Hombres Unidos: A peer- led Intimate Partner Violence primary prevention project for Latino Migrant Men

The Hombres Unidos Contra la Violencia Familiar (HUCVF) model is the outcome of a five-year development process that focuses on the Latino migrant and recent immigrant community. Supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HUCVF is based on the assumption that the Latino recent-immigrant/migrant population has cultural characteristics that have an important impact on the incidence of intimate partner violence (IPV) in their communities. Latino migrant men often have unpredictable finances, frequent moves and isolation from peer groups and support systems. Equally important are the many aspects of the Latino culture that are possible protective factors from violence perpetration, including placing family needs above one's own, cooperating with others through teamwork, respecting authority figures, and valuing interpersonal relationships more than material gain or status. Designed specifically to prevent IPV, the HUCVF project is unique and powerful in its focus on building on the strengths of Latino men to take pride in their relationships, and to fortify their sense of loyalty to their community and family. The HUCVF project does not focus on the victims/survivors of abuse, nor on services provided for victims. It focuses on reaching men prior to involvement in IPV and does not focus on post-adjudication restorative interventions. Through peer-led discussion, HUCVF seeks to fulfill the need of decent men who have lived the experience of being treated as marginalized immigrant and migrant laborers, to regain and establish a positive social identity among their peers as worthy contributors and leaders in their community.