Much of my drive as a social worker is directed towards helping to decrease the circle of violence that exists with children who have experienced or witnessed intimate partner violence
or sexual assault/abuse. This is an underserved population, as much of intimate partner and sexual violence prevention and survivor advocacy is focused on adult women. Throughout my undergraduate experience I was involved in such community resources, groups focusing almost all of their energies towards adult intimate partner and sexual violence prevention and survivor advocacy. At first, I noticed that some of the questions I received from college freshmen while conducting educational workshops stemmed from some beliefs and normalization of this particular brand of violence. This normalization can be seen through survivor-blaming statements that are so prevalent in our culture. It is hard not to see these statements when social media, television, and even politicians are making such ill-informed comments. I also have an interest in health systems, particularly in the field of mental health. It connects with my other core interest because of the negative health outcomes associate with witnesses and survivors of intimate partner violence and sexual assault. Additionally, there is a stigma associated with mental health conditions like depression, bipolar disorder, and autism. Although this stigma exists in the adult world, focusing on the individual level with children can help change cultural norms surrounding mental health conditions. This interaction can be as simple as normalizing mental health issues to a teenage client. It can be as complex as working with a teenage client to cope with their condition and to be able to have conversations with peers about mental health. This interest is still developing as I navigate my education and field experiences.