by Veronica Murillo
Staff Writer
Life can be scary when your only family consists of a vulnerable mom and violent memories of your dad. Living a normal life is a major struggle for children of battered women who have escaped a violent environment.
Project Support, staffed by University of Houston students taking a class called Violence Against Women, tackles problems children of battered women have after they have left a violent environment. As a result, the children's behavior improves because they are less aggressive and get along better with their peers, said Renee McDonald, one of three co-directors for Project Support.
The program also helps mothers become more nurturing and warm parents, McDonald added. This helps the children become less distressed.
"A number of students are involved in various aspects (of the program)," said Ernest Jouriles, associate professor of psychology and co-director of the project.
In past semesters, UH students volunteered at shelters such as Houston Area Women's Center and Fort Bend Women's Center counseling children as part of Project Support.
The Violence Against Women class replaces the special problems class Project Support volunteers took in past years. Their assignment is to volunteer at the shelters.
They meet once a week as a group and dedicate two days of the week to counsel children. Spring semester students serve as mentors for the children. The mentors' duties include accompanying the children while their mothers talk to therapists.
"The best way to work with kids is to work with the parents," said Roseann LaDue, research assistant and former volunteer for Project Support.
LaDue gave an example of a boy who refused to participate in games with other kids in the program. The volunteers convinced him to at least sit and watch. After two hours, he was not only involved, he was sitting on the laps of the volunteers.
"We're not expected to change their lives, just to be good friends for them," LaDue said.
Project Support just received a five-year federal grant initiated in September. Although a specific dollar amount wasn't available the project received a small amount to begin with. the larger amount is to be negotiated.