Emmy-Nominated Nickelodeon Children’s Segment

As the first television program to speak directly to youth about CDV, Family Secrets: When Violence Hits Home will be a valuable resource for KBEP. We plan to incorporate it into our youth programs to directly reach children living with domestic violence. Violence is cyclical, and we believe that Family Secrets will help us encourage children experiencing domestic violence to break the cycle in their own lives and future relationships.

- Nwando Ofokansi, Education Programs Coordinator at Katie Brown Educational Program

Chronicling the Stories of children who grew up with domestic violence

Childhood Domestic Violence Family Secrets
Childhood Domestic Violence Family Secrets Discussion Guide

Our Nick News With Linda Ellerbee special FAMILY SECRETS: WHEN VIOLENCE HITS HOME, produced and originally aired by Nickelodeon in 2013, is an Emmy-nominated children’s segment that is the first segment broadcast nationally to approach the topic of Childhood Domestic Violence (CDV) with a young audience in an age-appropriate manner. It features multiple stories of children impacted by CDV and their journeys to start overcoming the impact.

FAMILY SECRETS also comes accompanied by a Nick News Discussion Guide, which provides a step-by-step walk through of how to organize and host a successful screening and facilitate a compelling post-screening discussion. It includes key sections on how to speak particularly with children and young adults about CDV and the key messages of hope you must convey to them.

A Documentary that connects to kids' own experiences with CDV

TRIGGER WARNING: the content in this video may be triggering for some. Our goal is to educate and support our community via this content.

This children’s program was created to help speak directly to young people who are growing up with domestic violence or know someone who is. Shortly after its release, FAMILY SECRETS was honored with an Emmy nomination for “Outstanding Children’s Program.”

What People Say about Family Secrets

Our Children’s Counselor has utilized the video with several shelter children with wonderful results where children have opened up about the violence at home and our Outreach Coordinator has used the videos and book when counseling adults in our in shelter program and our Outreach Program.

- Joan Duncan, Penelope House

I am so excited about sharing this video with my children currently living in our safe shelter. This video specifically I think will really impact the kids here in the shelter because the children in the video share their personal experiences in the domestic violence homes but they also share a little about their experiences in a safe shelter.

- Stacey Simonson, ACT Children’s Program Coordinator Abuse Counseling & Treatment Residential Programs

Our Children’s Counselor has utilized the video with several shelter children with wonderful results where children have opened up about the violence at home and our Outreach Coordinator has used the videos and book when counseling adults in our in shelter program and our Outreach Program.

- Joan Duncan, Penelope House

I am so excited about sharing this video with my children currently living in our safe shelter. This video specifically I think will really impact the kids here in the shelter because the children in the video share their personal experiences in the domestic violence homes but they also share a little about their experiences in a safe shelter.

- Stacey Simonson, ACT Children’s Program Coordinator Abuse Counseling & Treatment Residential Programs

Get the segment & related tools to help you talk to children about CDV

Watch the segment together with an impacted child – or if you’re a professional working with children daily, host a screening in your classroom, general assembly, group sessions, or other appropriate settings. Download the FREE Discussion Guide to guide you in facilitating meaningful, pressure-free discussions  and help you ask and answer questions.

As this segment tackles CDV through the perspective of children who’ve experienced it, using language and stories young people can relate to, it is much more effective bringing up the subject than to simply ask. It is a low-pressure way to share with children that others are experiencing the same and they are NOT alone, that there are positive ways to cope, that some day they will be free of the violence, and that it is okay to talk about it, as they see other children talking about it in a very public way. And talking about it is key, because it is one of the most effective ways to overcome the impact, according to research.

A great supplement to FAMILY SECRETS, if you wish to do more than just build children’s awareness, if our FREE, 40-minute CHANGE A LIFE (CAL) program, designed to train any caring adult how to step into the life of an impacted child with simple support and messages of hope that can help change their life. Use these two tools together for enhanced learning and optimal interventions.