Domestic violence is a serious subject that is often times not discussed. But the goal of a recent conference was to start the conversation--and to break the cycle of abuse in the Hispanic community.

It's called No More Scars, a bilingual conference for families of all ages in the Hispanic community.

(Elsa Tapia, Conference Speaker) “It benefits the whole family because not only are we speaking about no scars for the women, but we're also speaking out to the ones that are the abusers.”

Organizers say although abuse is a problem in all ethnic groups, there is sometimes a higher incidence in the Hispanic community because of something called “machismo,” an extreme form of masculinity that is acceptable--and often encouraged.

That's why this conference was for men and women... In hopes of preventing any kind of abuse in the home.

(Tapia) “There is no abuser if there is not a person who is accepting the abuse.”

The goal of the conference was two-fold: To stop the cycle of abuse, and to prevent abuse by refusing to allow it.

(Tapia) “We have to understand that we are important, that we are human beings--and that no one has the power to put violence in your life.”

To learn more about No More Scars in English, click here.

To learn more about No More Scars in Spanish, click here.

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