How to Help a Suspected Victim of Domestic Abuse
Abuse comes in many ugly forms. There are ways to help a suspected victim of domestic abuse. The important aspect to get across is that you can be trusted. Encourage this person in pursuits that allow contact with more people. Isolation is one of the ways an abuser gets away with their deeds. A victim of domestic abuse needs to be ready to change or leave the situation. Ask an abuse professional for advice anonymously.
- Assess the situation to see how dangerous it is. There are all sorts of abuse forms. There are some guidelines to help a suspected victim of domestic abuse.
- Determine how well you know the person. If this is someone you know well, wait until the person is in a safe place away from the potential abuser and open up a line of communication.
- Understand that the cycle of abuse has different stages. One of them is denial. There could be very threatening things going on that would keep the person silent.
- Be very choosy in your words to not risk alienation. There are times when the abused person feels the fault is theirs. They can have a protective stance towards their abuser.
- Encourage a friendship or mentor type relationship. Trust comes very hard to those who have been abused.
- Continue contact with the person even when the person seems to be shying away. It may be that the abuser is trying to isolate the victim. This is a common phenomenon and something that should be avoided.
- Enlarge the suspected abuse victim’s circle of friends or personal contacts. With support, the victim may be encouraged to open up and get help.
- Realize that many victims have risked their lives to get help and ended back in a worse situation. Shelters are often full or the person may not be ready to leave the situation for a multitude of reasons.
- Try to not judge, as every abuse case is unique. Gently try to steer the person towards empowerment.