Survivor Story: Her Friends and Family Convinced Her That She Deserved Better
Submitted by: Isabel, Survivor Abusers often condition their victims to believe that no one would ever love or want them. They also use small doses of affection that give their partner false hopes that the relationship will work out. Combined with gaslighting, control, and intimidation, it is an effective way to make the abused partner […]
Survivor Story: After Serving a Lenient Sentence, Her Abuser Tried to Contact Her
Submitted by: *Sherrie, Survivor Calling the police as a victim of domestic violence can be a terrifying experience. Some may fear retaliation from their abuser or a response of indifference on the part of law enforcement. Still, others may have an abuser who is in law enforcement themselves or has friends and family working in […]
Survivor Story: She Thought She Failed as a Mother Because She Couldn’t Protect Her Children
Written By: *Annie, Survivor One of the most common questions survivors of domestic violence hear after leaving their abuser is, “Why didn’t you just leave?” This question is a form of victim-blaming that often influences survivors to keep silent about the abuse they endured and reinforces the belief that they are somehow to blame for […]
Survivor Story: Her Abuser Threatened Her Children with Foster Care and Death
Written By: *Jackie, Survivor Domestic violence has far-reaching effects on all family members living in a home where abuse occurs. Growing up in a home with abuse increases a child’s risk of harm in several ways. According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, between 30 – 60% of abusers will also abuse the children who […]
Survivor Story: A Survivor Shares a Letter to Her Abuser
Submitted by: BTSASDV Survivor Writing letters that we will never send can help us process the hurt and trauma of past experiences. It can help us make sense of things that we struggle to understand. Survivors of trauma can also benefit from writing down our feelings or telling others how what they did affected us […]
Survivor Story: Her Abuser Broke Her Ribs Because She Would Not Give Him Money
Submitted By: Erica, Survivor Even without additional stressors, domestic violence tends to escalate over time as the abuser becomes more controlling and usurps power in the relationship. When drug or alcohol is added to the mix, it becomes more dangerous. Survivor Erica briefly shares with us how the abuse escalated and what happened the night […]
