Psychological abuse is so dangerous, it can lead to depression and suicidal ideation to name just two impacts, but how to we detect it? It’s not always overt. Sometimes looks like the insidious erosion of identity and self-esteem with continuous put downs and criticism. So how do we combat it if we can’t see visible […]
Where are the systems failing us that family feel like they are dead if they leave or dead if they stay, and then when so desperate that they have to take such traumatic measures as to kill a human being just to feel safe, it is a real life war. For many abused, they feel […]
“According to women’s rights groups, the conflict in east Ukraine has triggered a rise in gender-based violence. In a country where sexual abuse is rarely reported, the Facebook campaign #Iamnotscaredtospeak gives silent victims a voice.” Read the story here. Similarly, Free Yourself Global is launching its web series “Voices” as we invite people from around […]
One of the issues facing policy makers is lack of primary research with survivors of abuse and recovered abusers. Being able to give survivors a voice to their experience and how they survived what is often a life-threatening situation, is so important to their healing. Here is a great film project that engages women to tweet […]
This is the story of Girlene, who grew up in Sao Luis, Brazil. Abused both physically and sexually by her father and then step-father, she is using her personal essay to work towards helping to heal this issue in her home country. Read Girlene’s incredible and harrowing story here. #Voices #Freeyourselfglobal PHOTO: PLAN INTERNATIONAL / […]
October is National Domestic Violence Awareness month in the U.S. Some statistics show there have been 4,000 deaths of women in the past 12 months in the U.S. alone. In a country where one in four women and one in seven men experience domestic abuse in their lifetime, there remains much work to be done. In […]
As we explore more deeply the impact of violence in the home on children, Brooklyn Reader writes “According to The United States Department of Justice, domestic violence is “… a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner. Domestic […]
Much is being done around the world to reduce the incidents of domestic violence and often the focus is on women and empowering them with a voice and options that will allow them to get to safety. There have also been many studies undertaken to investigate the impact of violence in the home on children and […]
Often those of us who have not experienced domestic violence ask why when women are experiencing abuse do they stay? Physical, sexual, emotional and economic abuse and control can be so devastating to not only ones perception of what is or isn’t possible, but also self-worth and fundamental sense of safety in the world. The […]
IThe Free Yourself Global campaign is building the first global platform to assist people ending domestic violence. It is our aim to build a global central repository for information and contact numbers for those seeking assistance in their area. Until that happens, organizations all over the world are working tirelessly to end violence in their local […]