Signals For Help.
Identifying Domestic Violence
The Canadian Women’s Foundation has initiated the Signal For Help campaign, releasing toolkits and educational information to empower community members to reach out.
To further this discussion, we at The Hestia Project want to foster the discussion regarding those who cause harm in identifying the harm they have caused.
Starting the Conversation
If you came across someone who admitted to abusive behaviours, would you know what to do? Would you be comfortable expressing to someone that their actions are harmful?
A core aspect of starting the conversation is ensuring you feel safe to raise the concern. If you aren’t comfortable raising the concern with the person causing harm, consider talking with the person being harmed is discuss your concerns and how to help them. Remember your safety is critical as well, don’t feel obligated to engage in a conversation you aren’t comfortable with.
As Signals For Help explains, when speaking with people being harmed you want to be supportive, validating their experiences and asking what they need. When speaking with people who have caused harm, you want to be supportive - in a slightly different way. People who cause harm are likely to blame others or minimize the impacts on their actions as a method of self-protection.
Offering Supports
An important piece of helping someone facing conflict in their relationships is to connect them with community resources. If you’re unsure of the available resources in your community, call 211 to learn more.
The Canadian Department of Justice has Get Help With Family Violence which provides a list of resources and helpful safety tips.