October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. For many decades, we have taught relationship safety skills in online and in-person programs with people who are at risk of or survivors of intimate partner violence, including dating and domestic violence.
The personal and psychological safety skills we teach will not solve the social causes of domestic and intimate partner violence, and they will not work all the time – AND, these skills can help people avoid getting into a destructive relationship, make the best of a bad situation, preserve their sense of self-worth, find ways to get help, and protect their children.
Isolation and shame allow abusive relationships to form and to grow – and it is essential to let others know we care and that they matter.
Make the Fullpower Protection Promise™
This month, I encourage you to make our Fullpower Protection Promise with people you care about. You can even make this promise to each other.
What is in your power will depend on your relationship with someone and on the situation. You might listen, give information about where to get help, report a problem, and/or share resources to help someone understand and see options.
Relationship Safety Resources
Our article, Intimate Partner Violence and Domestic Violence: Personal Safety Strategies to Help Stop Relationship Violence, includes the following topics:
-
- Answers to 8 common questions we are often asked
- Essential relationship and personal skills to practice
- Paying Attention to Early Signs of Danger
- Assessing What Is Normal and What Is Dangerous in a Relationship
- Surviving While Still Living With An Abusive Partner
- Getting Out of the Relationship and Staying Out
- Keeping the Children as Safe as Possible
This article is from our Relationship Safety Handbook along with information and social stories to help explain and practice the skills.
Knowing how to develop and keep safe and strong relationships helps all of us to reduce isolation, protect our mental health, and have greater success, happiness, and purpose in our lives.
Published: October 10, 2024 | Last Updated: October 10, 2024
Irene van der Zande, Kidpower Founder and Executive Director
Kidpower Founder and Executive Irene van der Zande is a master at teaching safety through stories and practices and at inspiring others to do the same. Her child protection and personal safety expertise has been featured by USA Today, CNN, Today Moms, the LA Times, and The Wall Street Journal. Publications include: cartoon-illustrated Kidpower Safety Comics and Kidpower Teaching Books curriculum; Bullying: What Adults Need to Know and Do to Keep Kids Safe; the Relationship Safety Skills Handbook for Teens and Adults; Earliest Teachable Moment: Personal Safety for Babies, Toddlers, and Preschoolers; The Kidpower Book for Caring Adults: Personal Safety, Self-Protection, Confidence, and Advocacy for Young People, and the Amazon Best Seller Doing Right by Our Kids: Protecting Child Safety at All Levels.