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: