Domestic Violence Awareness Month

All relationships fall into three categories: healthy, unhealthy, and abusive. Healthy relationships are characterized by fairness, respect, trust, support, honesty, and accountability. Unhealthy relationships have challenges in some of these areas. Abusive relationships actively harm one party and lack the traits of a healthy relationship. When supporting survivors, always seek their consent before making decisions such as involving authorities or confronting the abuser. Offer emotional support by believing them, reassuring them it’s not their fault, helping them create a safety plan, and accompanying them to appointments. Material support can involve storing important documents and providing financial assistance.

Abuse Is PDF

Barriers To Leaving Pdf

Power and Control Wheel pdf

Domestic violence refers to a series of actions where an individual exerts power and control over their intimate partner. Perpetrators of abuse employ various tactics of emotional manipulation to establish dominance. These tactics include limiting access to financial resources, making threats, using force, instilling fear, and isolating the victim from loved ones. In some cases, domestic violence also involves physical or sexual abuse. Unfortunately, the prevalence of domestic violence is much higher than commonly perceived. Every minute, approximately 20 individuals in the United States experience violence at the hands of an intimate partner. There are numerous reasons why someone may choose to remain in an abusive relationship. Often, survivors stay in such situations due to a lack of self-esteem, making it difficult to establish new boundaries or leave the relationship altogether. The struggle becomes even more daunting when survivors believe they do not deserve better treatment. Another obstacle faced by survivors who wish to leave abusive relationships is a lack of awareness regarding their legal rights. While there are laws in place to protect and support victims of crime, it is crucial for survivors to be informed about these laws in order to access the necessary support and assistance.

Healthy Relationship signs Brochure

Self Care After Trauma Tips from Rainn PDF

Power and Control Wheel PDF

A safety plan reduces risk for individuals in abusive situations, those planning to leave, or those who have recently left. Safety plans consider personal circumstances like family dynamics, friendships, technology access, finances, living arrangements, and employment. Important factors include identifying a trusted person for support, establishing a secret code word for discreetly requesting help, and creating a list of essential items for emergencies. An emergency To-Go pack can also be prepared and kept outside the home.

DV Safety Plan PDF

People who have been victims of a crime have rights under the law. These rights include being treated with respect and fairness throughout the criminal justice process, protection from the accused, the ability to make a statement at sentencing, and receiving information about the conviction, sentence, imprisonment, and release of the accused. These rights were created to support and protect survivors as they heal from abuse. YWCA Kalamazoo aims to raise awareness about these rights in the community during DVAM 2023 to ensure that survivors have access to the necessary resources and protections, making it easier for them to leave abusive situations.

Abuse Is PDF

Barriers To Leaving Pdf

Power and Control Wheel pdf

Join us at YWCA Kalamazoo on Thursday to pay tribute to individuals who have tragically lost their lives as a result of domestic violence. Show your support and unity with survivors and the ongoing efforts to prevent violence by wearing the color purple.

We invite the Kalamazoo community to come together on October 19th, 2023, to commemorate those who have fallen victim to domestic violence. YWCA Kalamazoo will be hosting a Purple Thursday Vigil in the Dalton Room of our Main Building located at 353 E Michigan Ave. This event aims to provide the Kalamazoo community with valuable education, resources, and connection, while honoring the lives that have been taken due to domestic violence.

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