The Need

•  80 % of the men and women behind bars - some 1.4 million individuals - are seriously involved with drug and alcohol abuse and the crimes it spawns.

•  Every 9 seconds, a woman is battered.

•  Domestic violence causes more injuries to women than car accidents, rapes, and muggings combined. It happens in a third of all relationships, at all income levels.

•  Half the children in violent homes are physically abused; all are emotionally abused. And violence repeats itself; without intervention, a third of the boys in these families will grow up to repeat the cycle of violence.

•  It is estimated that 25% of workplace problems such as absenteeism, lower productivity, turnover and excessive use of medical benefits are due to family violence.

•  Research has shown that substance abuse treatment is associated with reduced criminal activity as well as reduced drug use.

•  There is a well-established link between substance abuse and criminal behavior..Substance abuse treatment can play a major role in crime reduction..The results show substantial reductions in criminal behavior and arrests after treatment.

A large segment of the United States adult population is in crisis. They are either involved with substance abuse and a criminal life style, or are members of households where violence occurs on a regular basis. The illusion that this is someone else's problem is just that, an illusion. Violence, crime and substance abuse concern us all. Some of us are personally affected, as a victim of violence or in some other way. Even if we are fortunate enough not to be directly involved, we all pay indirectly through the costs to our communities, businesses and nation.

Feeling Powerless

People turn to violence or substance abuse as a recourse when they feel powerless, helpless and hopeless. Another appeal of violence, whether experienced first hand or vicariously through the media, is that it is exciting. Violence often makes people feel powerful, in control and alive. The same can be said of certain other self-destructive behaviors such as drugs. Violence is like the eruption of a volcano with drug usage and general malaise as companion symptoms. These are all fueled by deep-seated feelings of being powerless, hopeless and helpless. If we can teach people to gain personal power and a sense of aliveness through positive, non-violent means, we will be going a long way toward ending the cycle of violence and destruction in our society.

The Solution

People won't change until they acknowledge that they must, until they are willing to accept responsibility for their lives, and until they are ready to do the work that is necessary. Once they are ready to change unhealthy patterns, it is important for them to get the support they need to make the changes that can be so difficult to make. Because these individuals may never have learned how to effectively handle personal problems, a viable life skills training program can be an essential part of their recovery.

In light of this reality, the need for character development and life skills training is undeniable. Not only is it important in order to give people the resources they need to deal with the violence, drugs and other problems with which they may be confronted, it is also invaluable in terms of giving them the abilities they need to be successful.

As Daniel Goleman, author of "Emotional Intelligence", states "When I looked at data from hundreds of companies, I discovered that emotional competencies are twice as important for professional success as IQ plus technical skill combined-and that's true for every job from salesperson to CEO."

How Can We Effectively Teach Life Skills?

The most powerful way to teach character development and life skills is to give people an opportunity to learn while experiencing viable alternatives. The COMPASS program does this by using activities that teach strategies for solving problems in positive ways rather than by turning to violent, immoral or illegal behavior. Such actions generate the experience of successfully taking personal responsibility and affecting one's world in a positive way. Instead of violence erupting as in the old paradigm, self-esteem grows as the roots of personal power are watered with character development and life skills training.

Powerful Techniques

When people in crisis are given a voice and taught to solve their own problems with the guidance of caring, competent facilitators, they are able to learn life skills effectively and to "own" them. They become more motivated and more committed to a goal or discipline.

Why COMPASS ?

COMPASS provides an interactive, proactive curriculum in a user-friendly format, making it easy for the facilitator to adapt the material to any specific group. It offers a high impact film that operates as an exciting catalyst for the rest of the program, plus a variety of stimulating activities designed to teach life skills and character development by giving people a voice, greater personal awareness and experiential learning.

Sources:

The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University , 1996.

American Medical Association, 1995.

Battered Women's Alternatives, 1997

Battered Women's Alternatives, 1997

Employee Assistance Providers, National Clearinghouse for the Defense of Battered Women, 1995

Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment; Broome, Knight, Hiller, & Simpson; 1996.

The National Treatment Improvement Evaluation Study (NTIES), 1997, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

A teenager on our Forward Step TV show mentioned how his experience with a group called "We Care For Youth" turned his life around. He got sober, got connected to life in a whole different way and learned that he didn't have to be bored, lonely or depressed because he stopped taking drugs.

Self, November 1998