Long-term effects of abuse and how to beat the odds

Q: What are the long term effects of abuse?

AskAnAdvocate: This article from ThinkProgress.org talks about many of the long-term effects abuse has on survivors and their children.  The most important things to note are that people who experience family violence are more likely to become depressed, develop PTSD and other anxiety disorders, and also 15x more likely than the average population to use alcohol or other substances to cope with what they have been/are going through.
Also it's worth pointing out that while some people do go on to be abusive themselves, more often people who experience family violence early go on to face violence/abuse again.

There is some good news, however.  Emerging research shows that young people who can find one stable, supportive adult in their lives - a person who acts as a sort of champion and mentor for the young person - can overcome many of these long-term effects.

Not all of us can have mentors that look like this:

But really, any stable adult that you feel safe with and whom you'd like to be more like is a good choice.  Some schools even have specific mentor programs set up to help Teens and young people have a better shot at success on their own terms.  You can check out Moscow High School's program right here to apply or to volunteer!  

Just how many people has ATVP helped?

Q: How many people has ATVP helped?

AskAnAdvocate: Since our founding in 1980, ATVP has stayed incredibly busy.  Thanks to the advent of affordable personal computing power (and grants for technology), we've kept pretty good records for the last decade or so.  From 2005 to 2015, ATVP was able to work with over 3,600 individuals and their families on an on-going basis, in addition to fielding over 30,000 calls on our hotlines.  

Once you factor in our prevention and presentation work - and we did over 560 presentations and outreaches last year alone - the straight forward answer is somewhere between "a lot" and "a whole lot."  

Despite all of our continued efforts, we always need more volunteers and more community allies to help hold the people causing harm accountable.  

For ideas of how to help out, click here.  We'd love to have you aboard!  

Volunteering and Disclosure

Question: How old do I have to be to volunteer with ATVP?


Ask An Advocate: While hotline volunteers have to be 18 years old at the time of their first shift, ATVP does have several opportunities for younger people to collaborate with us.
Currently, Heydon is in charge of a program specifically aimed at getting Moscow youth (13-18yrs.) involved in the work of creating a social change to end power-based violence.  If that sounds like a worthwhile pursuit for you (and your college/job transcripts), please e-mail advocate2@atvp.org for more info.

---

Question: What can I do if I'm too scared to tell someone about what I've been through? 

Ask An Advocate: Talking about your experiences can be difficult.  However, the issues that we work with thrive on silence and showing them to the light of day takes some of the power away from those hurts.

To that end there are several options:

*You can always call our hotline (208)883-4357 or (509)332-4357.  We do accept anonymous calls, so you don't have to share your name or age with the hotline advocate, unless you want to.
We are mandated reporters, so there are a few limits on our confidentiality: 1) imminent danger to self or others (homicidal or suicidal intent with plans on how to carry it out), 2) On-going child or vulnerable adult abuse.  If you get close to our confidential bounds, our advocates will usually let you know.  Again, you can always call anonymously and/or speak in hypotheticals. At the end of the day, we're here to help everyone have safer and happier relationships.

*If you'd rather text someone, you can try the Crisis Text Line, just text START to 741-741.  Many of their users are teens, in fact.  Like ATVP, the Crisis Text Line is a mandated reporter agency.

* There's also Teen Life Line 602-248-8336 (TEEN)

* For LGBTerrific Youth, there's the Trevor Project 866-488-7386

*Trans Specific resources are available at Trans Lifeline 877-565-8860