If you or your family are in immediate danger, or if you have sustained physical injuries, call the police and emergency services on 999.
If you feel scared of your partner it is likely that you are experiencing domestic violence and abuse.
What to do if you suspect a child may be at risk; how to manage health effects of FGM.
Feeling pressurised into marrying someone, or feeling you have no say in the decision?
Scared of violence or abuse from your family and/or community?
Has someone forced or tricked you to do something you’re not comfortable with, and moved you away from friends or family?
Are you feeling trapped in sex work? Are you using drugs or alcohol to cope or are you being forced or coerced into having sex for money?
Has your husband, partner or anyone else forced you to have sex or forced sexual acts onto you?
Do people make sexual comments about your appearance, touch you inappropriately or make sexist comments or jokes? You may be experiencing sexual harassment.
Do you ever feel afraid to go home? Is someone making you do things you don’t want to do? Find out how to get help.
Find out how to improve your safety: whether or not you want to stay with an abusive partner or family members.
Bristol Against Violence and Abuse (BAVA) is a website managed by the Crime Reduction and Public Health teams at Bristol City Council
The BAVA website aims to be a source of local information about support services, training and prevention work related to all types of gender based violence and abuse, which also includes coercion and control.
The BAVA is part of the work of the Bristol Domestic and Sexual Violence and Abuse’s strategy whose mission is:
To take a zero tolerance approach to domestic and sexual violence and abuse: there are no excuses for gender-based violence.
To effectively prevent gender-based violence and abuse through campaigns, education and training, support victims to cope and recover from violence and abuse, and hold perpetrators to account.
If you have any comments or queries please contact the team at bava@bristol.gov.uk Please note this email address is not for people needing support due to abuse; if you need support please contact one of the specialist support services listed on this website or dial 999 in an emergency. But if you do come to us we will answer your queries as soon as we can and if appropriate sign post you to our services.
Volunteering
If you are interested in volunteering please follow the link to our volunteering page. http://www.bava.org.uk/professionals/jobs-volunteering/
This is annual event. Look out for the November 2020 details. Last year Next Link led the candlelit march and invited people to join in and highlight the number of women and children affected by Domestic Abuse and Rape and Sexual Abuse. The march highlights the United Nation’s International Elimination of Violence against Women’s day. […]