An abusive relationship is devastating to not only the person in the relationship but those who care about that person. If you have a friend in Florida who is in such a relationship, then you may wonder how you can help. You probably want to tear the person away from his or her abusive partner, but your best course of action is to simply be a good friend.
According to The National Domestic Violence Hotline, it is very important that you are supportive of the person even if he or she does not choose to leave the relationship. You should avoid judging your friend and never get yourself involved in the violence. You can encourage him or her to get help and help him or her develop a plan to get away.
It is also important to establish trust between the two of you. You want your friend to be able to come to you for help and for a listening ear and to know you will not lecture or do anything but listen and be there for him or her. Do not go against his or her wishes or take action behind your friend’s back as this can break the trust and hurt your friendship.
It is tough to watch a friend go through abuse, but you have to understand it is your friend’s decision whether to leave or not. All you can do is be there and be a friend upon which he or she can rely. This information is for education and is not legal advice.
