Talking about domestic violence is never pleasant, but doing so can save lives. A Texas judge believes that applies to high school students and has made it her mission to visit their schools and talk about the topic. The judge, Inna Klein of the 214th District Court, believes that domestic violence is common and recently went to Moody High School to talk about her views.
Klein is in charge of a domestic violence court in Nueces County, so she has presided over many cases in which someone was accused of domestic violence. She talks to students about the signs of domestic violence, and what to do if they see those signs in their own relationships or in the relationships of friends and family members. She also talks about the legal terms for domestic violence and the penalties incurred by those who are found guilty of committing it.
She speaks to students in ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grades. One of the things that she tells the students she talks to is that domestic violence is a cycle. Personal history, including negative personal history, can have a sad habit of repeating itself, which means that students who grow up around domestic violence are at risk for becoming perpetrators or victims of domestic violence themselves.
For that reason, she says that it is critical to educate high school students about domestic violence, so they can break the cycle of it. In fact, she plans to expand her speaking tour to middle schools and elementary schools. The principal of the high school she spoke at recently was very appreciative of her efforts, echoing the judge’s views about the prevalence of domestic violence and saying that it is critical for students to learn what to avoid.
