Officials at Children and Families of Iowa hope to eventually take ananti-violence program for teens statewide, but have launched it in the DesMoines public schools. Pat Peterson is the facilitator of “START” — whichstands for Students Talking About Relationships and Themselves. The programtargets adolescent boys in the 7th through 9th grades.Participants meet in groups of eight — and Peterson says those groups areled by BOTH a man and a woman. She says this gives them a positive rolemodel of a man and woman working together.Peterson developed “START” in 1995, and is based on discussion points in adomestic abuse intervention program.The 12-week-long program’s running in nine Des Moines-area schools. It’sbeen offered to other Iowa schools, too.
