|  | Public Health Safety | Public Health

Support Groups for Women in Abusive Relationships

According to Women's Health, one out of four adult women in the United States suffers from abuse at the hands of an intimate partner. Abuse can be physical violence, emotional or psychological bullying, sexual assault, intentional isolation or attempts to control every aspect of the abused woman's life. Support for women trying to escape that abuse ranges from federal institutions to state agencies to nonprofits to unincorporated local networks.

  1. First Things First

    • If you are one of these women, and you believe you are in immediate danger, before attempting to contact support groups, call the police or simply leave and find shelter with a friend or relative. If you have just been hurt, call for the police and an ambulance, go immediately to the emergency room where you can treat and document your injuries. If you believe you are in danger, but the danger is not immediate, collect important papers like passport, birth certificate, marriage license, prescriptions, children's school records and your checkbook; set aside enough money to survive for a short time; and pack essential overnight items as well as changes of clothes for you and your children. Then find a friend, relative or shelter that will take you in.

    Support Networks

    • If you are contemplating leaving or have just left an abusive partner, and you have access to an online computer, check the site of the National Domestic Violence Hotline (NDVH). The NDVH lists key support agencies for domestic abuse victims for each state. Contact a statewide domestic violence assistance agency for your state, and tell them where you plan to stay. They will be able to put you in touch with a local support group; and your call will be recorded to put your plight on record. If you have no place to stay, contact the statewide agency and ask where the nearest shelter or abuse victim facility is.

    Shelters

    • Domestic violence shelters are special temporary homes for women and children who are fleeing dangerous domestic situations. These support facilities can help you find legal assistance, counseling, local support groups, children's services, medical services, employment opportunities, adult education programs and monetary assistance programs. Shelter locations are highly confidential; and the shelter will not tell third parties where you are located. While you are in the shelter, move your money from your old bank account into a new, confidential one at a different bank. Get a different telephone with an unlisted number. Apply for your state's confidential address program to have you mail forwarded.

    12-Step Groups

    • Many domestic abuse victims live with addicts, be they drug addicts or alcoholics. The dynamics of the alcoholic or addict household have certain features in common; and so shared experience is a valuable recovery tool for victims of abuse whose domestic situation was characterized by addiction. Twelve-Step support groups, like Al-Anon, provide a safe, non-hierarchical, regular opportunity to share experience between the victims of abuse in households where substance abuse was part of the problem. These meetings are free and meeting lists are widely available on the web.

Public Health - Related Articles