Older women and domestic abuse As we begin to emerge from Covid-19 restrictions and lockdowns, the team here at Belfast & Lisburn Women’s Aid want to assure women of all ages that we are here to support them in the way that suits them best and that they are most comfortable with. We know that […]

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 […]

Now that we’re well into May, we thought it was about time we gave an update about our #10KbyMay campaign. If you’re not aware, the campaign was launched by us back in January, with the aim to raise awareness of the impact of domestic abuse on women and children in Northern Ireland, as well as […]

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 […]

We know that stalking is a serious form of abuse that perpetrators often use to control and intimidate women; from hacking emails and social media accounts to spreading false rumours and making harmful allegations, stalking and harassment takes many different forms. From our experience, a particularly common tactic that abusers employ is for them to […]

We know that stalking is a serious form of abuse that perpetrators often use to control and intimidate women; from hacking emails and social media accounts to spreading false rumours and making harmful allegations, stalking and harassment takes many different forms. From our experience, a particularly common tactic that abusers employ is for them to […]

What is stalking? According to the UK stalking charity the Suzy Lamplugh Trust stalking is “a pattern of fixated and obsessive behaviour which is repeated, persistent, intrusive and causes fear of violence or engenders alarm and distress in the victim.” Stalking has often been romanticised in films, TV shows and in popular culture, portraying stalkers […]

For a lot of people, when they hear ‘domestic abuse’ their first thought is of physical abuse. This is because physical abuse is the most visible type of abuse. That’s not to say it’s the most damaging to victims, but it certainly can be in some cases in terms of short and long term effects. […]