How to Help a Friend: Series Introduction

By Christine Murray, See the Triumph Co-Founder

With October being Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we wanted to focus on one specific, and very important, component of domestic violence awareness throughout the month. Our goal for the month is to share resources and information to help anyone be equipped and ready to help if someone they know becomes involved in an abusive relationship.

Many people in my own life know that I work to address domestic violence. One of the most common question people ask me related to this is how they can best support someone who they suspect or know is being abused. It may be a friend, family member, coworker, neighbor, fellow church member, client, or even a situation in which they witnessed an abusive incident out in public (e.g., at the grocery store) and didn’t know if or how to respond.

We know that many people in abusive relationships become very isolated through those relationships. However, in most cases, there is a ripple effect on various other people who are affected by every abusive relationship. This includes friends and family members of both the victim and the perpetrator. In addition, the direct and indirect effects can spill over into workplaces, neighborhoods, community and religious groups, schools, and the list goes on.

There are any number of people who may be concerned for the safety of the victim (as well as any children who are involved), and it is very normal for people to feel compelled to help, but unsure how to do so. It can be very confusing and frustrating to be on the outside of an abusive relationship, looking in and wanting to help, and yet not knowing what to do.

Of course, every situation is unique, and each situation will require a unique response. However, we also believe that there are some basic steps that virtually anyone could take to provide empowering, safety-promoting support to someone who is being abused by a relationship partner.

This month, join us as we focus on those steps. Our main focus will be on the 5 steps outlined below, from this list we created a while back through See the Triumph:

In addition to blogs that provide more information about each of these steps, this month you’ll find other suggestions, strategies, and resources to help you be ready to help if you ever find yourself trying to figure out how to help someone you know who is being abused.

Throughout the month, we also look forward to hearing your thoughts on this topic! After all, what could be more powerful during Domestic Violence Awareness Month than to equip yourself with the awareness needed to be prepared to help someone you care about?