Information for women who have experienced domestic abuse

Transcription

1 Ending Violence and Abuse Information for women who have experienced domestic abuse Supporting women who have experienced physical, emotional and/or sexual abuse

2 About Domestic Abuse Domestic abuse means being threatened, frightened or harmed by a partner or former partner: u The abuse can be emotional, physical and/or sexual u It is very common u It can happen to anyone, of any age or background u Usually the victim is female and the person abusing is male* Sometimes it can be hard to recognise or accept that what is happening is domestic abuse, particularly if the abuse is emotional. Women often tell themselves that the abuse is not that bad and hope that their partner will stop. However, the abuse can go on for a long time and may get worse over time. These are some examples of domestic abuse: u Emotional: threats, insults, withholding money, ignoring, isolating from friends and family; humiliating in front of others u Physical: pushing, punching, kicking, hair pulling, stabbing, burning u Sexual: rape, sexual humiliation, sexual assault with objects You may have experienced some or all of these. Or your experience may be quite different. You have a right to a life which is free of such abuse. *We also support women who have experienced same-sex abuse, and transgender women. 2 Information for women who have experienced domestic abuse

3 Its Effects Living with fear, stress, pain and injury, sometimes for many years, affects women s emotional and physical health and wellbeing. Domestic abuse may start in pregnancy and continue throughout the pregnancy. That means there may be risks to women s and children s health. It also affects children who see and hear the abuse. You may feel anxious, frightened, exhausted, confused, isolated, depressed or suicidal. These feelings may be made worse by: u Trying to hide what is happening from others u Believing you are to blame for the abuse u Thinking you are trapped and powerless It is also difficult to realise that someone you are, or were, close to chooses to treat you like this. Women often use too much alcohol and prescribed or nonprescribed drugs as a way of coping. Eating problems and selfharming are also common. This can make health and other problems worse. The physical and emotional effects may last and continue to affect your health even if the abuse ends. That s why it s so important to tell someone about it and to get help now. You can get help whether the abuse happened recently or a long time ago. It may help you to know that many women move on from domestic abuse and make new lives for themselves and their children. Information for women who have experienced domestic abuse 3

4 How Eva Services Can Help EVA Services is part of NHS Lanarkshire. We provide information, advocacy and therapy services for women who have experienced any kind of abuse, whether it happened recently or in the past. u It is up to you to decide how much to tell us u We will believe what you say u We will not judge you u We will see you in a safe place u We will explore options with you u We will not tell you what to do The first thing we do is to make sure that you are as safe as possible. We ask you about what is happening and listen to what you say. We can then help you to work out how the abuse is affecting you and what might help. We can also: u Explain how the police and law can help u Help you claim Criminal Injuries Compensation u Help you claim welfare benefits u Help you with housing matters u Tell you about other useful local services u Liaise with other services to get information or help for you u Go with you to, or support you to attend, appointments If you want to talk about domestic abuse that happened in the past, we may be able to offer you therapeutic help including counselling and clinical psychology. We will ask you how you are feeling now and how you cope with your feelings. We can spend time with you to find ways to help you feel better. 4 Information for women who have experienced domestic abuse

5 Referral To Eva Services If you have experienced domestic abuse or any other form of abuse, tell your health worker or someone else you feel comfortable with. Women say to us that just talking about what has happened helps greatly. Many health workers now ask patients about domestic abuse because they know that it affects women and children s health. They are trained to listen and to help. If you would like to speak to someone in EVA Services, please ask a health worker to get in touch with us. This could be your family doctor, community nurse, midwife, school nurse or other. Remember: u Domestic abuse is Not your fault u The person who abused you is responsible u There is never an excuse for domestic abuse u You deserve to be treated with respect u You are not alone u There are people who want to help you Information for women who have experienced domestic abuse 5

6 Useful Numbers Scottish Domestic Abuse Helpline (24 hours) Monklands Women s Aid Motherwell and District Women s Aid North Lanarkshire Women s Aid Women s Aid South Lanarkshire Hemat Gryffe Women s Aid (for black minority ethnic women and their children) Shakti Women s Aid (for black minority ethnic women and their children) Lanarkshire Rape Crisis Centre Rape Crisis Scotland National Helpline (daily 6pm to midnight) Strathclyde Police Domestic Abuse Investigation Unit North Lanarkshire: South Lanarkshire: Information for women who have experienced domestic abuse

7 Men s Advice Line (For men experiencing abuse in a relationship) Broken Rainbow UK (for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people experiencing domestic abuse) Victim Information and Advice (Airdrie) (Hamilton) Victim Support (North Lanarkshire) (South Lanarkshire) Community Legal Services Law Centre Respect Phoneline (For those perpetrating domestic abuse or families or advisers) EVA Services Coathill Hospital Hospital Street Coatbridge ML5 4DN Telephone: Fax: EVAServices@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk Web: go to and search for EVA Services Information for women who have experienced domestic abuse 7

8 Please see confidentiality leaflet for more information on our confidentiality policy. Text: Shirley Henderson If you need this information in another language or format, please contact the NHS Lanarkshire General Enquiry Line on or Pub. date: March 2012 Review date: March 2014 Issue No: 01 PIL.DOMEVA L Design - Medical Illustration, NHS Lanarkshire