Heavensfield

Oftentimes members of society secondarily wound abuse survivors by asking the question: 

"Why don't you just leave?"

There are many factors and barriers that prevent victims from getting the help they need.  This website is devoted to educating society at large about the various reasons domestic violence survivors don't get the help they need, and how each of us can be part of the solution, rather than part of the problem.

Maybe the questions we ought to ask ourselves are:

• Why do I believe that it is ok for a person to abuse their spouse or partner and be able to stay?
• Why is it, that we as a society, friends and family members put the responsiblity for solving the problem of abuse on the victim, rather than the person responsible for the abuse?
• How is society contributing to a world wide epidemic of abuse and violence?

Maybe it's time to ask:

• "How can I be part of a movement of social change?"

Here's what you can do to help famlies experiencing domestic violence:

1. Refer individuals to Domestic Violence Agencies for support and assistance
2. Get educated yourself on the warning signs of abuse and violence
3. Comfort victims, listen to, and believe reports of domestic abuse and violence
4. Don't minimize the potential lethality of the situation. Think SAFETY first!!
5. Hold the abusive partner accountable for their behavior. Abuse in all it's ugly forms is a choice.
6. Talk about it with others. Domestic violence discussions are not anti-family. Death of a loved one is.