Break the Cycle

Thao Cao
Christophe Hunter
Mustafa Omer
Zayd Siddiq
Date Submitted: 7/27/15

Social Issue Introduction

Each year in the United States, there are over 10 million Americans who experience some form
of domestic violence including a minimum of 3 million American children witnessing domestic
violence in their homes (Zwang, 2011). This is an exceedingly severe issue but not focused on
the children due to being obscured by the majority of abuse taking place behind closed doors. If
people cannot see the abuse, they are less likely to believe it is occurring. Consequently, since
domestic violence and child abuse is incredibly intimate, personal, and private, the people
involved are reluctant to speak up about the abuse. The persistent, backwards social stigmas
about coming from a dysfunctional family are so negative that Americans will tolerate the
abuse rather than come out about it.
The primary goal of Texas Instruments (TI) Break the Cycle is to remove stigmas of abuse, raise
awareness about domestic violence, and take action against it through our partnership with
Hopes Door. Throughout Texas Instruments history, since its establishment, Texas Instruments
has always supported positive ethical and social needs for their employees (Pope, 2011).
Furthermore, it has also contributed greatly to constructive community projecting making it the
ideal company to support our domestic violence proposal (Pope, 2011).
The negative effects of domestic violence are extensive and not to be underestimated. Texas
Instruments proposal fully covers complete psychological and physical rehabilitation for new
victims. Psychological trauma primarily manifests itself as dissociation, depression, anxiety,
flashbacks, hyper vigilance, and social withdrawal (Hargitay, 2013). The mission of the program
is to decondition the victims minds so that positive affirmations and constructive activities can
really impact their psychological makeup. To outsiders of a domestic violence case, the
prominent red flags of abuse that cause for alarm are usually physical, seen in the forms of
bruises, lacerations, fractures, and poor nutrition not including the total spectrum. However for
children, emotional and psychological abuse play a colossal role to their struggles if they
witnessed violence repeatedly. These children have little or no voice at all to let outsiders know
that they are being hurt or they believe abuse is normal due to the repetitive natural.
The program pursues feasible means to break this cycle of abused American children who find
themselves hopelessly trapped and to make our solution easily available to those who need it
the most. Usually the most difficult type of abuse to mediate is psychological compared to
physical harm. Our proposal utilizes a hands-on methodology that will be effective enough to
heal those deeply rooted, hard psychological scars; thus, rehabilitation will happen over time.

Figure A
Figure A. Cycle of Violence. Martin, George, (2012, June 9), Domestic violence, Family Violence
Council of Elkhart County. Retrieved July 18, 2015, from
http://www.elkhartcountyfamilyviolencecouncil.com/uploads/5/7/6/8/5768119/350782.jp
g?786

Background
Texas Instruments is taking a stand against domestic violence by partnering with Hopes Door
to stop the needless abuse against helpless children in the DallasFort Worth metroplex. The
Dallas Police Department receives 20,000 calls regarding domestic violence every year handling
over 189,000 family violence incidents in 2012 (Terry, 2011). Unfortunately, the victims of these
attacks have a very limited set of options to effectively mediate the situation. There are only a
handful of shelters in Dallas area that are struggling with limited space denying over 14,801
Texans request for shelter; even fewer of these shelter offer quality services for long-term
physical and emotional well-being (Terry, 2011). Texas Instruments expansion with Hopes
Door expects to educate the adults who can make a difference against domestic violence, and
aid the removal of the long-term negative consequences of abusing children and their spouses
in the DallasFort Worth metroplex.
3

Proposal Overview
We propose a program that focuses on the emotional and psychological needs of children who
have either witnessed domestic violence or have even been directly abused. We want to
expand the existing childcare center of Hopes Door, and hone in on helping kids who may be
falling behind academically due to these traumatic events. The current childcare center plays
more of a supervisory role while the parent victim receives individual or group therapy, we seek
to go beyond the current services (Hopes Door, 2015). TI volunteers will plan several activities
and attend the program as volunteers to help around the facility. Also, with the help of Hopes
Door, there will be mental health professionals, counselors, and a pediatrician on site. TI
volunteers will go twice a week to both sessions, which we will split based on age. The Tuesday
session will be for children ages 6-11 years old, while the Thursday session will be for ages 1218 years old. This way we can plan activities to help certain cases more effectively. These
programs will take place in the current childcare center of Hopes Door where volunteers from
TI and the rest of the staff will meet twice a week. Break the Cycle will be able to
accommodate about 40 students.
Proposal details

Play therapy (for the Tuesday group): This is a revolutionary type of therapy that
encourages children who are too young or unable to express themselves through words
to communicate in a more natural way
Conflict-resolution skills: Help teach children better solving-problem techniques that do
not resort to violence which they customarily witness at home
Tutors available on site: Studies show that kids who live in environments where
domestic violence is prevalent tend to struggle in school, thus creating a need for tutors
(Magwa, 2015)
Safe Crisis Plan: With the help of Hopes Doors expertise on the matter, we can work
with the parent victim to implement a safe crisis plan which prioritizes the child as well
Counseling services: Professional counselors will help the children express how they feel
and how to properly cope
Identical psychiatric and academic assessments will be given before and after the
program to help us evaluate progress
A safe, controllable, and vibrant playroom with activities will be provided

Throughout these services and various activities on a weekly basis, we can help build stability in
the lives of young children that has only experienced chaos. The healthy relationships they can
build with the adults will go a long way in there development to overcome these obstacles.
Studies show that children who witnessed domestic violence or are directly abused are more
likely to become abusers themselves when they grow up (Edleson, 2015). The goal of this
program, along with providing stability in their lives, is to help break this cycle of violence in the
future.
4

Program Overview
Though the incidence of domestic violence is high in our community, relatively few victims seek
help at domestic violence centers. The provision of general advocacy and support services is a
critically important core service provided by our program to assist both survivors and witnesses
in prevention of future causes. The domestic violence service delivery model provides the
framework for all services provided by Break the Cycle.
Program Assessments
Every program that takes on a certain social need requires some sort of measurement to
ensure that the companys time and money is not being wasted. For an accurate assessment,
the best way is to have tangible evidence as proof. In our proposal to help children who have
witnessed or suffered direct abuse, we have two primary assessment methods, psychiatric and
academic.
Psychiatric assessment
o Two versions: One for children ranging from 18 months-5 years old and one for
children 6-18 years old
o Use to monitor emotional and behavioral problems in children and teenagers
(Summers, 2015)
o Covers aspects including depression, social anxiety, and aggressiveness
o Parent is to complete the checklist based on their observation of their children
once before and once after the completion of the program
o Responses to each problem are based on a 3 point scale:
0 = absent
1 = Sometimes occurs
2 = Occurs often and normally

Academic assessment
o Work with local school officials to determine improvement in classes
o Compare standardized test scores pre-program and post-program
o Conduct identical academic assessments before and after the program
o Confirms whether tutoring and mentoring is helpful and what subjects requires
more emphasis for specific students
o Will be able to determine what is the best method for teaching (group or
individual)

Community Benefits
This proposal has the potential to deliver numerous benefits to the community. Helping these
kids who are so often overlooked in domestic violence cases can provide direct positive effects,
as well as a ripple towards a better future. Among the benefits of this program can offer are:
children can learn how to better express themselves, their performance in school can be
improved, and they can build healthy relationships with adults.
Community Benefits Details

Help children express their feelings

It is vital that children who are victims of domestic violence directly or indirectly
properly express their feelings to overcome the psychological, emotional, or physical
trauma (Crager & Anderson, 1997). Whether it is through play therapy for younger
children, or one-on-one conversations with professional counselors, these kids need to
know that there are people here to help them. By understanding how they feel about
the situation, we can help them cope and teach them conflict resolution skills that dont
resort to violence.

Enhance school performance

One distinction with this program and others that help children suffering from domestic
violence is the emphasis we put on education. Building a solid foundation in terms of
schooling is essential for these children to be able to overcome these obstacles. Through
the help of TI volunteers and other tutors, we hope to see a clear improvement in the
standardized test scores of these children, and their overall behavior in school. Good
social skills and a high self-esteem are just as crucial to perform well in school and we
hope to instill such attributes in our program (Edleson, 2015).

Build healthy relationships

In many instances, these children dont have many thriving relationships with adults,
and thus creates a lack of trust or belief in them. Along with the professional counselors
and health professionals, the volunteers caring for these kids can help build stable
relationships. The program can also provide some much-needed stability and extra
activities for children who cant receive that at home. Through these services and with
the help of our volunteers, we hope to help these children break the cycle of domestic
violence.

Company Benefits
The program, Break the Cycle, is designed to satisfy the needs of improving the overall
lifestyle of children who experienced or witnessed domestic violence in their household;
however, by providing an essential service and giving back to the community, Texas
Instruments can greatly reap the rewards.
Company Benefit Details

Improved Efficiency and Worker Confidence

The Break the Cycle program can increase productivity and employee morale within
our company. People want to work for a company that has a desire to perform its civic
duty. Employees who are happier, work harder and smarter because the work has
become personal (McKee, 2014).

Name Recognition
Consumers prefer companies that make a positive impact on the world. Statistics show
that if offered a comparable price and quality, 91% of consumers worldwide would
switch brands to one associated with a good cause (Nanji, 2013). Consumers who
support the same cause will more likely purchase from Texas Instrument, even if it
costs a bit more.

Lower Marketing Costs

Texas Instruments mission will partner with Hopes Door, to greater promote the
marketing strategy. When people know that our company uses 100% of the profits
towards implementation and sustaining the program, it will encourage participation
through higher donations.

Attract Prospective Employees and Maintain Retention

People want to work for a company that allows them to contribute to a greater
purpose and are willing to be paid less for the opportunity (Khalili). When employees
are part of a larger mission and feel their contributions make an impact in the local
community, they are more likely to be engaged, proud, and motivated.

Funding the Program

Break the Cycle can only be most effective and used to its full potential with proper
fundraising approaches. Strategist and marketing experts have developed methods on how the
program can raise funds while also promoting its mission.
Funding Details

Purple Passion 5K Fun Run

In recent years, 5K fun runs has gained more national attention to the public audience
because it drew the interest of people who did not usually consider themselves to be
runners (Race Entry, 2014). Before partaking in the Purple Passion 5K Fun Run, every
donor will be required to provide an amount categorized in the table below. Although,
the participation base has already been developed because the event is hosted annually
by Hopes Door, the promotion of Break the Cycle will expect an increase in
participation of 30%. A detailed cost overview is listed below.
Purple Passion 5K Fun Run Pricing Details

Non-sponsor
Race Day Registration
Pre-Registration
Team Registration

Benefit
None

Requirement
None

$5 Off Entry Registered at most one

week from race day.
$10 Off Entry Minimum: 5 participants
Maximum: 9 participants

Donation Amount
$40
$35
$30

Table 1

Purple Passion 5K Fun Run Pricing Details (continued)

Sponsor
Virtual Sponsor

Benefit
Name recognition on event website.
Sponsors that is unable to run the race.

Donation Amount
$100-$249.99

Support Sponsor

Acknowledgement as sponsor on event website.

$250-$499.99

Bronze Sponsor

Same benefits as Support Sponsor.

Sponsor recognition on race day.

$500-$999.99

Silver Sponsor

Same benefits as Bronze Sponsor.

Sponsor sign displayed on race course.

$1,000-$2,499.99

Gold Sponsor

Same benefits as Silver Sponsor.

Team of 5 participants can run the race.

$2,500-$4,999.99

Platinum Sponsor

Same benefits as Gold Sponsor.

$5,000+
Team of 10 participants can run the race.
Logo and acknowledgement as platinum sponsor in
all printed materials and website.
Table 2

Table 2. Sponsorship Pricing for Purple Passion 5K Fun Run Event. Adapted from Hopes Door,
2015, Purple passion 5k fun run, Hopes Door. Retrieved from
https://hopesdoorincorg.presencehost.net/file_download/566ec12b-2480-4a33-bee2687ab38f6be2

Donation
With the understanding of life as face-paced, donation drop boxes are essential for
people who are too busy. Designated employees will receive time off increments and
act as volunteers, on behalf of Texas Instruments, in their surrounding areas. Volunteers
are encouraged to promote awareness and acquire donations by speaking to local
schools and businesses. Large and small donation boxes are provided to schools and
businesses that are participants. Volunteers will be required to be proactive and call
participants each week to confirm if donations are needed to be picked up. Large
donation boxes can include, but not limited to, canned food, clothing, electronics, and
necessities. Small donation boxes are locked and should only be used for monetary
donations; to encourage donations and deliver an incentive, a prize box consisting of
wristbands will be provided.

Marketing
Break the Cycle program cannot be implemented without the funds, however the program
cannot obtain the needed funds without proper marketing strategies. The deliverance of
effective marketing campaigns expects to reach to local communities, but aims to influence
audiences state-wide. The goal of the communication tactics is to gain attention, spread
awareness, seek sponsorships, and ultimately, endorse Break the Cycle.
Marketing Details

Mass Emailing
o Emails will be sent to all Texas Instrument employees that reside in Texas
o The email will entail Texas Instruments mission and goal, description of the
program, and a request for participation

Social Media
o Texas Instruments will discuss the program and market fundraiser events
through LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.
o Respectively, the social media sites have 150K+ connections (LinkedIn, 2015),
125K+ likes (Facebook, 2015), and 50K+ followers (Twitter, 2015)
o Public comments are encouraged and feedback will be taken into consideration

Volunteers
o Selected employees will visit local schools and businesses
o Face-to-face interactions has a major impact on promoting awareness

Local Stations
o Texas Instruments will form a designated group to contact local stations
o The local radio station that will be contacted consists of: 106.1 Kiss FM, 94.9
KLTY, and 97.9 The Beat
o The local news station that will be contacted consists of: WFAA ABC, Fox4, and
NBC5

10

Schedule
The development of the given timetable is of significant importance because it establishes
specific goals and contributes as a process measurement for the organization. The schedules
will act as a visual guidance and set expectations of all Texas Instruments volunteers in Break
the Cycle.
Break the Cycle Campaign
TASK
PHASE I
1. Proposal submission to Dallas Chamber of Commerce
2. Email TI employees and begin selection process for volunteers
3. Complete and delegate selection committee of TI employees;
Begin setting up donation boxes around local schools and businesses
PHASE II
4. Proposal reviewed and funded by Dallas Chamber of Commerce;
Initialize marketing campaign;
Contact local schools and present Break the Cycle;
Develop partnership with Hopes Door and begin event planning
5. Present Texas Instruments Break the Cycle website
6. Announce program and promotional event details through LinkedIn,
Facebook, and Twitter
7. Order and print Break the Cycle brochures;
Contact local stations
PHASE III
8. Purple Passion 5K Fun Run event;
Begin accepting job application for Break the Cycle program
9. Begin interviewing process
10. Contact schools for confirmation of participation in the program
11. Hire mental health physicians and advisors;
End and remove job application link from website
12. Break the Cycle program begins

TARGET
COMPLETION DATE
07-26-15
08-03-15
08-17-15

08-31-15
09-07-15
09-11-15
09-14-15

10-17-15
10-26-15
11-02-15
12-07-15
01-04-16

Table 3

11

Purple Passion 5K Fun Run Detailed Schedule

PURPLE PASSION 5K FUN RUN
ACTIVITY
1. Contact Galatyn Park for promotional event
2. Secure event space for Purple Passion 5K Fun Run;
Finalize promotional event details;
Begin event registration on website
3. Hire mental health physicians and advisors for promotional event;
Recruit local domestic violence advocates for promotional event
4. Assist Hopes Door with preparation for event
5. Purple Passion 5K Fun Run event

TARGET
COMPLETION DATE
09-07-15
09-11-15
09-21-15
10-16-15
10-17-15

Table 4

12

Budget Overview and Staffing

Hopes Door Sheltering is partnering with us to raise awareness and comfort the child victims of
domestic violence. The majority of our budget will resort to the salaries of the psychological
physicians and advisors, because the primary objective is to help the children mentally and
psychologically. Regarding staffing, we will have an excellent roster of occupations to help
boost our programs effectiveness to help the unfortunate children.
Budget Overview

Promotional Expenses
We will be handing out full-length paper fliers to any services that will get our program
noticed, such as libraries, schools, shelters, etc. Also, we will be advertising our program
via social media to boost our recognition. Paper and printing will total up to $185.

Medical Personnel
Physicians will be needed to check up on the children for psychological, mental
problems. We will have two physicians devoting their time to assisting these children.
Their salary will range from $9,000-$10,000 ($18,000-$20,000 total) (Common Good
Careers, 2015) depending on the number of children enrolled in the program.

Advisors
The children will need elder people to talk to and receive advice from, so well have a
few advisors at their beckon call. Two advisors salaries will range from $4,500-$5,000
totaling to about $9,000-$10,000 total (Salary, 2015).

Miscellaneous Activities
Supplies such as pens, pencils, and paper will be provided for the children to complete
their coursework. These expenses will come up to $75.

The total budget cost for our program will total up to approximately $30,260. The salaries are
based on yearly expenses.

13

Staffing
Along with volunteers from TI, we will recruit some to come from high schools and college, to
help them with their volunteer hours. They will receive volunteer hours for their schools and
have a bullet point in their resume for the near future. Its a win-win!

2 mental health physicians

2 advisors
5 volunteers tutors
10 activities volunteers (5 for Tuesday, 5 for Thursday)

Volunteer Compensation
Aside from hours that our volunteers will receive, they may also be compensated for their
willingness and hard work in other ways.

An excused day off

Extra hours granted for a specific reason

Figure B
Figure B. Swz.salary.com, (2015), Salary.com, Salary Wizard- Do you know what you're worth?. Retrieved
26 July 2015, from http://swz.salary.com/salarywizard/Academic-Advisor-Salary-Details.asp

14

Authorization Request
Putting the power back in the hands of the abused, breaking down barriers, and building
positive self-esteem for long-term mental health of domestic violence victims are the primary
goals of the proposal. Based on the high success rate of behavioral and cognitive therapy with
children (Leahy, 2011), our proposal will not only benefit victims of domestic violence
tremendously, but also raise awareness both domestically and at Texas Instruments. Thus,
bolstering its excellent image for really giving back to the community.

We hereby request funding for our proposal to be authorized.

Approved

Signature:

Date:

TI Director of Human Relations

15

References
Best, Nancy. (2009, March 14). What is domestic violence? Genesis Shelter. Retrieved on July
24, 2015, from http://www.genesisshelter.org/page.aspx?pid=364
Common Good Careers. (2015). Nonprofit salaries: what should I earn? Common Good Careers.
Retrieved on July 26, 2015, from http://commongoodcareers.org/articles/detail/nonprofitsalaries-what-should-i-earn
Crager, M., & Anderson, L. (1997). Helping children who witness domestic violence: a guide for
parents (instructor's manual). Minnesota Center Against Violence and Abuse. Retrieved on
July 26, 2015, from http://www.mincava.umn.edu/documents/materials/instructor.html
Edleson, J. (2015). Problems associated with children's witnessing of domestic violence. Natural
Resource Center on Domestic Violence. Retrieved on July 25, 2015, from
http://vawnet.org/print-document.php?doc_id=392&find_type=web_desc_AR
Facebook. (2015, July 24). Texas instruments. Facebook. Retrieved on July 26 2015, from
https://www.facebook.com/texasinstruments
Hargitay, Mariska. (2013, February 20). Effects of child abuse and neglect. Joyful Heart
Foundation. Retrieved on July 24, 2015, from
http://www.joyfulheartfoundation.org/learn/child-abuse-neglect/effects-child-abuseneglect
Hopes Door. (2015). Programs & services. Hopes Door. Retrieved on July 26, 2015, from
http://www.hopesdoorinc.org/what_we_do/programs_services.html
Khalili, Olivia. (2015). Why your company should have a social mission. Cause Captalism.
Retrieved from http://causecapitalism.com/why-your-company-should-have-asocial-mission/
Leahy, Robert. (2011, November 23). Cognitive-behavioral therapy: proven effectiveness.
Retrieved July 18, 2015, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/anxietyfiles/201111/cognitive-behavioral-therapy-proven-effectiveness

LinkedIn. (2015, July 24). Texas instruments. LinkedIn. Retrieved on July 24, 2015, from
https://www.linkedin.com/company/texas-instruments
Magwa, Simuforosa. (2015). Experiencing and witnessing domestic violence on school
aged children. International J. Soc. Sci. & Education. Retrieved 26 July 2015, from
http://ijsse.com/sites/default/files/issues/2013/v3i3/Paper-5.pdf
McKee, Annie. (2014, November 14). Being happy at work matters. Harvard Business
Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2014/11/being-happy-at-work-matters
16

Nanji, Ayaz. (2013, June 14). Consumers prefer brands associated with good causes.
MarketingProfs. Retrieved on July 13, 2015, from
http://www.marketingprofs.com/charts/2013/10966/consumers-prefer-brandsassociated-with-good-causes
Pope, Olga. (2011, April 26). Corporate citizenship report. Texas Instruments. Retrieved
July 17, 2015, from
http://www.ti.com/corp/docs/csr/news_volunteer_hopes_door.shtml
Race Entry. (2014). How to organize a 5k. Race Entry. Retrieved on July 26, 2015, from
https://www.raceentry.com/how-to-organize-a-5k
Safehorizon. (2013, April 18). Domestic violence: statistics & facts. Safe Horizon. Retrieved from
http://www.safehorizon.org/page/domestic-violence-statistics--facts-52.html
Salary. (2015). Salary wizard - do you know what you're worth? Salary. Retrieved on July 26,
2015, from http://swz.salary.com/salarywizard/Academic-Advisor-Salary-Details.aspx
Summers, Alicia. (2015). Childrens exposure to domestic violence. Office of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention. Retrieved on July 25, 2015, from
http://www.ncjfcj.org/sites/default/files/Childrens%20Exposure%20to%20Violence.pdf
Terry, Gloria. (2011, August 10). About TCFV. Texas Council on Family Violence. Retrieved on
July 25, 2015, from http://www.tcfv.org/resources-home/facts-and-statistics/
Twitter. (2015, July 24). Texas instruments. Twitter. Retrieved on July 25, 2015, from
https://twitter.com/txinstruments
Zwang, Angela. (2011, April 5). Child abuse facts. Safe Horizon. Retrieved on July 23, 2015, from
http://www.safehorizon.org/page/child-abuse-facts-56.html
Young, Daphne. (2014, May 27). Child abuse statistics. Child Help. Retrieved on July 23, 2015,
from https://www.childhelp.org/child-abuse-statistics/

17