What You Can Do to Help
Many people in abusive relationships will turn to a trusted friend first.
- Your friend’s first step to safety may be the knowledge that she is not alone and not crazy. Let her know that many people experience abuse and that there are resources where she can get help.
- Encourage your friend to get help to make a safety plan. Domestic violence programs can help her look at her options and make a plan to be as safe as possible.
- Focus on her strengths. She may believe she can’t do anything right and that there really is something wrong with her. Help her examine her strengths and skills and emphasize that she deserves a life that is free from violence.
Things to avoid doing
- Do not slip a referral card or any other information about abuse into someone’s bag or under a door. If the abuser finds this, it can also escalate the violence against the victim.
- Do not send a voicemail message or an email message about the abuse to your friend. You do not know if the abuser is monitoring the phone or computer.