Family Violence Prevention
Have you experienced or are currently experiencing or witnessing violence or abuse?
If you are experiencing abuse, know that it's not your fault. If you have witnessed violence or abuse, there are ways you can help.
Family violence encompasses many forms of abuse and can inflict extensive, long-lasting harm upon its victims, even when only witnessed.
Keep it REAL
Since supporting survivors is one of the best ways to stop the cycle of family violence, and since most survivors go first to family or friends for help, Keep it REAL is an acronym that represents four types of support:
- RECOGNIZING when something seems off;
- EMPATHIZING with the person’s thoughts and feelings;
- ASKING questions to get a better sense of the situation and how best to support, and;
- LISTENING as the person describes the experience from their point of view.
What else can I do?
- Download the REAL strategies with simple-to-repeat phrases
- Sign up for a free virtual workshop, offered by Sagesse, an Alberta-based domestic abuse prevention agency.
- Access resources for fostering and recognizing healthy relationships
Related Pages
Last edited: November 7, 2025