Respect
Confidentiality
Statements: |
 |
Assure
her you will not discuss issues with
family or with husband/partner |
|
Assure
her you will not discuss issues with
co-workers |
|
Assure
her you will not call police without her
knowledge |
|
Reporting
suspected child abuse must be done up
front |
|
"I
won't put anything in your file/record
that you don't want me to"
(suspected child abuse is the exception
here). |
Questions: |
|
"The
injuries you have appear to be very
similar to injuries I see in women who
have been battered by their
partner.....Can we talk
privately??" |
Believe
and Validate Her Experiences
Statements: |
|
"That
must have been awful for you!" |
|
Communicate
that you understand |
Questions: |
|
"You
seem scared and angry, can you tell me
what happened?" |
|
"How
were you hurt?" |
|
"Has
this happened before?" |
|
"How
badly have you been hurt in the
past?" |
Acknowledge
the Injustice
Statements: |
|
"No
one deserves to be beaten, no matter
what they do!" |
|
"You
did not ask for this!" |
|
"I
understand that you are blaming
yourself, but I will not blame
you." |
|
"You
can make someone angry, but you can't
make them hurt you." |
|
"What
happened to you is NOT your
fault!!" |
|
"Sometimes
violence happens for no reason at
all." |
Respect
Her Autonomy
Statements: |
|
"You
can make your own decisions." |
|
"If
you go back, will you be safe?" |
|
"You
need to do what you feel is best." |
|
"I
trust your judgment." |
|
"You
are the best judge of your own
safety." |
|
"We
will be here for you" |
Help
Her Plan Her Future Safety
Statements: |
|
"What
have you tried in the past to be
safe?" |
|
"Is
it working?" |
|
"How
long does it work?" |
|
"What
does he do before he gets violent?" |
|
"If
you need to get out, where can you
go?" |
|
"In
the future, can you stash some money
away, an extra set of keys, clothes,
etc.?" |
|
"Is
there a neighbor/friend you can use to
signal if something is wrong?" |
Promote
Access to Community Services
|
|
Give
them the hotline number for the local
shelters. |
|
Inform
them of where and when women support
groups meet. |
|
Let
them know what the shelters provide. |
|
Ask
if they want to talk to someone from the
shelter. |
|
Ask
if they have a safe place to stay. |
|
Ask
if they want a counselor to help them
deal with the stress of abuse. |
