Community Outreach & Education

Our Outreach Department shares a message of safety and hope within the community. Often thought of as a private issue, domestic violence (DV) is, in fact, a social, business, and health priority that impacts our entire community. Our Community Education program uses storytelling, lectures, and interactive lessons to change societal attitudes and beliefs, end the stigma associated with DV, and help communities learn to identify and support victims.

Educating our young people about bullying is critical to preventing violence in adulthood, as evidenced by a 2010 study by the Harvard School of Public Health. For the first time, research documented what many professionals had suspected for some time – children who bully are four times more likely to physically abuse their intimate partners as adults.

This speaks to the importance of breaking the silence on the topics of bullying, sexual harassment, family violence, and sexual assault. We also provide education with an emphasis on what bystanders can do to prevent violence and help victims before it’s too late. Each year, our Outreach staff addresses close to 45,000 students and other members of our community!

Presentations and Training
Our school-based programs educate students about bullying, cyber-bullying, dating violence, sexual harassment, and family violence. We deliver age-appropriate information to students from grade school through college, as well as to educators and parents.

Our goal is to help victims and their loved ones realize that there are options and they don’t have to stay in an unsafe situation.

Salon professionals are in a unique position to recognize the signs and symptoms of abuse in their clients and co-workers. Because of the intimate and nurturing nature of the relationship between salon professionals and their clients and co-workers, salon professionals can often spot signs of physical abuse that others may never see.

Research shows that most survivors never call the police or seek emergency shelter. However, some do talk about the abuse with people they trust. Because salon professionals are skilled and experienced listeners who are personally interested in those around them, many victims suffering from abuse feel comfortable confiding in them – even if they would never tell anyone else. For survivors, the salon may be an ideal environment to seek out help because it may be one of the few places they are allowed to go without their abusers.

With proper training on how to recognize the signs of abuse and safely refer victims for help, salon professionals can become invaluable partners in the fight against domestic violence.

The Montgomery County Women’s Center is proud to offer presentations on topics directly affecting our community. This includes hosting film screenings both virtually and at your location: