North Yorkshire: "Are you suffering from Domestic Abuse?"

Hello, this is the first time I have used this service to ask the question, "Are you suffering from Domestic Abuse"? We are a Neighbourhood Policing Team and deal with 'Prevention', so why not help people in guiding them before their situation escalates. A lot of people will not recognise the signs of domestic abuse, usually if it feels wrong it probably is. In my view, domestic abuse is something that most people would think of as a private thing, talking about it or dealing with the issue in some relationships, never happens and we then live our lives with abuse, excepting it as normal behaviour. I think we all deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, relationships are supposed to be loving not controlling and restricted.

I would normally speak to victims after the event in a view to offer them some support and guidance, however, I thought I would ask the question to those people who never say anything and never report anything, sometimes a chat can be enough. If you stay quiet about it, it will never change. You do not have to wait for an emergency situation to get help. Please contact someone, if not me then there are other support agencies out there.

I'm here at the Garrison Police Station, if you would like to contact me please email me on diane.smith@northyorkshire.police.uk I will gladly speak to you in person or by email, you can come to me or I can come to you. Alternatively, if you have a group that you run and would like Domestic Abuse to be a topic discussed amongst your group, I will gladly try to deliver some advice.

Information provided by North HIVE Hub