Response to Matt

Hi Matt: You are so right….mediation doesn’t work for all the reasons you mentioned. I did read one of the books you suggested the “Verbally Abusive RElationship” and it was quite good…..I like the “Gift of Fear” as it speaks to listening to our inner signals.. I read a lot of research, especially the earliest researchers, like Lenore Walker. I know there is a movement in California to teach tdv in the schools. Last year a bill went to your general assembly but didn’t pass. They were asking for money & were relying on non-profit agencies to teach the topic in schools. That is fine, but I doubt they have the resources to teach it yearly….once is not enough…that would be like teaching drug education only once during high school. There is a researcher Dr. Elizabeth Miller from California who has done some research on TDV and teen pregnancy. She might be worth getting in touch with as I believe she might have been involved in the movement to pass that bill. In December’s issue of Redbook there will be an article about the Liz Claiborne initiative to have tdv taught in every high school. We will be forming a national advocacy group and the article will ask for readers from each state to contact them if interested. I can also put your name on a list and contact you when I have more info, if you’d like.