What is it?
- Abuse can harm your physical & emotional health.
- Recognising signs of abuse is crucial for addressing it.
- Seek help from trusted adults, counsellors or helplines.
Here's more detail
Description
Abuse can be an incredibly distressing and sensitive topic, especially for adolescents who may be experiencing it or who know someone who is. It’s important to understand that abuse can come in many forms, including physical, emotional, sexual and even cyberbullying. Recognising the signs of abuse is crucial because it can have long-lasting physical and emotional consequences. If you or someone you know is facing abuse, it’s essential to seek help and support. There are trusted adults, counselors and helplines available to provide guidance and assistance. Remember, you don’t have to go through this alone, and seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness.
Also, it’s important to build a supportive network of friends who can offer empathy and understanding. Be there for your peers, and encourage open conversations about abuse, so no one suffers in silence. Education and awareness are powerful tools in preventing abuse and providing help to those in need. By talking about this issue openly and compassionately, we can work together to create a safer and healthier environment for all.
The video below was made by young people from the communications charity Exposure. It is about domestic abuse.
- Learn more
Abuse can happen in many different ways, but it is always wrong. It may involve being hurt or mistreated physically, emotionally, sexually or through neglect.
Abuse is often carried out by someone you know, which can make it feel hard to speak out about. If you tell someone, they can help to make it stop.
It is important to seek support as soon as possible, as being abused can affect your life and harm your mental health in a range of ways.
To find out more about how abuse affects mental health, visit the links below.
Video
Fact
A domestic abuse related call is made to the police
every 30 seconds
gap
Voice
However hard verbal abuse is to talk about, it must be talked about. Silence is a bully’s greatest ally. And if words have the power to cause harm, they also have the power to do great good. It is so important to talk about verbal abuse when it happens. It is equally important that adults and young people alike are educated about it and know who they can talk to – who is in a position to help. And it starts with recognising that words can hurt – and they can also heal.
Some resources that may help:
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