Center for Advancing Domestic Peace began in 1997 as the collaborative effort of several organizations on the West Side of Chicago to meet the need for men who sought help changing their own abusive behaviors. This collaborative effort continues to grow as we work with community-based service providers to help keep survivors of domestic abuse safe and hold program participants accountable for their behavior. We understand and teach that a variety of oppressive situations such as sexism, racism, poverty and homophobia contribute to a climate that supports abusive and violent behavior toward partners and others.

Today the Center has a presence in several Chicago neighborhoods, including Tri-Taylor, South Shore and Back-of-the-Yards/New City, providing services to men and women. We work with communities to raise awareness about the problem of domestic abuse and challenge the traditional social norms that support it.

Our mission is to end violence in the home and our communities by helping participants evaluate their beliefs that support violence, through teaching skills they need for healthy partner relationships, and by encouraging them to think critically about their choices. We also help them build on their own strengths in developing mutually respectful relationships with their current and former intimate partners.

We believe that men as well as women have a stake in ending domestic abuse not only because of the harm suffered by the women in their lives but also because the beliefs that support the use of violence against women may be part of the reason men are violent towards one another. Additionally, these beliefs perpetuate negative male stereotypes, deprive men of meaningful relationships with each other, and ultimately prove to be self-destructive.

We are men and women working together to change the norms perpetuating violence against women and men.

Together, we can disrupt the cycle of violence that exists in some families and create new generations committed to domestic peace.

Community Outreach & Education
Through the Community Outreach and Education program, the Center allies with community leaders and stakeholders, survivors of domestic violence, and women and men committed to non-violence and mutually respectful intimate relationships with the aim of creating community-based and culturally appropriate activities that challenge traditional social norms perpetuating domestic abuse and gender violence. To see a list of our community partners, please visit our Partners page.

Direct Service
The Skills & Beliefs for Domestic Peace program provides culturally sensitive partner abuse intervention services in English or Spanish while focusing on victim safety. Program participants are held accountable for developing and working towards interpersonal goals to eliminate abusive and violent behavior in their lives by building on their own strengths and resources. Program participants show us day after day that they are able to work at stopping their violence and want to contribute positively to their families and communities. For more information, visit our Skills and Beliefs page.

Research
The Project participates in research on the prevention and amelioration of intimate partner violence and abuse and in program evaluation of its services and programs.