Help and support for young people

If you're worried about your parents' or carers' relationship, the section for children has some advice on what to do.

If you're worried about your own relationship

Remember, you don’t have to be living with someone for the relationship to be abusive. Abuse can happen in a relationship between a man and a woman, between two men, or between two women. It doesn't have to be physical abuse for it to be domestic abuse - it might be emotional abuse, sexual abuse, financial abuse, or psychological abuse. This is never OK.

The Hideout put together a checklist to help you think about your relationship:

• Does your boy/girlfriend ever go through your phone to check who you’ve been talking to or texting?
• Does you boy/girlfriend often criticise what you’re wearing, or tell you what to wear?
• Do your friends tell you they don’t like your boy/girlfriend?
• Do you find yourself spending more time with your boy/girlfriend than with your friends, or does he/she tell you not to see your friends?
• Does your boy/girlfriend hit, kick or slap you?
• Has your boy/girlfriend ever forced you to have sex with him/her, or made you feel guilty if you don’t?
• Does your boy/girlfriend ever threaten you, especially if you don’t want to see him/her, or talk about breaking up?
• Does your boy/girlfriend criticise your body, or the way you look?

If you’ve answered yes to a lot of these questions, it may be that you’re in an unhealthy relationship, and need to think about talking to someone or getting some help. Any of the helplines listed below can help you – it doesn’t matter if you’re a young person or an adult, male or female, in a relationship with someone of the same sex or the opposite sex.

Remember:

• Trust your judgement – if something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t
• You’re okay on your own. You’re a wonderful person, who deserves a wonderful partner – you don’t have to settle for one who’s just okay, or is hurting you or making you feel bad.
• You exist in a whole big world of family, friends, work, college… If you find your world narrowing down to just your partner, something’s probably not right.

Not sure who to turn to, or just want to talk?

Womankind helpline 0845 458 2914

Talk to another women for confidential, non-judgemental listening
This is not a 24-hour helpline – check Womankind’s website for when the helpline is open

Next Link 0117 925 0680

Refuge and support service for women and children who have been affected by or are living with domestic abuse

WISH 0117 903 8632

Support for women and men in Hartcliffe and Withywood, or Knowle West

Victim Support Avonvale 0845 456 6099

Support for women and men across the city, including through the court process if you need it

Legal Advice Line (24-hour) 0117 904 5999

Helpline run by Lyons Davidson Solicitors

Honour Network Helpline 0800 5999 247

National free and confidential helpline for victims and survivors of so-called “honour-based” crimes

Men’s Advice Line 0808 801 0327

National free confidential helpline for men who experience violence from partners/ex-partners, whether male or female

Broken Rainbow 08452 604 460 or 0300 999 LGBT (5428) from mobiles

Support for lesbian, gay, bi and trans victims and survivors of domestic abuse

Bristol Domestic Abuse Investigations Teams

Bristol has two specially trained domestic abuse police teams:

• North Bristol (Southmead Road) 0117 945 4509
• South Bristol (Broadbury Road) 0117 845 5468

Women’s Aid’s Survivors’ Handbook