General iNFO

Helping an Abused Woman: 101 Things to Know, Say and Do

Helping Abused Women in Shelters: 101 Things to Know, Say and Do

Women who are experiencing or have experienced domestic violence have a wide variety of needs. There are, in fact, a large number of service providers who may be able to help—health care professions, social services, justice services, and community groups. Not only must key agencies develop meaningful intervention procedures and protocols that meet the needs of abused women, service providers must realize that helping women who are abused requires that they work in partnership. The following model is meant to illustrate and aid those endeavors:

Clickable Model

In a multi-agency approach to offering assistance in cases of domestic violence, it is vital that practitioners understand the work undertaken by other service providers to ensure that any referrals they make are appropriate and respond best to the needs of their clients. At the same time, it is important to remember that only about 25% of people experiencing domestic violence will tell someone about their situation. Therefore, service providers also need to find ways to support those who currently choose not to disclose what has happened or is happening to them.

Health Care¹

• Working with Battered Women: a Handbook for Health Care Professionals — also in
• a user-friendly, highly accessible tool for quick and easy reference
• most topics are covered on one page of the PDF, making it easy to print out small posters for your waiting and examination rooms
• check out the topics on the Table of Contents
• check out the Woman Abuse Screening Tool (WAST)—the first 2 questions of the WAST can easily be asked along with the usual questions during a complete physical (i.e. with questions about history of heart disease in the family, or alcoholism), or asked during other routine check-ups. If a woman answers "A lot of tension" and "Great difficulty", respectively, to these first two questions, that is a good indication of possilbe woman abuse and you can then use the remaining WAST questions or other appropriate questions to get more information about the patient's experience of abuse


• Le matériel pour les professionnels de la santé: La violence faite aux femmes on Wayback Machine
• Quel est le problème? on Wayback Machine
• Qu'est-ce que la violence faite aux femmes? on Wayback Machine
• Qu'est-ce que les médecins peuvent faire? on Wayback Machine
• Dépistage on Wayback Machine
• Que faire s'il y a divulgation? on Wayback Machine
• Planification en matière de sécurité on Wayback Machine
• Documentation on Wayback Machine
• Conséquences de la violence sur la santé on Wayback Machine
• Mythes au sujet de la violence on Wayback Machine
• Ressources on Wayback Machine


• Health Effects of Family Violence
• Health care workers resources
• AMA: Violence Prevention
• How Nurses Can Help an Assaulted Woman
• Health Care and Domestic Violence
• Population Reports, John Hopkins School of Public Health — American on Wayback Machine
• Delphi Evaluation Instrument for Hospital-based Domestic Violence Programs
  
  
• Toolkit To End Violence Against Women — American
• Chapter 2: Health and Mental Health Care Summary on Wayback Machine
• Chapter 2: Health and Mental Health Care Full Chapter


• Violence against women: Steps in detection on Wayback Machine
• Violence faite aux femmes: Étapes du dépistage on Wayback Machine
  
  
• Site pour les professionnels de santé sur les Violences Conjugales — European

Dentists¹

• Family Violence Handbook For The Dental Community — also in

Lawyers/Judges (see also Legal Info)¹

• American Bar Association Commission on Domestic & Sexual Violence — American
• Screen for Domestic Violence
• 10 Custody Myths


• American Prosecutors Research Institute Links on Wayback Machine
  
  
• Toolkit To End Violence Against Women — American
• Chapter 3: Civil Remedies Summary on Wayback Machine
• Chapter 3: Civil Remedies Full Chapter
• Chapter 4: Criminal Remedies Summary on Wayback Machine
• Chapter 4: Criminal Remedies Full Chapter
• Chapter 5: Additional Justice System Responses Summary on Wayback Machine
• Chapter 5: Additional Justice System Responses Full Chapter


• Domestic Violence Training Modules (see especially "Addressing the Problem")
Identifying the Problem:
• What Is Domestic Violence?
Researching the Problem:
• Myths and Realities about DV
• Causes and Theories of DV
Addressing the Problem:
• Improving Judicial Response to DV


• Youth Exposed to Domestic Violence: A Handbook for the Juvenile Justice System

Police¹

• Stalking/Criminal Harassment
• Handbook for Police Responding to Domestic Violence
• Children Exposed to Violence: A Handbook for Police Trainers to Increase Understanding and Improve Community Responses
• Quick List of Police Protocol in Cases of Domestic Violence
• Inquest Jury's Recommendations to Ontario Police
• Assessing whether batterers will kill — American on Wayback Machine
  
  
• Domestic Violence Strategy— from London, England on Wayback Machine
• Strategy Document on Wayback Machine


• Model Policy re: Domestic Violence by Police Officer (IACP)
• Discussion Paper on IACP's Policy on Domestic Violence by Police Officers
• Diane Wetendorf: Officer-involved domestic violence — American
• Police Domestic Violence
  
  
• Toolkit To End Violence Against Women — American
• Chapter 4: Criminal Remedies Summary on Wayback Machine
• Chapter 4: Criminal Remedies Full Chapter
• Chapter 5: Additional Justice System Responses Summary on Wayback Machine
• Chapter 5: Additional Justice System Responses Full Chapter


• Domestic Violence Training Modules (see especially "Addressing the Problem")
Identifying the Problem:
• What Is Domestic Violence?
Researching the Problem:
• Myths and Realities about DV
• Causes and Theories of DV
Addressing the Problem:
• Improving Judicial Response to DV
• Improving Law Enforcement Investigation

Veterinarians¹

• Breaking the Cycles of Violence (Video and Training Manual) scroll ?

When animals are abused, people are at risk; when people are abused, animals are at risk. This video, which is accompanied by a 64-page cross training manual, assists child protection, human service and domestic violence, and animal welfare professionals to identify, report, investigate, and treat interrelated forms of family violence. The video is a sensitive portrayal featuring a cross-disciplinary team of experts. It promotes community awareness about the connections between family violence and animal abuse. The video and manual are designed to train agency personnel, cross-train other agencies, sensitize community groups, and build coalitions. (26 minutes; Mature teens through adult; psychology, corrections)

• Animal Abuse and Domestic Violence Resources
• The Abuse of Animals and Domestic Violence on Wayback Machine
• Animal Cruelty and Domestic Violence — American on Wayback Machine
• The Links between Animal Abuse & Family Violence
• Pets and Domestic Violence on Wayback Machine

Educators¹

• As an Educator, what can I do?
• Making Waves Publications
• Woman Abuse Affects our Children: An Educator's Guide
• Children Exposed to Domestic Violence. A Teacher's Handbook
• Children Exposed to Domestic Violence: An Early Childhood Educator's Handbook
• Understanding the Effects of Domestic Violence: A Handbook for Early Childhood Educators
• Comprendre les effets de la violence en milieu familiale: Un guide destiné aux éducateurs et éducatrices de la petite enfance
  
  
• Toolkit To End Violence Against Women — American
• Chapter 7: College and University Campuses Summary on Wayback Machine
• Chapter 7: College and University Campuses Full Chapter
• Chapter 9: Children and Youth Summary on Wayback Machine
• Chapter 9: Children and Youth Full Chapter

Social Workers¹

• Resources by Centre for Children and Families in the Justice System (Ontario)
  
  
• Little Eyes, Little Ears : How Violence Against a Mother Shapes Children as they Grow (2007)
• Petits yeux, petites oreilles : Comment la violence contre ses mères façonne les enfants lorsqu'ils grandissent (2007)
  
  
• Helping Children Thrive—Supporting Woman Abuse Survivors as Mothers: A Resource to Support Parenting
• Pour aider les enfants à mieux réussir—En assistant dans leur rôle maternel les survivantes de la violence faite aux femmes: Une ressource pour appuyer l'art d'être un bon parent
  
  
• Helping Children Thrive ... information for Mothers Who Have Left Abusive Relationships
• Pour aider les enfants à mieux réssir ... renseignements destinés à des mères de famille qui ont quitté une relation de violence
• Ajudando as Crianças a Prosperar ... informações para mães que deixaram um relacionamento abusivo
• 子育てのためのアドバイス ... DV被害から逃れた母親のためのインフォメーション
  
  
• Learning to Listen, Learning to Help: Understanding Woman Abuse and Its Effects on Children
• Apprendre à écouter, apprendre à aider: Comprendre la violence faite aux femmes et ses effets sur les enfants


• How a counsellor can help an assaulted woman

Clergy¹

• Spiritual Alliance to Stop Intimate Violence
• Images of Women In Spiritual Traditions: What do the different world religions say about women? on Wayback Machine
• It's Your Business: Quick Facts for Faith Communities
• Family Violence Occurs in Your Faith Community on Wayback Machine
• Turn Off the Violence 2004 Resource Manual on Wayback Machine
• Domestic Violence Resources for Clergy — American
  
  
• Toolkit To End Violence Against Women — American
• Chapter 12: Faith-Based Groups and Organizations Summary on Wayback Machine
• Chapter 12: Faith-Based Groups and Organizations Full Chapter

Employers/Workplace¹

• Family Violence and the Workplace
• Safety for Women in the Workplace — American on Wayback Machine
• American Institute on Domestic Violence — American
• Domestic Violence and the Workplace — American
• Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence — American
• COSATU: a guide for shop stewards — South African
  
  
• Toolkit To End Violence Against Women — American
• Chapter 8: The Workplace Summary on Wayback Machine
• Chapter 8: The Workplace Full Chapter


• See also Friends/Family below

Friends/Family¹

What if someone you know is being abused? They need the abuse to stop. They need information and support to make their own decisions. Admitting to and breaking free from abuse can be very hard, even dangerous. No one should have to struggle with it alone. If you think someone you know is being abused, let them know you care and are ready to listen. Suggest they get help from someone they trust—a doctor, nurse, counselor, the police. Learn everything you can about the problem so you can give them as much information as possible. Check out the links below. Check out the rest of this site. Check out the services listed in the Hot Peach Pages. Domestic violence is everyone's business.

• That's Not Cool — American
• What You Can Do If You Know a Woman in an Abusive Relationship
• Information For Family & Friends
• Families, friends and neighbours
• How You Can Help Someone You Know
• What To Do if You Know a Friend, Relative, Neighbor or Coworker is Being Abused at Home — American
• 'Violence: You Can Make a Difference' Kit
  
  
• Is Someone You Know Being Abused in a Relationship? A Guide for Family and Friends — Australian
• Acquaintance Rape and Sexual Exploitation: What Adults Can Do To Help Teens — American
• Le viol par un proche et l'exploitation sexuelle: ce que peuvent faire les adultes pour aider les adolescents — American

Community¹

Stopping domestic violence is everyone's responsibility. Much has already been done, but much more is needed. Donate time, money and other help to a shelter. Help a loved one, relative, friend, neighbour, stranger. Join an organization. Create a Web page. Learn more about domestic violence—on the Web or off it. Educate others. Confront your own violence. Write letters to the editor, write letters to your elected representatives (MPor MLA). And that's not all...

• Do something to help end violence against women and children
• Breaking the Silence: a training manual — American
• 'Violence: You Can Make a Difference' Kit
• Toolkit To End Violence Against Women — American
• Guiding Principles
• Ending Violence