Build healthy relationships to end violence

Interpersonal violence has a traumatizing impact—across the lifespan—on individuals, families, communities, and society. Oppression based on factors such as a person's age, race, gender, identities, abilities, or socioeconomic status alter these experiences. Healthy relationships foster emotional resilience and strength. Developing and broadly implementing interventions, both universal and targeted, with individual, relationship, community, and service delivery systems can bolster a range of interpersonal relationships, reduce violence more broadly, and strengthen our mental and physical health, our families, and our communities.

The Si Se Puede–Yes We Can! mural was created in collaboration with the Survivor Link program in the School of Social Work at ASU and community partner Chicanos Por La Causa. Photo courtesy of Jill Messing, MSW, PhD.

Brief Description

Network Leadership

Network Co-Leads:

Richard Barth University of Maryland

Patricia Kohl Washington University

Shanti Kulkarni UNC Charlotte

Jill Messing Arizona State University

Concept Papers

Ending Gender-Based Violence

Safe Children: Reducing Severe and Fatal Maltreatment

Policy Recommendations

Kulkarni, S. J., Barth, R. P., & Messing, J. T. (2016, September). Policy recommendations for meeting the Grand Challenge to Stop Family Violence (Grand Challenges for Social Work Initiative Policy Brief No. 3). Cleveland, OH: American Academy of Social Work & Social Welfare.

Publications

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January 22, 2021

Grand Challenges 5 Year Impact Report

The Grand Challenges for Social Work released its 5 year Impact Report in January 2021, highlighting accomplishments throughout the initiative... more

October 11, 2020

SPECIAL ISSUE: Mainstreaming Gender: An Intersectional Feminist Approach to Social Work’s Grand Challenges

Dr. Jill Messing, co-lead for the Grand Challenge to Build Healthy Relationships to End Violence, was a guest editor for... more

January 2, 2020

The Grand Challenges for Social Work: An Update

Social Work Today takes a look at the progress made toward addressing the 12 Grand Challenges for Social Work. Representatives from... more

Network Resources

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January 22, 2021

Build Healthy Relationships to End Violence – Five Year Impact

The Grand Challenges for Social Work released a 5-year impact report on January 22, 2021. “Progress and Plans for the... more

October 1, 2018

Policy Recommendations to Address the Grand Challenges

October 2018 These policy recommendations emerged from Social Innovation for America’s Renewal, a policy conference organized by the Center for... more

Covid-19 Resources