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Haven Society and Tim Hortons are together this Holiday.
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40 Ways to Promote Safety
To recognize our 40th Anniversary in December 2018, we have posted 40 ways everyone can help to promote safety in their community.
7 Ways to Offer a Positive Social Response to Victims of Violence
When someone discloses they are a victim of violence, remember that there are no simple solutions. Your role is to support her, not to rescue her.
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Listen to her. Thank her for trusting you with her experience.
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Believe her. Reassure her that she does not cause the violence.
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Safety is the first priority. Violence can get worse as time goes on. Develop an emergency plan with her—just in case.
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Tell her she is not alone. Partner assault and violence happens to many women, at all income and education levels, religious and ethnic groups.
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Respect her boundaries; she will share what is comfortable for her.
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Ask if there is anything you can do for her.
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Allow her to decide which option is best for her. Stand by her, no matter what she decides.
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Click here to find out more about a Positive Social Response.
7 Actions to Promote Safety in Your Community
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Repost information from Haven or other organizations on social media. Knowledge is power.
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Have Haven’s crisis line number handy in case someone needs help.
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Believe that abuse is never the victim’s fault and say it often.
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Ask politicians what they are doing to end violence against women and children.
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Attend Haven 101 and get informed about the services available (refer to the last section of this newsletter).
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Challenge sexist jokes and comments when you hear them.
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Learn about consent and teach it to your children.
9 Ways to Create a Safe Space for Empowerment
You can offer:
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A safe environment to work through issues, to learn and to grow while being supported
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Opportunities to reflect on and to understand the influences that have shaped our actions
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New skills like self defence, cooking and non-violent communication
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Access to resources for safe housing, healthy food, employment and connections to community
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Knowledge to change one’s circumstances by understanding and addressing systemic forms of oppression and violence
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Tools to help alleviate oppression, like access to computers, government subsidies, community programs, counselling and training
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You can acknowledge:
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Cultural nuance/protocols to the best of your understanding—if you’re not sure, ask
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Indigenous peoples by actively recognizing the territories on which we live
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People’s preferred pronouns (she/her/hers, they/them/their, he/him/his)
5 Questions to Discuss with Kids (and Adults!) around Consent
Image created by Elizabeth Kleinrock, an anti-bias teacher in Los Angeles.