I have often had conversations that began with "I have this friend who needs help, but they don't want to get the police involved." Sometimes the friend is afraid of the police, and sometimes they are afraid that involving the police will make things worse. I respect those fears. The police might very well make things worse. So the question is always about how they can help the friend without betraying that friends trust. My advice is to trust your friend's instincts, they know their circumstances better than you do. Pressuring them into solving the problem through the police might make them feel that they need to distance themselves from you. My first option is always report to the police. Maybe I have too high of an opinion of what we can do, but doing nothing solves nothing. My second option is to give them the resources to educate themselves. Put them in contact with a counselor from your local womens shelter. They don't have to go to shelter, they can talk to a counselor over the phone and get good advice and support. Put them in contact with a victim advocate so that they can know what resources will be available when they make their break. Tell them about this website and other websites you've found that you think are helpful. I was talking to a victim advocate a while back and she said that they had begun placing pamphlets and information in womens bathrooms in stores and public places, as well as having them displayed in beauty salons, gyms, and other places that ladies frequent. They had a big push where they contacted major businesses in town and convinced them to display the pamphlets on employee bulletin boards. The whole goal was to make the information available and visible. If you think the information on this website is valid and helpful, then I hope you will help me spread the message.
