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Awareness and education
Understanding domestic abuse
Abuse is a pattern of power and control. It is not always visible, and it is not your fault.
It is more than physical
- Emotional and psychological abuse: criticism, humiliation, gaslighting, isolation.
- Financial control: restricting money, jobs or access to accounts.
- Physical and sexual violence.
- Digital control: monitoring phones, messages, location.
Why it is hard to leave
People stay for reasons that make sense from the inside: fear, money, children, love, hope, and the fact that the most dangerous time can be when someone leaves. Judgment does not help. Information does.
If someone you love is being hurt
Listen. Believe them. Do not pressure them to leave. Ask how you can help. The Helper's Helper was written for the person standing beside her. Read about the book.
For more depth, visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline (opens in a new tab).