Metro Atlanta Nonprofit Holds Virtual Support Group For Men Prone To Violence
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said one metro Atlanta hospital saw a 15% increase in abuse victims in early-April.Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said one metro Atlanta hospital saw a 15% increase in abuse victims in early-April
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A new online program is focused on connecting with men who are prone to domestic violence, especially during the coronavirus pandemic. “The Huddle” is a weekly educational check-in and support group for men, sponsored by the decades-old nonprofit Men Stopping Violence.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said one metro Atlanta hospital saw a 15% increase in abuse victims in early-April, and an Atlanta Police Department spokesman told WABE’s “Morning Edition” that there was a 36% increase in reported domestic violence incidents from March to April. That’s compared to the same period of time last year.
Lee Giordano runs Men Stopping Violence and is the founder of “The Huddle.” He said he’s been involved in grassroots activism across the metro area for more than two decades.
“The idea is to provide a forum for men to talk about the stress that they’re experiencing, to talk about how coronavirus is affecting their lives, and we hope it’s an outlet,” Giordano said.
“If they get the stress out in the conversation, we can talk about coping skills, and things they can do differently, so that when they go back and interact in their intimate relationship that they’ll be better able to manage it respectfully.”
Before the pandemic, Giordano led a 24-week intervention class that focused on men who abused. Now that class has been moved online, and leaders initiated “The Huddle” as more of a temporary group therapy session.
“Every week we have more and more men showing up to those conversations. We have a following at this point, where many men come back and are enjoying the community that we’re building,” Giordano said.
“It’s not easy for men to ask for help. We’re told, as men, that we’re supposed to figure it out ourselves.”
Giordano spoke with “Morning Edition” host Lisa Rayam to discuss how these virtual video chats are getting potential and current abusers to open up.
In 2019, Georgia was ranked 25th in the nation for its rate of men killing women, according to the Georgia Commission on Family Violence.
WABE recognizes that both men and women can be victims of domestic violence.
Lily Oppenheimer contributed to this report.
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