Insight Hour - Language matters: Talking about domestic abuse

How should we talk about domestic abuse in the workplace? What language is appropriate to use with someone affected, and what are the principles of supportive and inclusive language? Using language appropriately can be the difference between opening a conversation on domestic abuse or closing it down. Making appropriate language choices can promote a victim-survivor’s safety and support their journey towards a safer life and healthy relationships. In this Insight Hour, we explore the language we use when talking about domestic abuse in a work context. In conversation with experts in the fields of domestic abuse and language, we set out key principles to support employers (and colleagues) in considering their own and others’ use of language in communications relating to domestic abuse. The aim is to create a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment for victim-survivors of domestic abuse, and to promote their safety and wellbeing. We explore how language can reinforce power dynamics that are at odds with working through a trauma-informed lens.