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Support Groups & Blogs.

While having family and friends to turn to can make a huge difference for people dealing with domestic violence & child abuse. Find support groups and blogs where you can share your stories, get help and referrals, even meet that much needed opportunity to vent with others who are going through the same experiences as you face today.

Nowadays, support groups can be found in all sorts of places. One great place to connect with others is online. There are many discussion forums, blogs, and email lists that help bring together people who share a common need. We've searched the internet looking for a few samples of the extensive self-help, and blog sites out there; below are a few samples of the numerous websites, discussion forums, blogs and email lists, below are a few samples of where to find online support groups. We do not endorse any of the sites, only suggest that they may offer some advise, please check with your doctor, or counselor before proceeding. Never allow your minor child explore these sites alone without your direct supervision.

Child Abuse.com Blog, Twitter, and Facebook Social Networks

Childabuse.com has our very own Blog, Facebook, and Twitter accounds!! The discussion forum at childabuse.com isa great place to start sharing and locating support groups. Our Twitter account is designed to keep you up to date on current issues affecting child abuse and family violence issues such as legislative action on behalf of Violence Against Women Act. Keep in mind, each of these social services, lists, etc. will require you to register and agree to their seperate terms and agreements. Again, Childabuse.com, Chase Enterprises, LLC does not endorse websites outside our immediate conrol, with the exception of childabuse.com Blog, and Prevent Family Violence learning site..

Share your stories on our blog, join the community

Consider joining an email list

You can visit websites that specialize in information about child abuse, family violence, and participate in the discussion forums. Many will also let you join an email list to talk with other victims of abuse. With an email list, when any member sends an email, everyone who is subscribed to that email list receives it. (This can mean getting a lot of email, read the user agreements before signing up). There are a number of email lists you can join, as well as websites to visit. As there are too many to list them all, below are a few places to get you started.

• Yahoo! Child Abuse & Family Violence related groups has several question-and-answer exchanges for people involved in abusive relationships or know someone who is affected. Groups are excellent resources for both who want to learn more about abusive relationships. Type: child abuse, or family violence support into the "search" box. Youll find many groups listed that are targeted to different areas of the family violence, child abuse, and those who are healing within the community including:

• Child abuse support groups on-line listed here Helping to Identify abuse, people sharing their stories of healing, survival started July 23, 2012

• Additional child abuse support groups listed here Child Abuse & Head Trauma: Definitions for Public Health Surveillance and Research.  find groups here

• Additional child abuse support groups listed hereBenifactors for Child Abuse Support Learn about child abuse, family violence and get support from the network of "Friends and Child Abuase Support area."

• Support group for victims and caregivers- Support gourp dedicated to help those who are struggling with abuse and family violence alone. There is no alone here, we offer support groups for victims,family members and friends of those being abused at myChildause.com myChildabuse.com offers a community of support groups, you will find information about focus groups specifically aimed at those who are directly and indirectly beingg abused, and where you can turn for help now from the national community around us- we all want to help!

• Google Groups - This is another resource you can use to find other support groups of child abuse, family violence, and their family members. Type child abuse or family violence" in the search and click "Search Groups" to find a list of related groups.

• Topica - This is a searchable website where you can find email discussion lists by topic. To find email lists for child abuse or family violence, go to the center of the page under Choose from Thousands of Newsletters and Discussions" type child abuse or family violence" in the search box and click on Search."

• myChildabuse Corner - a focus group for for children and young adults who are discovering that they may have been or are are being abused. Parents and caregivers who just discovered that their child, or a family member may be a recent victim of abuse, and are not sure where to turn to; now"You've got someone in your corner."

Other resources for Family Violence & Child Abuse Organizations

Several national, nonprofit organizations have websites devoted to educating and empowering those who are facing abuse right now. Some of these organizations have local chapters that are active in their communities. Some of the sites also have discussion forums of their own.

1. National Child Abuse Foundations & Programs

• National Child Abuse Hotline Childhelp 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453)

  The National Child Abuse Foundation can be found online at http://www.childhelp.org/programs, a major voluntary health organization, seeks to identify, and offer support, treatment to improve the health and well-being of individuals and families affected by abuse.

2. Heartlight Ministries residential Counseling Centers

   "Helping Adolescents and families work through difficult situations"

• Heartlight Ministries residential Counseling Centers contact them here email  P.O. Box 286 Hallsville, Texas 75650 Phone 903-668-2173

  "All components of the Heartlight program are designed to create an environment for change through the personal relationships and involvement of the staff in the lives of the residents and their families."

3. Childhood World Foundation

   Childhood World Foundation

• Childhood World Foundation. Contact the foundation in one of 16 countries here>>

  World Childhood Foundation was founded in 1999 by Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden; her focus is aimed at the most marginalized children, the ones most often ignored and forgotten. Childhood supports over 100 projects in 16 countries, working with children victims of abuse, families at risk, children in alternative care and street children. Childhood World Foundation is a nonprofit, child-focused, professionally-run organization that provides educational, food, shelter, and a safe haven to those affected by chronic kidney disease.

4. International Child Abuse Network

   premier provider of crisis, information and referral services world-wide for those who are having issues around child abuse at YESICAN.ORG

• Contact info TEL (888)224-4226 - (NOT A CRISIS LINE)
  International Child Abuse Network (Yes ICAN)
  7657 Winnetka Avenue PMB 155
  Canoga Park, CA 91306-2677

YESICAN - Working worldwide to break the cycle of child abuse

5. National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

   Missing & Exploited Children

   • Contact info: 703-224-2150
     National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
     Charles B. Wang International Children's Building
     699 Prince Street
     Alexandria, Virginia 22314-3175 USA

     "The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children opened in 1984 to serve as the nation's clearinghouse on issues related to missing and sexually exploited children."
     To report child sexual exploitation use our CyberTipline To report information about a missing child call 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).

How do I find an in-person support group in my area?

While connecting with people online can be a great benefit, some people prefer face-to-face interactions.

Those who are directly and indirectly struggling with abuse in their lives and receive support at a local center have regular contact with professional caregivers and other abuse victims. Child Abuse social workers are available in centers around the US to provide information on existing support groups. Here are some tips for getting the in-person support you desire.

Speak to your doctor about any groups or organizations he or she may know of in your area. You might also contact local Child Abuse & Family Violence Centers to find out if the social workers at the centers, know of any local support groups.

How can I start my own support group?

If you are unable to find a group that fits your specific needs, you may consider starting a group in your area where members can meet face-to-face. Some of the national, nonprofit organizations help with setting up local chapter support groups and may even provide some financial support.

You may want to arrange a meeting with a child abuse social worker in a local child abuse shelter or center. Not only can a social worker let you know about groups that are already set up in your area, a social worker can also help you start a new support group. Because social workers have expertise in group dynamics and other factors related to creating a successful support group, talking to a social worker is a great first step.

To find out if starting a support group may be of interest to you, here are questions to ask yourself, plus some guidelines to follow.

Are you ready to be a support group leader?

Organizing and running a support group can be a rich and rewarding experience. However, it can also be demanding and time consuming; particularly for someone dealing with abuse directly or know someone who is being abused. Ask yourself the following questions before you commit to creating a support group:

• Do I have the time necessary to plan and advertise meetings, coordinate events, find guest speakers, etc.?
• Will I be able to attend every meeting?
• Am I comfortable speaking in front of a group?
• Can I effectively keep meetings on track even if having to be assertive?
• Am I able to maintain a positive, encouraging and hopeful attitude?
• Am I a good listener?

If you answered, "Yes," to most of these questions, you may want to start forming your group.

Appoint co-leaders

Once you've decided to take on this challenge, you'll want to find others to help. Co-leaders will be able to take your place if you can't attend a meeting, share the work of organizing and running the meetings and offer general support.

These might be people you've met through chat rooms or discussion forums, or other child abuse and family violence victims in your area. Those youve chosen to help should be dependable, and share the philosophy and goals you have for your group.

Define your group's target audience

Decide who your support group aims to help. Will your support group focus on people who are currently faced with abusive situations, but not yet receiving help; is receiving counseling professionally, and if so, at-home or in-center; is still living at home, or is in a shelter? Will it be for caregivers, family members, friends or just the person with directly being abused?

While you can accept anyone and everyone into your group, it can be helpful to target those you wish to reach, so more group members will have shared experiences.

Select a name for your group

The name of your support group should identify what your group is about. You might brainstorm with co-leaders for this.

Select a meeting time, place and frequency

Meetings can be as often as once a week, or as seldom as every quarter. If you're not sure how much you can handle, start with fewer meetings and increase the frequency as you get more comfortable (or as needed). Once your group is established, youll want to be consistent with the meeting day and time, to allow members to plan ahead to attend.

You'll also need to decide where your group will meet. A smaller group may meet comfortably in your home or that of a co-leader. If you prefer a public space, talk to local shelters, or treatment facilities, churches, and community centers many will allow you to use one of their meeting rooms at no charge.

Meetings should last 1 to 2 hours, try to keep your meetings under 2 hours. It's best to start and end on time. People tend to quit coming if meetings drag on, and the focus of the meeting is not clear; always define your goals at the start of every meeting, ask for suggestions- this will involve your members.

Advertise the group and meetings

Design a simple flyer announcing your group and meeting times, and ask permission to distribute them at local small businesses (they may be shy about this), treatment facilities, shelters, local hospitals, pharmacies and public bulletin boards. You might even consider running an ad in the local paper or having meetings announced by a local radio station.

Running your meeting

Start with a rough outline of the meeting format, this will help you keep the meeting on track and stay within your allotted time. A 90-minute meeting might be divided up something like this:

• Welcome, announcements: 15 minutes
• Topic, program, speaker: 45 minutes
• Questions and discussion: 30 minutes
• End of meeting: Remind all members when and where the next meeting is to be held.

You and your co-leaders should be vocal during the discussion, especially if guests are quiet and/or unsure. Encourage participation from all members, and make participants feel welcome and valued.

As time goes on, youll want to keep meetings engaging with guest speakers, stimulating meeting topics and other items of interest. By the third or fourth meeting, your support group should be well-established.

Stay in touch with members

Whether its a simple email to remind members of the next meeting or a heartfelt response to a question, youll want to find a way to connect with group members. As the support group leader, members will look to you for a certain amount of guidance and advice.

Summary

You don't have to feel alone. There are millions of people in the United States who are affected by child abuse and family violence. Reach out online or in-person to find those who share your experience and get the support you need.

The websites and other online services mentioned in this article are provided for informational purposes only. The authors make no representations about the information contained on any these websites or online services and disclaim any liability there for.

Related articles

• Violence Against Women Act
• Additional Resources for those affected by Family Violence
• Mental Health Services for People suffering abuse
• Support Groups for Victims of Abuse and Their Loved Ones
• Volunteering to Help Victims of Abuse

View our Authors articles on Abuse›