Grief and Domestic Violence
When we think of grief, it is often in the context of the death of a loved one. We now know that we can experience grief during any form of loss. Survivors of domestic violence are grieving for multiple losses, ...
Blog
Mental Illness and Abuse: Is There a Connection?
A common assumption we hear at The Hotline is that abuse is caused by a partner’s mental health condition, for example: bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), narcissistic personality, borderline personality, or antisocial personality. While these are serious ...
Patterns of Power & Control Through Learned Behavior
The person who chooses harm stands to gain many benefits from abusing victims such as power and control. They have learned that they can utilize various forms of abuse as a way of getting whatever they want. Witnessing family violence ...
Looking Back, Moving Forward: 25 Years of SAAM
This year marks the 25th anniversary of when Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) was officially declared an awareness month nationally. Looking at the history of the movement to end sexual violence, it’s clear why this is necessary- because it’s impossible ...
The Cycle of Violence
The cycle of violence is a repeating pattern often seen in abusive relationships. It involves three different stages that continuously repeat until the victim is able to leave the relationship. What often makes the situation even worse is that as ...
What FRIES Can Teach About Consent
Consent is something that we use every day, and it's important to make sure that we are giving and receiving good, positive consent. It's an agreement, one in which everyone involved wants and accepts what's happening. We can use the ...
Narcissistic Politics in Intimate Relationships: 7 Signs of Narcissistic Abuse
By Dr. Jeanne King, Ph.D. Narcissism is a term that has become mainstream in psychological and political circles today. It’s a term that grows out of psychology to refer to an individual with narcissistic traits or a narcissistic personality disorder. Understand ...
Why Do Survivors Stay?
When it is a viable option, it is best for survivors to do what they can to escape their aggressor. However, this is not the case in all situations. A person who chooses violence will repeatedly go to extremes to ...
How Do Abusive Relationships End?
There are three possible endings to a relationship where domestic violence is present: 1. The partner who chooses violence gets help for their problem. 2. The survivor leaves the relationship. 3. The relationship continues. The partner who chooses violence gets help for their problem: Partner ...
The Narcissist’s Prayer
That didn’t happen. And if it did, it wasn’t that bad. And if it was, that’s not a big deal And if it is, that’s not my fault. And if it was, I didn’t mean it. And if I did, you deserved it. The Narcissist's Prayer ...
