Time for a REAL Talk?

November is Family Violence Prevention Month and a new campaign launches today aimed at building the skills and confidence of the public in supporting survivors.

Supporting survivors is one of the best ways to stop the cycle of family violence because most survivors go first to family or friends for help, and those who get positive support are much less likely to experience further abuse.

The campaign is a collaboration of more than 40 social agencies from across the province led by Community Initiatives Against Family Violence (CIAFV) in partnership with Sagesse Domestic Violence Prevention Society.??

Keep it REAL teaches four simple ways to support someone experiencing family abuse using REAL Talk, a program created by and offered through Sagesse.

• RECOGNIZE when something seems off;?
• EMPATHIZE with the person’s thoughts and feelings;?
• ASK questions to get a better sense of the situation and how best to support, and;
• LISTEN as the person describes the experience from their point of view.?

People experiencing family violence will often tell someone they know, like a friend or someone they trust, before reaching out to a formal service. By asking questions and listening without judgement, people can help someone experiencing family violence. One positive conversation can change the trajectory of someone’s life. That’s why understanding how to best support survivors is so important for our community.

This campaign is important because, according to Alberta-wide research conducted by Leger people have a strong desire to help, and believe everyone has a role to play, but often don’t know what to say or do.

• Over three-quarters of Albertans (76 per cent) are willing to help;?
• Just over half (59 per cent) feel confident in doing so;
• Just under half (46 per cent) feel equipped to recognize the signs of abuse; and
• 40 per cent lack even one resource they could share.?

That's why the campaign features relatable role models and messages that are easy to remember and repeat. These are the words survivors say have been most impactful.

The campaign includes a free PDF that outlines the REAL Talk strategies. People can also sign up for a free two-hour REAL Talk virtual workshop, offered by Sagesse. In the past few years, friends and family signed up for these workshops at double the rate of survivors – an indication of the level of public interest.?

The positive frame focused on empathy and support makes this campaign quite different from most family violence campaigns, which tend to use graphic images and fear based messages that actually increase incidents of abuse.

How are you using positive framing to change behaviour in your work?