Abuse Support
What is Abuse?
- Domestic abuse is a pattern of controlling behaviors that may include physical assaults, sexual assaults, emotional abuse, isolation, threats, stalking, manipulation, and/or intimidation. These behaviors are used by one person in an intimate relationship to control the other. The partners may be married, engaged, separated, or dating; heterosexual or gay; living together or not.
- Sexual abuse is any unwanted sexual activity that takes place without clear and ongoing consent by the recipient. Sexual abuse can happen by the use of force and manipulation, but physical violence is not always present. Reasons someone might not or cannot consent include fear, age, disability, power dynamics and/or influence of alcohol or other substances. Sexual abuse can take place under or over clothing, via technology and in-person.
- More information of the definitions of abuse.
What are Tactics of Abuse?
- Abusers often use many different types of abuse to maintain power and control over their victim. The wheel below gives an overview of many of the common behaviors an abuser might use.
- More information on what you might see from an abuser.
How Might You Know if Someone is Being Abused?
- It is unlikely that you will observe many signs of abuse before someone chooses to disclose that they are being abused.
- Here is a brief list of some indicators that you may observe.
How Might You Know if Someone is Being Abused?
It is unlikely that you will observe many signs of abuse before someone chooses to disclose that they are being abused.
Here is a brief list of some indicators that you may observe.
How do I Get Support?
Making the decision to seek support is an extremely brave step. If you are thinking about asking for help, we want you to know that you have options. The Care Team is committed to supporting you and your wishes along the way. If something is the definitions or signs of abuse above leave you wondering if this is something that you might be experiencing, we would encourage to reach out to one of the individuals below.
- You deserve a safe, healthy and caring relationship, no matter what. As a Church, we are committed to shepherding our family in safe, healthy, and caring relationships with one another and with God.
- Below is a list of community resources that might be helpful to you. The hotlines listed below are 24/7, free and confidential. When you call a hotline, a trained advocate will learn a little more about your experience, offer to help you plan for your safety, and if you would like, connect you directly to the domestic and/or sexual violence organization in your community.
- Tennessee Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-356-6767
- Tennessee Statewide Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-866-811-7473
- Safety Planning
- A safety plan is a set of actions that can help lower your risk of being hurt by your partner. It includes information specific to you and your life that will increase your safety at school, home, and other places that you go on a daily basis. To create your own safety plan, visit the Hotline Website.
- Batterer Intervention Program
- A Batterer Intervention Program is an evidence-based therapeutic approach used to treat individuals that use forms of domestic violence in their intimate relationships. This approach emphasizes taking blame for the abuse off of the victim and places it on the offender. A batterer intervention program is not the same as anger management intervention. Anger management classes or groups are not an effective form of treatment for domestic abusers.
- For more information on this program, reach out to Pastor Todd Teller.
- Congregational Support for Christ Presbyterian Church family
- If you are looking for support regarding abuse, you can reach out directly to the following individuals:
- Old Hickory Blvd: Todd Teller or Cheryl Roach
- Cool Springs: Russ Ramsey or Melaine Rainer
- Music Row: Chad Escue
- For after-hours calls, you can reach out directly to Congregational Care Pastor Todd directly at 615-828-0057
- If you are looking for support regarding abuse, you can reach out directly to the following individuals:
Important note concerning minors: Everyone in Tennessee is a mandated reporter. Tennessee Code Annotated 37-1-403(i) (1) requires all persons to report suspected cases of child abuse or neglect. “Any person who has knowledge of or is called upon to render aid to any child who is suffering from or has sustained any wound, injury, disability, or physical or mental condition shall report such harm immediately if the harm is of such a nature as to reasonably indicate that it has been caused by brutality abuse, or neglect or that, on basis of available information, reasonably appears to have been caused by brutality, abuse, or neglect.”
For more information, including a comprehensive list of professions and roles that are considered mandated reporters, visit the Tennessee DCS website.