Research on the attitudes and perception of psychological violence towards women and girls in family and partner relationships showed that almost half of the respondents (43,3%) had personally witnessed a scene of psychological violence, and even a third of respondents had no reaction to the scene of violence. it was announced today from the Safe Women's House (SŽK).
"The question of how to react correctly appears as a frequent motive in the answers in this survey. Citizens are obviously very uncertain when it comes to an adequate reaction," the announcement states.
SŽK added that when you notice signs of psychological violence, there are several steps you can take to support women who have experienced violence:
- Do not turn your head: When you notice psychological violence, don't ignore it. Stay calm and carefully observe the situation. If the woman is in immediate danger, call the police 122 and report violence.
- Be empathetic: Approach with compassion and understanding. It is important that a woman with an experience of violence knows that she is not alone and that you trust her.
- Offer support and encourage conversation: Ask her how she feels and offer your support. If a woman wants to talk, be prepared to listen to her experience. Never pressure her to talk if she doesn't want to.
- Offer information: If a woman decides she wants help, offer them information about resources and organizations that can provide support. Hotline of the Safe Women's House 069 013 321 it is available 24 hours a day. The Safe Women's House provides free legal and psychological assistance, accommodation in a shelter, initial counseling, and the services of a confidential person to all women who have experienced violence.
- Without judgement: Do not judge the woman for her decisions or criticize her for not leaving the abuser sooner. Psychological abuse often creates a feeling of helplessness and being trapped in a destructive relationship. Women who have experienced psychological abuse often go through a complex process of emotional manipulation and control, which can lead them to feel unable to make the decision to leave the abuser.
"It is important to understand that solving the problem of psychological violence requires the support of the entire community, and change starts with ourselves. We especially emphasize the importance of educating children about healthy relationships and the prevention of violence. Parents and guardians are the first and most important role models for their children, and their actions, attitudes and behavior can profoundly affect the development of young minds. Unfortunately, in our region, we often witness patterns of violent behavior that are passed down from generation to generation," the SŽK statement reads.
The announcement adds that promoting positive examples and values as well as relationships based on love, understanding and respect is essential.
"Parents and guardians should teach children how to develop empathy, communicate effectively, resolve conflicts in a healthy way, how to recognize the signs of psychological violence and how to protect themselves from it. It is important that children learn that violence is unacceptable and that it is essential to react," said SŽK.
They also say that with the aim of raising awareness about psychological violence and promoting healthy family relationships and proactive community action, as part of their campaign "Hear, psychological violence, what do you mean?" filmed TV spot.
The production of the video is signed by the production company NARWHAL from Bar in cooperation with Atomic Production & Rental from Podgorica.
Announcement "What to do when we recognize psychological violence?" is part of the project "Cuš, psychological violence, what do you mean?" implemented by the Safe Women's House and financed by the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights. The research was commissioned by the OSCE Mission in Montenegro for the needs of the NGO Safe Women's House, and was conducted by the DeFacto Agency from May to July 2022 on a representative sample of 1.008 citizens over the age of 18.
Bonus video:
