The Ministry of National Security today announced the launch of Healing Starts Here, the third campaign under the Stop the Violence public awareness initiative.

The campaign forms part of Bermuda’s National Violence Reduction Strategy and focuses on the connection between mental health, unhealed trauma, and violence, particularly among men and young people in Bermuda.

Creating safer neighbourhoods and a safer island means facing the truth, even when it is uncomfortable.

Healing Starts Here is rooted in the real experiences many men in the community live through every day, including the pressure to provide, grief that goes unspoken, anger that builds without release, and the expectation to “be strong” no matter what.

Too often, men are taught to carry pain instead of confronting it; to stay quiet instead of speaking; and to push through instead of processing.

Over time, that silence can turn into frustration, disconnection, depression, and, in some cases, violence.

The campaign creates space to acknowledge that reality while encouraging honest conversations and access to support.

Stop the Violence is a multi-phase public awareness campaign designed to shift mindsets, prevent violence, and address the deeper emotional and social issues that drive it.

The Minister of National Security, Michael Weeks, said: “We cannot talk about violence in this country without talking about what men are carrying mentally and emotionally.

“There are men in our community dealing with grief, trauma, pressure, and pain, often in silence. If we are serious about change, we have to be honest about that.

“Unresolved trauma and untreated mental health challenges are often at the root of harmful behaviours.

“Many young men, particularly Black men, grow up without safe spaces to express vulnerability, process loss, or ask for help without judgment.”

This campaign speaks directly to that reality, not with surface-level messaging, but with honesty, relatability, and truth.

Healing Starts Here aims to:

• Break the silence around men’s mental health
• Help men recognise what they are carrying before it turns into harm
• Normalise real conversations about grief, anger, and emotional stress
• Challenge the idea that vulnerability is weakness
• Encourage men to seek support without shame
• Connect individuals to Bermuda’s existing mental health and community services

Minister Weeks added: “There are men who are hurting quietly, and it shows up in ways we don’t always recognise right away.

“This campaign aims to reach those individuals before that pain turns into something destructive, for themselves or others.”

The campaign features voices from professionals and community leaders who understand these challenges firsthand:

• Ge’Von Greaves, B.S. Psy., CLC – Former Senior Family Support Specialist, Family Centre
• Dr. Carla Bean, PsyD – Clinical Psychologist, Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute
• Jarreau Hayward – Head Coach, Dandy Town Football Club

Through a series of candid video messages, each speaker addresses real-life situations, from suppressed anger and grief to the pressure of masculinity, while offering both understanding and practical guidance.

These videos will be shared on the Stop the Violence website and across Bermuda’s social media platforms.

“Healing Starts Here is not just a campaign. It is a call to shift how the community sees strength, how men are supported, and how violence is addressed at its root,” Minister Weeks emphasised.

"Because if safer communities are the goal, healing the people inside them must be part of the work."

For more information, please visit:
https://stoptheviolencebda.com/

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