I need help – where do I go?

After reading the other pages you may feel that this relates to you or any other loved one or friend in your life. DVA can bae a tough and uncomfortable subject for people to talk about and listen to.
Sometimes, a DVA victim may not realise that they are just that, a victim so we need to tread carefully on how we approach this. It may be subtle hints are dropped into conversations at times where you think appropriate. Use common sense and your own judgement for when the time is right to speak about it.
Another route that people say a lot is ‘ they’re not doing that to my friend, I am going to have a go at them!’. This usually refers to somebody challenging the abuser, STOP and THINK this could put your friend at risk of serious danger and harm, this could also put you in serious danger and harm. Always assess the situation and act how you think appropriate and use your gut instinct, it is usually right!
What if I think my friend is an abuser? Everybody has a responsibility to stop abuse and challenge this but similar to what has been said, STOP and THINK. Always assess the situation before anything is done and how it may put yourself and other at risk of harm. If you don’t feel comfortable maybe speak with a trusted adult such as a teacher at school, or a youth worker for them to talk to your friend. It does need to be spoken about but you may not be the right person to do so.
If you need any further guidance or you want to talk to somebody further about any concerns or issues you have then see below charities and organisations in Derby that can help:

CEASE, Remedi
Call 0800 612 6505 (they offer 1:1 support to those affected by DVA and help people to Cope and Recover. They are a confidential service and also have social media pages such as Instagram – @cease_remedi)

Safe and Sound
Visit the Safe and Sound Group website where they have loads info on how to contact them. Safe and Sound are a Derby based organisation whose aim it to empower young people and their families to move forward from exploitation or child abuse.

Childline
National Charity who support children and young people who suffer all different types of abuse. You can call them on 0800 1111 or if you prefer online head to their website www.childline.org.uk

The Police
Despite what many people think know a days the Police are there to help people and keep them safe and we can trust that Derbyshire Police will do that. If you feel in immediate danger from anything that has been mentioned then please call 999. If you feel there is something that needs to be reported to the Police but does not need an immediate response then call 101. The Police also welcome any ‘intel’ you could potentially have around an abuser, if their victim is not aware of the abuse or too scared to do anything then intel helps the Police to build a bigger picture and eventually take action against those responsible.
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