The Center for Education in Violence Prevention

MAAV Expands Services by offering Violence Prevention Trainings North and West of Boston

 The Melrose Alliance Against Violence (MAAV) is proud to announce the creation of its community training branch, The Center for Education in Violence Prevention. The Center was created in order to offer bullying prevention, teen dating abuse and domestic violence workshops that we were able to successfully develop and implement in Melrose, to students, community members, healthcare workers and school staff in surrounding communities north and west of Boston.

"We were really looking to reach beyond the borders of Melrose to share our successes," said MAAV Executive Director Rebecca Mooney. "The passing of the Massachusetts Anti-Bullying Law in 2010 really brought home the fact that the bullying prevention work we had been doing here in Melrose since 2000 could be beneficial to the school communities in neighboring towns."

With the start of school just a couple of weeks away, the Center's first focus will be its bullying prevention programs offered separately for students, school staff and parents.

"We have found everyone needs to be made aware of the signs of bullying and strategies for preventing it. All three groups- students, staff and parents- are equally important to involve. Bullying can have a devastating effect on a child's life, and with today's cyber-bullying, it unfortunately doesn't always end once they leave the school yard," shared Mooney.

To introduce the Center to members of the community, parents, teachers, school staff, principals, superintendents and school committee members from schools (public, private and charter) in cities and towns north and west of Boston are invited to an event in Saugus on Tuesday evening, September 20, 2011.  

The event will include a presentation of excerpts from the forthcoming book "Dear Bully" presented by co-editor Megan Kelley Hall, a local Swampscott parent, followed by strategies for dealing with bullying regardless of whether a child is a target, a bully or a bystander, presented by Alice Wadley, M.Ed., a trainer at the Center. Should you know someone who would fit these criteria (or if you fit these criteria yourself), please feel free to share our invitation to the event.

To learn more about the anticipated work of the Center for Education in Violence Prevention or for details on the upcoming event, please contact us or call 781-662-2010.