You may be wondering if a current relationship is dangerous, or you want to know more about your risk of Domestic Abuse in the future. Some things that make someone more likely to experience abuse (known as risk factors) are well known. For example, lack of access to support or previous experiences with abuse. Other factors are often overlooked, including how factors can add up to increase risk. Below, we cover some risk factors for the experience of abuse, and we introduce how intersecting risk factors can increase one’s risk of experiencing Domestic Abuse.
Many Risk Factors Are Well Known
Previous Abusive Behaviour
Use or Threat of a Weapon
Previous Child Abuse (or threat of)
Pregnancy
Social Isolation
The experience of the above risk factors within a relationship make future abuse more likely.
But Abuse Also Disproportionately Affects Minoritized Groups
AMINAis a resource centre for Muslim women with programming specifically for those experiencing Domestic Abuse. They offer a helpline, one-on-one support, and group sessions/workshops focused on overcoming abusive relationships.
Shakti Women’s Aidoffers support to racial and ethnic minority women and children who have or are experiencing Domestic Abuse. They have a helpline and online resources available in many different languages, including (but not limited to) Arabic, Hindi, Polish, Portuguese, and Swahili.
Surviving Economic Abuse offers resources and grants to people who are or have experienced Domestic Abuse and finacial insecurity.
There are many more resources available, some of which can be found on our External Resources page.