If you're worried your actions have been abusive or harmful to someone you care about and you want support to change, then this page details the support available to you.
What harmful behaviour looks like
If you're reading this, you may have been accused of being abusive by a partner or family member. They may have told you they feel like they have to 'walk on eggshells' around you or they feel scared.
Harmful behaviour can include demonstrating any of the following behaviours to someone else, for example a partner, relative or carer:
- hitting, kicking, or causing physical harm
- frequently shouting at them
- regularly criticising or putting them down
- monitoring or controlling who they see or what they do
- making unfounded accusations or jumping to conclusions
- controlling their finances or stealing from them
- threatening to hurt them, yourself or someone else if they leave you, or using threats to try and get back together
Support available to you
There are a number of different avenues of support you can access.
Respect Phoneline
If you want to talk to a professional about your concerns, you can call the Respect Phoneline on 0808 802 4040 for free, Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm.
Inspire to Change
Cranstoun is an organisation that provides support to individuals to change their abusive behaviour. In South Yorkshire they offer a service called Inspire to Change. You can self-refer to this service and it is open to all genders. At the first appointment, fully-trained staff will meet with participants to develop their own tailored engagement plan. Following this assessment with a key worker, participants are placed on an intervention plan that best matches their needs.
Caring Dads programme
If you are male and have a caring responsibility towards a child (for example, if you’re a dad, stepdad or new partner) and have demonstrated harmful behaviour to the mother of that child, you may be able to access support through the Caring Dads programme run by our Strengthening Families team. This is a 17-session group programme that aims to support men to take accountability for their actions, focusing on their parenting choices and developing healthy relationships with their child.
How to access the programme
You can speak to your social worker about referring you to the programme.