Friends and Whanau
What are the signs?
Listen to your intuition - if you feel something's not right, act on it.
People experiencing violence may be:
- fearful, nervous
- isolated, don't want you coming round
- worried about their partner's reaction
- sad, angry
- lacking in confidence
- keeping secrets
- walking on eggshells
Children who are living in violent homes may be:
- fearful
- silent and withdrawn
- aggressive
- unusually well behaved
and show:
- signs of violence such as bruising
- a sudden change in behaviour
Signs that someone may be violent at home include:
- threatening looks
- controlling their partner and children
- put downs and criticism
- physical intimidation
- making all the decisions
- jealousy and possesiveness
- controlling finances
Family violence takes many forms - it's not just physical.
People being violent and people being hurt try to hide the violence because they feel ashamed and guilty.
Victims may be scared to talk about it in case the violence gets worse.