what should i do if i suspect my neighbour is suffering from domestic abuse?

Answer 1

if you hear a fight call the cops so they come check it out. Keep calling so there is a written record.

Answer 2

When your neighbour is alone I would drop her some helpful leaflets through the door. . . In my area someone can call the police and the police will charge the offender without the evidence of the abused. This then takes away the threat of the abuser. . .We have a NO tolerance to Domestic abuse here and it should be national...
This person needs to know there are refuges and helplines to give her some support...I know I am a survivor!!!

DO SOMETHING NOW!

Answer 3

Accepting that you are either a victim or survivor of domestic abuse is the first step, i would offer your neighbour somewhere safe for he /she to be in an emergency if there are children involved then contact child protection team, When an issue is identified risk assessments may be done, it may be something simple that can be resolved or you could be living next door to a murder scene I would advise not turning a blind eye or becoming judge jury and executioner

Answer 4

You must be positive there is a problem and then be certain the victim wants someone to intervene. Domestic violence is one of the most bizarre issues facing law enforcement. I would tread very lightly and know you're right before you get involved here. If there is in fact abuse, and the victim wants help, then contact the proper authorities and stay clear of that home as you may be drawn into something very ugly. This is definitely scary stuff, be careful!

Answer 5

Keep close contact with your neighbour, establish a good rapport, be a good listener. Once, your have evidence of domestic abuse have some resources for that person to make good use off.

If you witness physical abuse then you will have to contact 911,start making a mental note of the activities and your observations for a possible court case.

Answer 6

First you need to talk to your neighbor. I am assuming your neighbor is a female. It is really up to her if she wants the help or not. She is the only one that can help herself, if she is in fact being abused. You can call the cops, but she may say nothing is wrong and deny being abused. I just hope and pray there are no children involved. Of course thats when you should report abuse, if it involves children. They are usually scared and cannot speak for themselves, or don't know what to do. Right now all you can do is be a friend to her and talk to her. Women that are abused usually have very low self esteem and feel they are at fault. She needs a friend and all the support you can give.

Answer 7

You could contact your local police Community Safety Unit, whose job is to deal with domestic violence and hate crime (use a search engine to find your local constabulary's homepage and there should be a link). It would be very hard for them to go in and investigate anything unless your neighbour is willing to have them involved, but they do respond to neighbours' reports of violence heard through walls.

If the couple have children and you are worried about them witnessing DV, or think they may be at violence themselves, you should contact Social Services for your county/borough.

If you were thinking more along the lines of providing help for your neighbour yourself, the best thing you can do is provide her with information. Organisations such as Women's Aid and Refuge (see links) can give women practical help and advice on how to make a plan to leave, how to obtain legal assistance, and where to go to be safe. They also provide counselling.

Two women die in this country every week due to domestic violence, so personally I err on the side of reporting my concerns and letting the specialist organisations know.

Answer 8

If I have ever have a daughter in this situation, the sumbitch will wake up duct taped to a chair one day, and I'll reinact as much of the movie "Hostel" including scenes that weren't in there.

All you have to do, is when you hear the yelling and banging, call the police and let them know. The police will show up and investigate. If there's abuse, it will be fairly obvious.

Are there kids involved? If so, things get pretty tricky. If there are no kids involved, then this chick needs to get out, but some of them refuse to.

Answer 9

I suggest if you are friendly with the neighbour, then a quiet chat would be the way ahead, if it proves your suspicion is true, then encourage it, I say it because you dont say if it i.e. the neighbour is male or female, so encourage it to do something about the situation, social services or citizens advice could be a start, but id it's serious then the police should be involved.

Answer 10

I would suggest talking to the neighbor -- looking for signs of abuse (bruises, etc). Also mention that you have heard some large rows over there and you want to let her know that she will be safe in your home if she needs it. You could ask her if she would likethe cops called next time as well. There is no need to stick your nose into it without proof or her asking you for help.

ON THE WAGON -- Don't joke about things like that. Trust me, a frying pan hurts like the dickens.

Answer 11

In truth the most you can do is make a local group aware of the problem and let them deal with it if they can. Unfortunately the person being abused is unlikely to accept help of any sort. However the person being abused is more likely to accept help a professional makes the victim aware that there is help they would be happy to give, and waits for him/her/child/etc to ask for it.

Help is not something that can be forced.