Puppets help teach children empathy, respect

Name of program: Healthy Relationships Puppet Show

What it does: The program uses puppets in three skits and songs to build on a theme of empathy and respect for others. The first skit addresses bullying; the second skit offers exposure to domestic violence and the third skit is about teasing a dog and the correlation between animal abuse and violence.

“Empathy is eroded when kids witness domestic violence. They shut down emotionally. We talk about how the characters in the skits felt, always building on a theme of what it feels like to be hurt and to be able to empathize with that; to be responsible for your behavior and to seek help when you have a problem,” said Debbie Du Pey, coordinator of the program.

There are activities and discussion questions for a teacher or facilitator to follow up with.

There’s also a child witness presentation to provide citizens, teachers and others who are interacting with the kids with accurate information on the importance of people understanding the impact on a child who witnesses domestic violence, how to recognize some of the indicators and give these children what they need.

Who runs it: Spokane County Domestic Violence Consortium

How to get help: Call Debbie Du Pey, program coordinator at 487-6783 to schedule a puppet show or presentation. There’s no charge for the program.

Typical client: Primarily first- and second-graders, but the program wants to reach out to all children. Schools provide the widest audiences. “I’m sitting there sometimes with 75 to 100 kids and they are so engaged. They love the dog character. They get it. It’s a real comfortable form to address a sensitive topic. It’s especially crucial for children who have witnessed violence. One out of three adults has been victim at some point in their lives,” said Du Pey.

How to give help: Volunteer; get your community group involved; donate funds for the program; and most importantly be available to a child who may be exposed to domestic violence and give him or her the opportunity to talk to you and assure them that it’s not their fault.