Bring Violence Prevention to the Antelope Valley

Community safety

Antelope Valley

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

Domestic violence (DV) is a persistent and growing problem in L.A. County. In 2023, there were 37,816 Domestic Violence Calls for Assistance to law enforcement – a 6% increase over 2020 and the fourth consecutive year of increase. It is estimated that 20-25% of women experience abuse by an intimate partner in their lifetime. The Antelope Valley (AV) has the highest rate of DV-related emergency room visits in the county (more than double the county average) and is very underserved.
The impact of DV is far-reaching. Survivors are at greater risk for behavioral health issues, including anxiety, depression, PTSD, substance abuse disorders and suicide. They suffer economically and are often forced to leave their homes. Children who witness DV can experience a lifetime of negative ramifications – and often continue the cycle of violence as adults. Therefore, it is essential to implement violence prevention strategies as youth are developing intimate relationships and interpersonal skills.

Child & Family Center (C&FC) is the Santa Clarita Valley’s leading community mental health clinic. To better address the impact of DV on mental health, homelessness, and child well-being, C&FC merged with the Domestic Violence Center of the Santa Clarita Valley in 2018 and opened an office in the adjacent Antelope Valley (AV).
With LA2050 funding, C&FC will expand the In Touch With Teens (ITWT) program to middle and high schools in the AV. ITWT is a nationally-recognized, evidence-based relationship violence prevention curriculum.
C&FC has delivered ITWT for 10+ years, but has only recently been able to bring it to the AV. We have MOUs with the Antelope Valley USD, Eastside USD, Palmdale SD and several schools. We have adapted and updated the ITWT curriculum so that we can deliver an impactful program for different age groups within schools’ time constraints. We offer five topics: The Root of Violence, Shaping Our Views, Toxic Relationships, Sexual Violence, and Practicing Healthy Relationships. For maximum impact, we seek to deliver all units in sequence to a classroom of 10 – 30 students. However, we remain flexible to meet the available opportunities, and offer single/multiple units delivered via assemblies or other in-person modalities.
To reinforce the lessons learned and provide a platform for youth to practice skills, we will host informal activities each quarter, such as Lunch & Learns, holiday parties, and trips to entertainment centers, as well as community events.

If we are successful, a generation of youth in one of the most violent regions of L.A. County will be empowered to have healthy relationships through a better understanding of power and control, healthy sexuality, media literacy, sexual harassment, sexual assault, and dating violence. They will begin to develop prosocial skills such as empathy, impulse control, effective communication, problem solving, and bystander accountability. They will also be connected to resources they can reach out to in the event they experience domestic violence directly, in their homes, or elsewhere in their community.
The project will build relationships between C&FC and the underserved AV schools that will increase access to additional services in the future. The AV is a large, remote area of the county that is difficult to serve. LA2050 funds will strengthen the region’s link to the social service network, including integration with C&FC’s array of substance use and mental health treatment programs.