"The link between intimate violence in the home and the international violence of terrorism and war is as tightly bound together as the fingers of a clenched fist." —Riane Eisler
Violence and abuse of women (and of children) is a global pandemic that takes the lives of millions every year. For too long, we have dismissed this pandemic as "just a women's issue," but psychology and neuroscience show that the effects of intimate violence touch all our lives.
What children observe and/or experience in family affects their adult beliefs, behaviors, political attitudes — even the neural structures of their developing brains. This means that children who experience and witness violence at home are effectively trained to see violence as an acceptable way of expressing feelings and exerting control over others. If we are serious about building a more peaceful world, stopping this "intimate violence" must be a top priority, not only for the sake of the millions directly affected, but for the sake of all of us.
