Hombres Unidos contra la Violencia Familiar is the first initiatve aimed at the primary prevention of sexual and intimate partner violence in the Latino migrant community.  Supported by the Centers for Disease and Control, Hombres Unidos began in 2005 with MCN-conducted research on the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors held by migrant men with respect to sexual and intimate partner violence (s/ipv) and ended with the develpoment and the implementation of a five-session curriculum guided by MCN, five expert members in the field of s/ipv, and partnering organizations.

In 2005, MCN discovered that amongst the migrant men interviewed at various locations throughout the U.S. that approximately 60% of men thought rape was a big problem in their community and 67% thought partner abuse was a big problem.  77% of the men surveyed stated they would like to help prevent rape and partner abuse in their community.  Based on this information MCN guided the development of a five session male-to-male peer led curriculum with the help of the Leadership Consortium, which consisted of five expert members in the s/ipv field.

In 2007, MCN implemented the newly developed curriculum at three sites in Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Florida.  During this implementation phase, promotores de salud around the country used the bilingual Hombres Unidos curriculum to facilitate workshops with Latino migrant men to prevent violence before it starts. 

The objectives of this implementation phase were to:

1. Increase the knowledge amongst migrant men about the factors that contribute to s/ipv and the consequences of s/ipv.
2. Change the attitudes and beliefs that support s/ipv among migrant men.
3. Increase the skills for preventing s/ipv among program participants and outreach workers.
4. Mobilize migrant men to stop and prevent s/ipv in their community.

The Hombres Unidos contra la Violencia Familar project was completed in 2008 with the creation of a five-session workshop in which topics such as gender roles, defining s/ipv, the causes and consequences of violence and building skills to prevent and respond to violence are discussed.  The promotores that carried out the workshops during the implementation phase expressed  excitement about the program as they stated that participants demonstrated real changes in attitudes and the desire to speak out against violence in the community.  Omar Fana Tavarez, a facilitator from Pennsylvania explained his gratification at seeing the participants share their comments on how the program affected them, saying "one man explained to the whole group that the workshops have truly affected him and that he thinks he is going to be a better father and husband when he reunites with his family." 

In 2008, Hombres Unidos contra la Violencia Familiar was selected for the Robert Wood Johnson Stregthening What Works Initiative.  In this initiative, programs that focus on prevention of intimate partner violence in immigrant and refugee communities are supported by the Robert Wood Johnson foundation to strengthem evaluation capacity and skills, provide an understanding of the processes and outcomes, and also enhance program sustainability.  MCN is currently in the third and final year with this initiative.

Click below or email for more information on the Hombres Unidos curriculum and workshop set up.