Helping Someone You Care About

If you think your friend or family member is a victim of violence:

• Learn about the myths and facts of abuse. Share this information with everyone!
• Talk to your friend privately. Stay calm and supportive.
• Contact a professional to help you create a Safety Plan.
• Don’t blame your friend for the violence or minimize what has happened.
• Don’t mediate between your friend and the abusive person. Confronting an abuser directly can be dangerous to you and your friend.
• Take care of yourself.
• Believe what your friend tells you. It will have taken a lot for her/him to talk to you and trust you.
• Help him/her understand that THE ABUSE IS NOT THEIR FAULT.
• Don’t focus on trying to work out the abuser’s reasons for the abuse.
• Try not to be impatient.

Questions you could ask:

• What can I do to help?
• How have you been coping?
• What are you afraid of if you stay or do nothing?
• What are you afraid of if you leave or take action?
• What can you do to make yourself safer?

For more information please visit:

• The National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline
• Being Supportive
• CARe
• Natural Helpers
• How Dangerous Is He?
• Tactics of Abusive Men
• What Are Your Options?
• Possible Consequences of Choosing to Remain in a Relationship with an Abusive Man
• Stages of Leaving an Abusive Man
• Coping with Relationship Grief
• Take 25
• Take 25 Hand Out
• Parent Aptitude Test
• The More You Know
• New Study on Teen Communication Preferences
• Crisis Connection Statistics
• Speakers Available