Educating and empowering survivors is an important part of domestic violence services Peace River Center Victim Services provides. Many times survivors have experienced gaslighting so their perception of reality is altered. They may not have been allowed to pursue education or work, or deal with any finances. Thankfully, with the compassionate support of our advocates survivors can better understand domestic violence (DV) and how to break the cycle as well as gain skills to thrive in their new violence-free lives.

Survivors complete an eight-week empowerment-based curriculum. The group reviews what DV is and what it looks like in all forms. Fully comprehending what DV is, and how to move on from a violent relationship are important to healing and breaking the cycle of violence. Many of times DV impacts multiple generations so this step is important for survivors and their children. Advocates also review relationship red flags to aware of in the future.

Safety Planning Is a Must

When they are going through a traumatic situation survivors tend to skip safety planning, but it is critical, so there’s a session devoted to that. Regardless of whether survivors access DV shelter services or community-based (even those remaining with their abusers), advocates safety plan with them. The most potentially lethal time for a survivor is when she or he decides to leave, which is why safety planning is a must.

Additional Topics

Other topics during the course include self-care, the importance of support systems, and how DV affects children. Guilt surrounding children can often be a barrier to remaining free of a violent relationship so our advocates equip survivors with knowledge and coping skills around children missing a parent who was harming their current guardian. They explore the various DV relationships, whether they are staying in the relationship or learning to co-parent with their aggressor.

Goal Setting

One of the eight sessions is dedicated to setting short and long-term goals for themselves. Whether educational or financial, these are important in not only stabilizing the family, but also rebuilding survivors’ self-esteem and self-worth.