Teen Link

What is abuse?

Domestic abuse (also called domestic violence) happens when one person hurts or bullies another person who is, or was, their partner or who is in the same family. It can happen between people who are going out together, living together, have children together or are married to each other. It can happen either when people live together or separately.

Abuse can be:

Emotional…

• Constantly putting a person down
• Constantly checking where someone is
• Using social media and various apps to track location
• Stopping someone from seeing their friends or family
• Stopping someone from having a job
• Stopping someone having a social life

 

Physical…

• Hitting, pushing, kicking, pinching
• Throwing or smashing things
• Making threats to hurt someone

Sexual…

• Making someone do sexual things that they don’t want to do
• Rape

 

Financial…

• Not giving them any money
• Checking what someone spends money on
• Stopping them from working
• Taking all their money from them

Domestic abuse is a repeated pattern of behaviour. It often includes several different types of abusive behaviour and may get worse the longer the two people are together. People use domestic abuse to control other people. If someone in your family is abusive, remember it’s not your fault. If this is happening in your family, remember that you are not alone. Domestic abuse happens in many families and there are people that can help you and your family. Everyone has the right to be and feel safe.

What can I do?

If abuse is at happening at home, you probably want it to stop, but you might not be sure what you can do. The first thing is to tell someone what is going on. You might be able to talk to the person who is being hurt. If not, you could try talking to a teacher, a neighbour, a friend or a friend’s parent, etc. You can also call one of the helplines – they will be able to tell you where you can get help near where you live. Remember, domestic abuse is not your fault. You won’t get into trouble for telling someone.

What can we do:

• Help young people better cope with their experiences of domestic and sexual violence.

• Provide young people with a positive sense of self and purpose.

• Promote healthy lifestyles, including sexual respect, and highlight the negative effects of drugs and alcohol.

• Foster positive communication skills to improve relationships with the non-abusive caregiver and others.

How do we do this? 

• One-to-one support

• Weekly therapeutic group work sessions

• Weekly social groups

• Summer schemes

• Residential opportunities

Referrals:

We take referrals from statutory bodies, voluntary and community organisations, social worker, GPs and other health professionals. We also take direct referrals from parents and from young people themselves

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