Domestic violence/Intimate partner violence
Abuse by a spouse, partner, girl/boyfriend, your children, family members or parents
Are you afraid in your own home? Does someone close to you abuse you?
Are you threatened with punishment if you tell anyone? Do you think it’s all your fault?
Do you need protection, someone to talk to and discuss your situation?
Is anyone being violent with your children?
- Violence may be physical – punching, hitting, kicking, pulling hair out, strangling, burning, causing pain and injury.
- Violence may be sexual – sexually abusing you, rape, incest, pressuring you to take part in sexual activity against your will, not accepting your sexual orientation.
- Violence may be financial – exploiting you financially, denying you access to money of your own.
- Violence may be psychological – behaving in a controlling or threatening way, constantly accusing you, using offensive language, dominating you.
- Violence may take the form of frightening behaviour – breaking, smashing and destroying things, threatening you with a knife or gun, isolating you by locking you up.
- Violence may take the form of refusing to allow you to choose your own partner or forcing you to marry against your will.
- Violence may be honour-based – punishing you for bad behaviour or for defiling the family’s honour.
- Violence is when someone hurts, frightens or threatens you or your children.
The Crisis Centre has a separate unit for women and children.
The Crisis Centre has a separate unit for men and children.
HOW CAN THE CRISIS CENTRE HELP YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN?
Having to keep your feelings and experiences to yourself can be painful. Talking to someone can help you understand whether you are being exposed to violence. People often think the way they live is normal and that they should be able to put up with it.
The personnel at the crisis centre are specialists in different fields related to domestic violence. They are well aware of how destructive violence is for adults and children and how difficult it is to make new choices without outside support. The staff also know what living in Norway is like for someone who doesn’t have a Norwegian ethnic background. Several of the staff are especially qualified to deal with children, and the centre gives working with children high priority.
The staff have a great deal of knowledge about dealing with violence, trauma, risk assessment, and safety strategies and methods. Every adult and child is given individual help and their own contact person.
The crisis centre services are free. You do not need a referral from a doctor or other professional before you contact us.
The crisis centre offers daytime services for women, men and children who want advice, someone to talk to or counselling. There are also opportunities for participating in a support group or a self-help course.
The crisis centre offers separate accommodation units where you will be protected, one for women and one for men. Your children may live with you at the crisis centre.
The crisis centre is a drug-free area.
Everything you tell us is completely confidential.
We can contact other welfare agencies and municipal services in cooperation with you.
A lawyer is available for consultation free of charge one day a week, and interpreters are also available.
POSTAL ADDRESS:
Krisesenteret i Vestfold
P.O. box 335, 3101 Tønsberg
E-mail: post@skiv.no
24-hour telephone: 333 59 191
Both the crisis centre units are in Tønsberg, and cover the whole of Vestfold.
OTHER USEFUL NUMBERS:
Police: 112
Child welfare emergency telephone for Vestfold: 333 10 203
Helpline for children and young people: 116 111
Red Cross telephone for forced marriage: 815 55 201
