Topic: Survivors' voices

Giving survivors a voice
Survivors of domestic and sexual violence need specialist services to help them deal with the immediate crisis, support them through their contacts with various agencies (including the justice system), and help them move on with their lives.  Recovering from abuse is a long process, and specialist services for women and children are essential.   Recovery involves enabling survivors to take back control over their own lives: to recognise that the abuse was not their fault, but the responsibility of the abuser.

Part of the process of empowerment may involve talking about the abuse, naming it, and sharing experiences with other survivors.  For more than 35 years, Women's Aid has given survivors of domestic violence a voice.  The following publications are based on survivors' experiences, and include the views of women and children on support services they have used or need. 

Womanspeak: Report based on an an online consultation with survivors of domestic violence.

Routes to Safety: Executive summary of qualitative research based on the views of 200 women and 14 children.

Kidspeak: Report based on an online consultation with children affected by domestic violence.

Support for survivors

We have created a series of articles which focus on questions often asked by women experiencing domestic violence. These include questions such as:

• How do I know if it's domestic abuse?
• Will my partner change?
• How long can I stay in a refuge?
• My mum's partner is abusive. How can I help her?

The articles are divided by topic area, for example, Criminal Law, Stalking, Children. You can access Survivor Support articles via each topic area or you can view a full listing of all the articles.