her children), or has been in our program during a prior relationship in which violence was present. The focus is on what each individual survivor and her children need, so the program is set up to serve the wide range of realities of the families with whom we work. We have seen that, in many cases, families in which both parents and their children attend CL appear to benefit in a more substantial and sustained way, but we would never turn someone away (man or woman) because their partner does not participate.
Do you see change in the men that that come and go through Caminar Latino? We tell the men – and strongly believe – that men who want to change their violence will benefit from the program, whereas men who are not interested in changing their ways will only be spending time with us without getting the benefits that are available to all. The vast majority of men undoubtedly stop using physical violence with their partners as they go through the program. The verbal and psychological abuse, however, are much more difficult to change and continue to be present in different degrees. Controlling behaviors and verbal abuse are long-standing patterns in most men and impossible to eradicate in the six months they are with us. Many women and children report that things are definitely better, although non-physical abuse may still be present.
National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE (7223)
Mailing Address: Caminar Latino, Inc. PO Box 48623, Doraville, GA 30362
