Breaking Free, Starting Over

What is often labeled domestic violence is, in this book, referred to as family violence, because the emotional terrorism that infuses violence between adults affects not only the adult victims but also the children who witness the abuse. Dalpiaz shows how a caring and thoughtful parent can recognize the trauma family violence inflicts upon children, and how to help them recover and go on to live happy, violence-free childhoods.

What is often labeled domestic violence is, in this book, referred to as family violence, because the emotional terrorism that infuses violence between adults affects not only the adult victims but also the children who witness the abuse. Dalpiaz shows how a caring and thoughtful parent can recognize the trauma family violence inflicts upon children, and how to help them recover and go on to live happy, violence-free childhoods.

Safeguarding children, building trust and breaking the cycle of violence is the goal. Once the victim of family violence, Dalpiaz later earned degrees in psychology and early childhood education, eventually launching a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping children. Her book will interest not only parents who are victims of family violence, but also foster parents dealing with the aftermath of family violence, counselors, teachers, social workers, clergy, and students of the behavioral sciences.

CHRISTINA M. DALPIAZ is a certified Victims' Advocate and family therapist, as well as Executive Director of CHANCE (Changing How Adults Nurture Children's Egos), a nonprofit agency based in Denver, Colorado aiming to make family violence socially unacceptable for children's sake. An international speaker, Dalpiaz holds degrees in psychology and early childhood education and also holds certification in addiction counseling. She received the Child Advocate of the Year Award in 1998 from the Aurora Family Violence Response Team and has also participated in two documentaries for television on family violence and children, The Truth About Teen Violence and There's No Place Like Home. Dalpiaz previously served as an intelligence officer in the US Navy Reserves and retired as a Lieutenant Commander. She has personally been involved in violence issues because she raised a young relative who had been living in a home with family violence.