Abuse is malicious. It can disguise itself in many nefarious ways. As a result, people may not even know that they are abuse victims, instead believing that what they’re going through is normal. But there are things you can do to help yourself and help others. Read on to learn some different ways that you can help a victim of abuse.
Be Present
To help someone struggling through abuse, you have to be there. They may retreat back into their shell and not give up any information willingly. You must be a friendly shoulder for them to cry on. Never be imposing or try to dig for information. Instead, serve as an encouraging ear they can confide in. Be reliable, show up on time, suggest hanging out, introduce them to new friends and fun activities, and overall, serve as an opposing positive force to the overbearing negative influence in their life.
Help Documenting
One of the best ways you can help a victim of abuse is to encourage and help facilitate their documentation. You should never pry and force someone to reveal information they’re not comfortable sharing, but you should promote the documenting of abuse to help build their case should they go to court. Secondhand accounts can help validate their claims. You should also give the victim a phone if they don’t have one. You can connect them with a resource that can document pictures, screenshots, etc.
Know What To Look For
In addition to being reliable and helping them document the abuse, you must also know what to look for in the first place. Many victims are good at masking the signs of abuse and carrying on as if nothing is happening. You must know the signs of abuse. For example, there are physical signs like bruises and marks, but victims can easily cover these with clothes and makeup. You can better identify behavioral signs, such as being late and distant, lower self-esteem, and a loss of interest in things that used to bring them joy. Signs like these indicate something may be amiss.
You can help a victim of abuse in these different ways. It can be a challenging process and your effort may not be rewarded at first. But it is important. As mentioned previously, people may not know they’re in an abusive situation. Your work can help break them from this mentality and work toward recovery.
