Prevention

Anew: Building Beyond Violence and Abuse’s Prevention Program provides age-appropriate school-based domestic violence education designed to help students understand healthy family and dating relationships and to practice safe, healthy, nonviolent behaviors.

Our Prevention Programs

Pre-school to 2nd Grade

Students will learn to identify their emotions and brainstorm ways they can use their hands to be helpful.

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3rd – 5th Grade

Students will learn the importance of using kind words, emotional regulation, and how to set appropriate boundaries with their family members and peers.

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6th – 8th Grade

Students will learn about healthy relationships and friendships, digital boundaries, and how to safely support their peers in unhealthy relationships.

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High School

Students will learn about safe dating relationships and dispel myths about controlling behaviors in intimate partnerships.

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B.R.O. (Boys Respecting Others)

A unique 8-week program for junior high male youths who have been exposed to family violence designed to help them understand domestic violence and practice respectful, nonviolent behaviors.

Resources for Teachers

Teachers play a vital role in children’s life, being a constant, in a world that is ever changing. The Community Education Department depends on relationships with teachers to ensure children have a safe space to turn.

Helpful Resources:

Contact our Prevention Program

708-794-2140 and ask for the Community Education Program.

A Letter from Kris Scott, CEO

On behalf of the staff and board of directors of Anew: Building Beyond Violence and Abuse, I extend our deepest condolences to the families of Shaneiqua Pugh, her seven children, and all those impacted by Sunday’s mass shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana.

In recent weeks, we have witnessed a devastating number of lives lost to domestic violence—individuals killed at the hands of intimate partners. Among them are Dr. Cerina Fairfax, wife of Virginia Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax; Nancy Metayer Bowen, Vice Mayor of Coral Springs, Florida; Pastor Tammy McCollum of Charlotte, North Carolina; Myneika Scott of Grovetown, Georgia; and Davonta Curtis of Chicago, Illinois. These names represent just a fraction of the lives lost. Too many stories go untold, and too many families are left grieving.

As these tragedies continue to unfold, I am reminded of the urgency of our work. Domestic violence does not discriminate—it affects individuals across all communities, backgrounds, and identities. In recent weeks, there has been heightened visibility around the murders of Black women.

According to the National Network to End Domestic Violence, 45.1% of Black women have experienced domestic violence, and more than half of Black female homicides are connected to intimate partner violence.

At Anew, we see the impact of this violence every day—and we also see the possibility for change. We provide comprehensive, wraparound services to survivors, while also investing in prevention efforts that address the root causes of abuse.

We believe accountability is essential. Through our Partner Abuse Intervention Program, we work with individuals who have used violence, helping them take responsibility for their actions while building the skills needed to create nonviolent, healthy relationships.

We also believe prevention begins early. Through our Community Education and Prevention Program, we are equipping young people—from pre-K through high school—with the knowledge and tools to build safe, respectful relationships and break cycles of harm before they begin.

This moment calls for more than awareness—it calls for action. Each of us has a role to play in creating safer communities, supporting survivors, and holding systems accountable. Everyone deserves to live a life free from abuse. I remain committed to a future where that is not an aspiration, but a reality.