How to Use This Resource

This document was developed to help service providers who help abused women.

WHO might be assisted by the information in this resource?

mothers transitioning from abusive relationships
mothers concerned about how violence may have affected their children

WHAT is addressed here?

general parenting guidance about children of all ages
specific parenting guidance for families impacted by woman abuse

WHERE might this resource be used?

Agencies providing services to women and/or children

WHEN is this material likely to be helpful?

the family is in a safe place to begin healing and moving forward
women are accessing advocacy and other support to meet their needs
they ask for information on parenting, perhaps to deal with challenging behaviours in a child

WHY is support for parenting important?

parenting is the most important job we have
families in transition away from violence can require extra support and guidance
parenting in the context of family violence has unique features, such as navigating custody and access with an abusive ex-partner

HOW can I use this resource?

in individual work with a woman, tailored to her needs
or in a group format, perhaps in conjunction with material on other topics or integrated into an existing program

Key Features

designed to be flexible (e.g., use for group or individual work)
has 44 pages suitable for handouts to women
all links to on-line documents and resources are available here
references to additional resources are all easily available

The material in this resource can augment the parenting components of interventions with abused women. It also aims to increase relevance and sensitivity about the dynamics of woman abuse in the delivery of parenting interventions.

Safety takes priority. Help with parenting is relevant only after safety is addressed. If a woman and children are not safe, help them access the appropriate services in your community.

Handouts for Women

44 pages are written for women, as handouts or exercises in group or one-on-one interventions. The other pages may be distributed to a woman if relevant for her.

Each handout can be printed in the Abode Acrobat .pdf format, in English or French, at the main page.

Modality of Intervention

as guided self-study for women, with the support of an advocate or worker

as information to support a one-on-one intervention for woman abuse

as resource material for a group-based parenting program

as background information to support a one-on-one parenting intervention

Many of the resources listed in this document are available at no cost on the Internet. Help women find the information they need from the Internet or help them find a place, such as a public library, with free Internet access.

Looking for information on working with abused women? Have a look at this book from 2008, called Helping an Abused Woman: 101 Things to Know, Say & Do

table of contents — next: Working with Abused Women: Assumptions and Values

Find more information on domestic violence and abusive relationships in these two resources from 2008.

Helping an Abused Woman: 101 Things to Know, Say & Do

Helping Abused Women in Shelters: 101 Things to Know, Say & Do