5 Ways to Help a Domestic Violence Victim
by Kelly M. Glenn
It can be risky for friends, family members, co-workers, and even strangers to intervene in domestic violence situations, as abusers are often unpredictable and willing to go to extreme measures to keep their victims isolated from anyone who could assist them with leaving the relationship.
Although it is impossible to completely eliminate the risk when assisting a victim of domestic violence, here are five ways in which you an make a difference while minimizing risk:
- Assist with documenting incidents of abuse and violence. This can be anything from encouraging the victim to keep good records of what has happened to providing the victim with a safe space to keep those records. Documentation should include dates, how the victim felt, any injuries that were sustained, and if there were witnesses. (Be careful when documenting the identities of witnesses, as this could put them in jeopardy.) Documents may later be used in court for divorce proceedings, protective order hearings, or even a trial if the the abuser is charged with domestic assault and battery (or worse).
- Allow a victim to store a “getaway bag” in your safe keeping. Getaway bags can include extra sets of clothing, access to money the abuser does not know about, extra sets of keys, and any items that might reduce the victim’s likelihood of returning to the residence.
- Assist with making duplicates of important documents in case she/he has to leave the originals when fleeing for safety. These documents can include birth certificates, social security cards, titles to vehicles, medical records, and more. While copies of official documents cannot serve in the place of originals, it is convenient to have information from the copies when attempting to replace originals. These copies can be stored in the getaway bag mentioned above.
- Help a victim establish financial independence by assisting him/her with credit issues. Often victims lack the financial resources necessary to leave or live on their own, and sometimes this is tied to poor or no credit history. Connecting a victim with someone who can assist them with repairing or establishing credit can prepare the victim to become less reliant on the abuser.
- Provide referrals to agencies that are trained to offer assistance to victims of abuse. Whether or not you feel equipped to help a victim of domestic violence, referring a victim to someone who is familiar with local resources can increase the level of support that victim has. Many of these agencies provide services for free, and this gives victims another avenue of support when you are unavailable.
For a list of domestic violence shelters, which also provide services such as 24-hour help lines, support groups, emergency financial assistance, protective order assistance, and advocacy in the criminal justice system regardless of a victim’s choice to live on site, live elsewhere, or remain with the abuser, visit: domesticshelters.org.
Suggested Citation for this Article
Glenn, K.M., Criminal Justice Know How, LLC, 2020, 5 Ways to Help a Domestic Violence Victim, https://criminaljusticeknowhow.com/5-ways-to-help-a-domestic-violence-victim/
