Is Confidentiality Assured? All services are strictly confidential as outlined in our agency Confidentiality and Men Helping Men Policies. As required by these policies, we must report all cases of suspected child abuse to Childline, the 24-hour Department of Public Welfare hotline.

What is Domestic Violence?

PHYSICAL ABUSE Hitting, slapping, shoving, kicking, punching, burning, choking, not being allowed to leave the home, and using objects to cause injury (like guns, knives, and bats).

MENTAL ABUSE Name calling, telling you what you can and cannot do, destroying property, threatening harm to self or others, isolation from family or friends.

SEXUAL ABUSE Using force or threats to do unwanted sexual acts against a person's will.

ECONOMIC ABUSE Preventing a partner from getting or keeping a job, withholding or controlling finances and knowledge about family income and resources.

How Does Men Helping Men Work? Men Helping Men meets on a weekly basis with group sessions focusing on:

• How society condones violence within the family
• How a man's personal beliefs, related to power and control over women and children, contribute to violent behavior
• How anger and conflicts can be experiences without resulting in physical or emotion abuse
• How feelings should be expressed
• How stress can be manages without violence
• How drugs and alcohol affect behavior and often contribute to family violence
• This is a 16-week program

Do you Need Men Helping Men? If any of the following statements apply to you, then you need to participate in Men Helping Men.

• You are now or have been in the past physically or verbally abusive toward a woman or child.
• You are fearful that you will become violent toward a woman or child.
• You find that when you use drugs or alcohol you become physically or verbally abusive.
• You are unhappy with yourself when you are physically or verbally abusive.
• You are frequently outraged over trivial matters.

Are Fees Charged for the Group? There are fees charged for Men Helping Men, but no one is denied the opportunity to participate because on an inability to pay the established fee. (This program is not funded by court fines.) How Can You Participate? If you would like to join Men Helping Men, call 944-3583 any weekday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 pm.

How Can You Refer Someone? Referrals for Men Helping Men are accepted from community agencies, professionals, family members, and friends, but the individual himself also must call.

What is Men Helping Men?

Men Helping Men is an educational group for men who are involved in domestic violence situations. It is designed to help men stop being physically and emotionally abusive toward their family members.

The goals of Men Helping Men are to help group participants understand how their abusive behavior is destructive to both the persons they abusive and themselves and how they can change their behavior and attitudes in order to have positive and healthy personal relationships.

Men Helping Men exists because violent behavior toward women and children is a crime in Pennsylvania. Studies have show that men who are violent toward women and children seldom stop this behavior without some kinds of outside help. Group programs, such as Men Helping Men, seem to be more effective in stopping such behavior than either individual or marital counseling.