#SpotlightOn domestic abuse 2021 campaign At the start of 2021 we launched an online campaign to raise awareness of the many different forms domestic abuse can take. This campaign, named #SpotlightOn, focussed on a different form of abuse each month in order to inform and educate our audience, including women currently experiencing abuse. By utilising […]

Homelessness Awareness Week Northern Ireland begins today, Monday 6th December 2021… Homelessness and domestic abuse are intrinsically linked; when a woman leaves an abusive relationship, she often has nowhere to go. This is particularly true of women with few resources. Lack of affordable housing and long waiting lists for social housing mean that many women […]

World Homeless Day 2021 Today, Sunday 10th October, is World Homeless Day 2021. The purpose of World Homeless day according to the organisers is to “draw attention to people who experience homelessness needs locally and provide opportunities for the community to get involved in responding to homelessness, while taking advantage of the stage an ‘international […]

Online abuse – or digital or tech abuse as it’s also sometimes referred to – is the use of technology and online platforms to harass, bully, intimidate or stalk a current or ex partner. Like many forms of abuse, it is underpinned by the need for power and control held by the perpetrator.

Women’s Aid Federation of Northern Ireland (WAFNI) define coercive control as “an intentional pattern of behaviour (often used alongside other forms of abuse) which can include threats, excessive regulation, intimidation, humiliation and enforced isolation. It is designed to punish, dominate, exploit, exhaust, create fear, confusion and increase dependency in a woman (or a woman and her children). Over time it can lead to a complete loss of self.”

Verbal abuse in relationships You likely will have all heard the phrase ‘sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me’, however in the context of domestic abuse this is fundamentally untrue. Insults, name-calling, and verbal threats and intimidation are all ways in which an abuser can use their words to […]

Am I being emotionally abused? This is a question you may have asked yourself before, in previous relationships or in your current one. Maybe you’ve noticed that your partner or someone you’re dating is treating you unfairly, speaking down to you or being manipulative in what they’re saying to you. Or, perhaps you’ve wondered about […]

Mental health: PTSD from domestic abuse As part of our #SpotlightOn campaign, for the month of May we’ve been shining a light on the impact on the mental health of domestic abuse victims and survivors. To mark Mental Health Awareness Week 2021 we looked at emotional abuse and mental health, and for Maternal Mental Health […]

Emotional abuse and mental health To mark Mental Health Awareness Week 2021 we wanted to shine a light on emotional abuse and mental health. We understand that the term ‘mental health’ means different things to different people, however for the purpose of this post we will be using the explanation below, given by the UK […]

Maternal mental health week Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week was founded five years ago by the Perinatal Mental Health Partnership. The aim of the week, according to the Partnership, is to talk about maternal mental illness and signposting to support for mothers who are experiencing or have experienced mental ill health. This year, the theme […]