If someone you know is experiencing domestic violence it can be hard to know what to do and how to support them. Here are some important things to note from the Visit National Domestic Violence Hotline Website:
- Educate yourself about domestic violence.
- The Power and Control Wheel can be a useful tool in understanding some of the dynamics of domestic violence.
- Emotional Support:
- Validate the survivor’s situation without judging it. It can be hard to understand why a survivor takes or does not take certain actions, but the most important thing you can do is support their decision, whatever that is.
- Offer to help them make a Safety Plan and you can be a part of that plan. Learn More About Safety Plan Visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline Website.
- Do not speak badly about the person causing them harm. This can come across as judgmental. Even if the survivor is saying negative things at the moment, they may choose to stay, and if you engaged and spoke negatively about the person causing them harm, they may not come back to you for support when you need it.
- Material Support:
- Help the survivor identify resources in the community for food, housing, healthcare, etc.
- Can the survivor flee to your house if they see an opportunity that is safer, and they want to leave their situation?
- Can the survivor store an ‘escape’ or ‘go’ bag at your house that contains vital records, money, banking information, birth certificates, social security cards, medications, etc. This way if they do need to flee suddenly, they have some of those essential items available to them.
- Offer to let them use your phone or computer to explore resources or make calls. If the person causing them harm is monitoring their phone or search history, this can be a powerful safety tool that you can provide.