October 28, 2011

Professor explores roots of violence and works toward prevention

In a recent interview with The Skanner, Brown talked about his youth, the state of young black men, and his current collaboration with a Portland pastor seeking to end domestic violence.

Violence is a thread woven through the life of Andraé Brown, assistant professor of counseling psychology. Not only is it the focus of his research and advocacy, it is also something that affects him at the most personal level—Brown has lost loved ones due to arson, suicide, and murder.

In a recent interview with The Skanner, Brown talked about his youth, the state of young black men, and his current collaboration with a Portland pastor seeking to end domestic violence.

“The most important thing is to recognize that violence is taught and learned and reinforced. And it can be unlearned,” Brown said. “To stop it, you have to figure out where the root of that is coming from and address those root causes of violence…We spend a lot of time trying to punish violence but very little trying to heal the trauma and the root causes.”

 

Counseling Psychology at Lewis & Clark Graduate School