Info for Young People Aged 4 to 11 Years

What is Domestic Abuse?

Domestic abuse is when an adult, like our mum or dad bullies, scares, or tries to control another adult. It happens when we live in the same house or different houses. We can hear, see or feel domestic abuse and it can hurt us.

Abuse can happen in different ways:

• Physical: Hitting, kicking, punching or pushing them.
• Emotional: Harming them emotionally by making them feel bad about themselves or stopping them doing things they want to do.
• Financial: Harming them financially by taking money away from them or not letting them work.
• Sexual: Harming them sexually by touching them against their will.

Please remember that domestic abuse is not your fault, the adult who is bullying is responsible for their behaviour, not you.

At Grampian Women’s Aid, we know things might feel scary or confusing, and we want you to feel safe talking to us.

We will keep everything you say private, unless you ask us to tell someone, or we think you or someone else might be in danger. If we need to share something to keep you, or someone else safe, we’ll make sure you understand what will happen.

Read more about Grampian Women’s Aid’s Confidentiality and Information Sharing Agreement.

Here’s how we can help:

• Listen to You: It is important that you feel listened to, believed and understood by us, we will not judge or criticise you.
• Help Your Mum/Main Carer: We will work to support you and your mum; our Women’s Service can help support your mum/main carer through her own journey.
• Help find a Safe Place: If you need a safe place to stay, we can work to help you find somewhere, like a refuge or a place to stay for a little while.

We can also:

• Support Your Feelings and Connect You with Help: We’ll help you talk about and understand your feelings, and if you’d like, connect you with other organisations that can offer support.
• Advocate for You: If you want, we can speak up for you and share your thoughts and feelings with other people and agencies who can help.
• Meet Others: Help you connect with other young people who have been through similar experiences through being part of our advisory group. Please see our ‘Referral Form’ or contact us if wish to be part of this group by email on referrals@grampianwa.com or by telephone on 01224 593381
• Flexible Meetings: We’ll work with you to find the right support for your situation. We can meet in a safe space, like your school or a community centre.

  If you would like to learn more about our Children’s support service, or refer a child for support please complete our online referral form.