Sitkans Against Family Violence

Sitkans Against Family Violence (SAFV) is a nonprofit organization that provides temporary shelter and empowerment-based safety and trauma-informed advocacy services for domestic and sexual violence survivors of all genders, while promoting a community of nonviolence and respect. It is located in the City and Borough of Sitka, Alaska, and serves Sitka, as well as the surrounding Southeast Alaska communities of Port Alexander, Kake, and Angoon.

SAFV has two main areas of work: advocacy and prevention. In direct services, an advocate is on duty 24/7 to help those in any type of violence situation or who have concerns about their or a loved one's safety. Advocates provide services such as personal support, safety planning, and systems advocacy while working with legal, housing, or medical agencies to support a person's right to live free from violence. SAFV's shelter is open to survivors of all genders.

The second area of work at SAFV, prevention, is essential in stopping multigenerational cycles of violence within families and communities. Primary prevention works by creating systems and programs, such as Boys Run I toowú klatseen (boysrun.org) and the Pathways to a Safer Sitka Coalition (sitkapathways.org), that support a community's well-being. This happens by working to foster respect, healthy relationships, and equity, creating healthier, more resilient people who are less likely to experience or commit acts of violence in their lifetime.

Building Up the Next Generation of Men: Boys Run I toowú klatseen

Did you know that men and boys are at greater risk of death at EVERY stage of life as compared to women and girls? Did you also know that this has nothing to do with biological differences? It actually stems from the pressure on men and boys to conform to unrealistic standards of what it means to be male in this society, as well as from systemic inequities and injustices (e.g., economic, racial, gender) within our country. So what exactly are these unrealistic standards about manhood?

From the day they are born, those who are biologically male are told and shown how they should navigate life from childhood to death; they should be physically strong, not show emotions, be the most powerful, etc. These messages come from everywhere, all of the time... family, friends, teachers, movies, television, coaches, and media, just to name a few.

So why does it matter that boys and men are receiving these messages? Well, research shows that these unrealistic standards about what it means to be a man in our society can have harmful consequences for those men who subscribe to them, as well as those they interact with. For instance, a man who internalizes these societal expectations around manhood is more likely to be depressed, commit suicide, commit acts of violence against others, (e.g., sexual, domestic, bullying), partake in restless behaviors, etc. Additionally, as boys grow into men who subscribe to these standards, they begin to show and tell the next generations this is what it means to be a "real man," which creates a cycle of of boys and men continuing the violence and negative health outcomes. This is why we implement Boys Run I toowú klatseen (BRITK), to build up future generations of healthy and happy boys and men.

The BRITK program, meant for 3rd through 5th grade boys, teaches participants that being a "strong" man means that you have strength in spirit. The place-based curriculum includes three parts: sense of self and knowing one’s worth; healthy communication and relationships; and positive decision making, teamwork, and community. This, along with amazing coaches who mentor the boys, works to undo some of those harmful messages around being a man in society. It gives boys a different narrative about how they can show up in the world as boys, and eventually men.

Please visit safv.org or our Facebook page to learn more about SAFV, and boysrun.org to learn more about BRITK.