How to Advise a Woman to Get Out of an Abusive Relationship
Abusive relationships are sometimes hard to identify due to the way some people define the subject. Many people believe that abuse is merely the physical abuse of one partner to another. However, abuse is purely the act of one human being disregarding the natural human rights of another human being. Whether it is financial, emotional, physical or even spiritual, abuse is never an option and comes in all forms. A woman should be able to leave an abusive relationship with her safety and dignity intact.
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Instructions
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Tell the woman that you want to speak with her about an important issue over a meal. Having a calm time to sit and chat about the woman's situation will help her to understand that you care about her and simply want to help.
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Speak to her about the signs of domestic violence in a nonchalant way. Throw in a tidbit about someone you may know that is or was in an abusive relationship and how they were able to get out of it. Explain the signs of an abusive relationship to her and ask if she recognizes any of them within her own relationship, again in a nonchalant way.
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3
Open the discussion up about her own relationship. Probe with questions about how she may feel when she is being abused. Encourage her to leave the relationship to protect her sanity as well as her right to be safe.
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Ask her to attend a women's support group meeting with you. This will allow her to hear the stories of those who are already leaving or who have already left the relationship.
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Ask her to tell you about some of the abusive situations that she has been placed in. The actual act of speaking about the abuse will allow her to "hear the abuse" as well as feel it. This is sometimes required for women to understand that they are truly being abused.
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Assist her with creating a plan of action to leave her abuser. Explain to the woman in question to avoid changing any way that she has been acting. This will alarm her abuser. It is best to advise her to keep herself out of harm's way in order to plan her escape route. It is advisable to help her get to a domestic violence shelter.
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Continue to offer your support after the woman has left the abusive relationship.
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Tips & Warnings
Be encouraging when speaking with the woman. This may be the first time that someone has spoken with her about her abuse. Avoid criticizing her for not leaving the relationship sooner, since each person is different and has different levels-of-coping skills.
Never confront her abuser. The abuser may become irate due to the changes in the victim and attack you. Always allow a police officer to handle any situations or conversations with the abuser.
