Walking Alongside People Experiencing Abuse: Ways to Uphold Dignity with SHINE

Walking alongside people experiencing abuse means responding appropriately, finding ways that uphold their dignity, and that safety and wellbeing a paramount. It’s about following their lead, as practitioners or whanau we support them through this difficult period.

We had Marg and Rachel from SHINE join 20 community members to listen and learn how we can tautoko loved ones who are experiencing abuse. We broke down family violence legislation to who, what behaviours, and the different tactics abusers use to manipulate and control their loved ones. These tactics often lead to people losing their independence, losing their spirit, losing their autonomy, therefore losing their dignity. Coercive control deprives people of their dignity.

However, resistance is ever-present. By helping loved ones overcome obstacles preventing them from seeking help, it’s now up to them to choose how they resist the abuse, and they can be as spontaneous about it, creative, overt, covert. But they aren’t responsible for stopping the violence – the person committing violence is only one responsible.

SHINE and The HEART Movement are committed to enabling our community to have healthy relationships with their loved ones. Whether you or someone you know is in a tough situation, these trainings helped you better understand how you can navigate abusive relationships and uphold the dignity of those affected.