Our counsellors provide information to victims of violence, to general public, to people that have noticed violence and don’t know how to react, to school employees and other professionals. Helpline is also a way to be in contact with victims who cannot come to our office but need counselling or information.

1. Violent parenting leads to a child’s inadequate behavioural patterns.

Children are very receptive to negative messages about themselves, others and the world. Adults often use violence against children with educational arguments. They use violence “to teach a child something”. Although they use it with good intentions, violence is unacceptable parenting method. It causes a child to feel pain, fear, sadness and anger. Adults use violence as a shortcut to achieve discipline, obedience, proper behaviour. Nevertheless, a child gets harmful messages and learns inappropriate behavioural patterns, such as:

• it is ok to use violence "out of love";
• it is ok to use violence to achieve something;
• It is important to have power and abuse it over others. "When I grow up, I'll do the same to others."
• someone who disagrees with you or has done something wrong deserves to be beaten;
• you cannot expect safety from those who claim they love you;
• a child's feelings are irrelevant, false, harmful;
• subordination;
• revenge;
• violent conflict resolution;
• solving stressful situations or problems by directing aggression against others;
• violence is allowed when you lose your nerve;
• talking about problems is irrelevant. 

2. Using violence when raising a child is inadequate parenting.

3. Parents should teach their children to use non-violent communication and behavioural patterns.

4. Children learn from experience and role models.

5. What is psychological violence against children?

When children and adults talk about psychological violence, they usually mention one of the following forms:

• Intentional disparaging, name-calling and other forms of offensive behaviour towards a child, which affect their self-esteem and self-image.
• Neglecting children's emotional needs, lack of emotional warmth, failure to respond to child’s emotional distress, not supporting a child when they need support.
• Excessive Demands.
• Conditioning love (for example, parents love a child only when they behave as they wish, otherwise they do not love them or reject them).
• Depriving a child of opportunities to develop into an independent, unique personality and develop their potential.
• Rejection and unjust behaviour in comparison to siblings.
• To ridicule and mock a child, use of degrading terms, public humiliation, attributing negative characteristics.
• Intentionally causing fear; discipline by intimidation, threatening with physical attack.
• Leaving a small child alone.
• Isolating a child socially (prohibiting contact with adults or peers), spatial isolation.
• Forcing a child to observe violence or to participate in violent situations. Using a child to blackmail the other parent or adult.
• Generalising child's inappropriate behaviour to the child's personality. For example: "You haven’t done your homework again! You are such a lazy child."
• Blaming a child for your own unpleasant feelings: "I have never felt as embarrassed as today because of your behaviour".

6. What is physical violence or child maltreatment?

Physical violence is any form of corporal punishment, including one that leaves no visible consequences on the body. Any violence has consequences on child's psyche and is inexcusable.

When to suspect that a child is experiencing physical violence?

• When a child repeatedly has body wounds, bruises or burns.
• When a child hides wounds and bruises under long sleeves and pants and is dressed like this, even when it's hot or during gym.
• When a child doesn’t want to talk about injuries or makes up a strange story of how they’ve got them.
• When adults explain child's injuries with stories that seem unbelievable or too common.
• When a child is afraid that we will talk about injuries with parents.
• When a child has bruises on soft parts of the body, which could be caused by someone biting or pinching.
• When a child is afraid to go home.
• When a child has a very strong emotional reaction when receiving a bad mark or when they make a mistake, about which parents will be notified.
• When a child is afraid to be examined by a doctor.
• When a child shows self- destructive tendencies.
• When a child uses violence towards others and has other behavioural problems.
• When a child runs away from home.

7. What is child sexual abuse?

Child sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or adolescent engages a child in sexual activities, no matter whether by pressure or by other means. It includes inappropriate exposure (of the genitals, etc.), sexual intercourse of any kind, inappropriate touching, child grooming, using a child to produce materials of child sexual abuse, etc. Due to unequal power in the relationship between a child and an adult/adolescent, a child has no real chance to refuse sexual activity. The task of all adults is to respect and protect the sexual integrity of children.

Association for Nonviolent Communication provides programmes for people experiencing violence, as well as for perpetrators of violence. We constantly try to adapt our methods of work to the needs of our users. For this reason we are constantly developing new projects, programmes, new ways of cooperation with other organizations and new actions. 

All the programs for victims and perpetrators of violence, described above, are free of charge, as they are financed with funds received on public tenders.

We believe that:

• Definition of violence against women is based on questioning unevenly distributed power between genders.
• Violence against women is a social problem.
• Experiences and the statistics show us that the most dangerous place for women is their home.
• There is no excuse for violence.
• There is no such thing as a typical perpetrator a typical victim.
• Violence is associated with traditional roles which are attributed to men and women.
• Socialization draws girls in the role that prevents women to stand up for them.
• Intimate partner violence rarely stays the same over a period of time. It usually increases both in severity and frequency.
• Zero tolerance to violence is the key to preventing male violence against women.
• The reality of violence, especially sexual, is different from the myths that persist in public beliefs.
• The only one, responsible for violence, is the one who commits it. There is no excuse for violence.
• Leaving a violent relationship is an opportunity to gain back your rights.
• Response of the surrounding to individual cases of violence is a key element in preventing violence against women.
• Every human being has the right to be free.
• There has to be room for conflict in every relationship, but no room for any kind of violence.