Protect Your Children

Protect Your Children

• Teach your children how to dial 911.
• Ensure them that they can trust the police.
• Make sure children know a safe place for them inside or outside of the home (e.g., a room with a lock or a trusted neighbor’s house).
• Reassure children that violence is not their fault and that you want to be sure they stay safe.
• If your child has a restraining or protective order against your abuser, be sure to share it with his or her preschool, daycare or school.
• Teach children how to distinguish between a real emergency and a simple argument.
• Give children a list of important phone numbers to keep with them, such as numbers of relatives or trusted neighbors.

 Services for Children

Home should be a safe place but for too many children it's a place of conflict and even danger.  Exposure to domestic violence can have long-term consequences.

• Individual counseling that is trauma-informed, including play and art therapy.
• Group counseling that helps children normalize their experiences and feel connected to peers.
• Family counseling that can help re-establish the authority of the non-abusive parent or caretaker, as that role is often undermined by the abuser.
• Professional YWCA therapists who help model positive communication while creating.