The power to change: how to set up and run support groups for victims and survivors of domestic violence

When working with survivors of domesitc violence, it is important to deal with the many social issues surrounding abuse, rather than concentrating solely on the personal difficulties of the victim. Group work fosters a social approach and provides a safe place for women to talk about what is felt to be unspeakable experiences. This manual was written and produced by five partner women’s organisations across Europe with extensive consultations on its content being carried out with specialist domestic abuse practitioners and with survivors. It is aimed at facilitators and co-facilitators who aim to set up self-groups for survivors of domestic violence.

The manual outlines some of the practical and organisational considerations required to set up support groups for survivors of domestic violence in a way that enhances their safety and self esteem. It also presents three possible models, any of which can be used as basis for running such groups. Two of these models are facilitated support group programmes and the third model is that of an un-facilitated self-help group.

The manual looks at:

• some of the practical and organisational considerations required to set up support groups 
  
• the roles and responsibilities of the facilitator and the co-facilitator skills, knowledge training and experience that are needed to run support groups for survivors of domestic violence
  
• how to plan, promote develop and manage a support group
  
• group policies and protocols and how these can contribute to maintaining the proper environment necessary for survivors of domestic violence
  
• “how –to” guides for running sessions for the two different facilitated models that are known to work effectively
  
• an explanation of the power to change self esteem programme and how well it works both as group work for survivors and as preventive work with young women
  
• an overview of the power to change educational self help programme which works on changing the women’s ability to respond to abusive situations.
  
• open-ended informal self-help groups where the emphasis is much more on the participants themselves deciding on the direction of the course and content of the group