Survivors of IPV as Advocates

By Allison Crowe, See the Triumph Co-Founder

For our October series of No Stigma, Only Triumph, I have been thinking a lot about advocacy, and its role in eliminating the stigma that still surrounds IPV. I think it’s a difficult topic in many ways, as perhaps it’s unclear how to be an advocate, what an advocate is, and the types of advocacy one can engage in. Through our research, however, one finding that has really stood out was how you out there really see yourselves as advocates. We were so touched by reading about your efforts, we highlighted these stories in an article entitled, Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence as Advocates for Social Change. With two other authors, we shared many of your advocacy activities, quotes, and examples so that we could help re-envision survivors as advocates and leaders in the movement for social change. Here I wanted to highlight some of the quotes from this article, and offer anyone who’d like to read the full article access to it http://www.psysr.org/jsacp/murray-v7n1-2015_84-100.pdf

You said this about why you advocate:

• “I raise awareness and share my own experiences openly and proudly in the hope that other who hear it will understand that they aren't alone in this.”
• “I think survivors are the best resource for other survivors because we know what we wish people would tell us.”

You said this about what it means to be a survivor and advocate:

• “Being able to advocate is taking my experiences and using them to help others without putting my experience onto them. Their experience is different than mine. Of course there are similarities but I need to hear their story without clouding it with mine.”

You said this about knowing whether you were ready to be an advocate:

• “I do not feel I am yet strong enough to be an advocate. Maybe in time, but not yet."
• “Not an advocate yet. May be one in the future.”
• “I would love to be an advocate, but I know I need to be  able  to  hear  others  stories  without  triggering  myself.”

 
You do large-scale advocacy efforts:

• “I have helped other women already, and am going to trainings at my local shelter. My goal is to speak locally and statewide to churches and other organizations that commonly misguide women who are seeking refuge and help from abusive relationships.”
• “I am taking classes to become an advocate. I want to help change the system that is so broken.”

 
You do small-scale advocacy efforts:

• “I have told several younger girls that are just starting out in relationships...what I went through and if they ever have anything at all they can come tell me and I can help them. I can listen without a judgmental ear. I can understand what they are going through.
•  “I've given people advice sometimes but only if they ask.  I  know  what  they  are  going  through,  the  fear,  the  pain,  the disbelief  in  their  self.  I always try and help someone out of a situation if I can.”

​Thanks, as always, for reading and supporting our work, and for all of you who shared your thoughts for this article, a special thank you to you!