Approaching a friend about relationship abuse can be difficult, but showing that you care can make a huge difference to your friend. If you think your friend is being abused, talk about it. The following are some statements and questions you can say to help your friend work through feelings. Listen to your friend. Let your friend know you care. You don’t have to be an expert. You just need to be there.

• I’m really concerned
• I want you to know that no matter what you decide to do, I’m here for you
• You don’t deserve to be treated like this
• I’m just going to give you some resources in case
• I want you to know that this isn’t your fault
• That sounds like it would be really difficult to deal with
• It sounds like your partner is being really controlling
• Do you feel like you can be yourself?
• I just want to make sure you’re safe
• Do you feel safe right now?
• Thank you for sharing this with me
• I know it must be really hard to talk about this

Remember, the most important thing you can do is provide resources and be available.