Post-Separation Abuse Guide Series · Harbour Lights Community

Post-Separation Abuse Guide Series

Help women understand the abuse that comes after separation and explore ways to respond.

Give your team access to comprehensive, research-informed guides covering specific forms of post-separation abuse, their consequences and practical ways women can prepare for and respond to them.

Each guide brings together research, professional guidance and the experiences of women who have faced similar situations, giving practitioners detailed information they can discuss with the women they support or share for independent use.

Detailed guidance, organised around the behaviours women experience.

Post-separation abuse can involve multiple tactics affecting a woman’s finances, children, reputation, relationships and future. Understanding how these behaviours work, their potential consequences and the options available to respond can be complex.

Our guides organise this information around specific abusive behaviours, making it easier to find the information relevant to a woman’s circumstances.

Inside each guide

Each guide brings together detailed explanations of abuse, practical ways to respond, insights from women who have experienced it and the research behind the information.

01
Understanding the Abuse
An explanation of what this form of abuse involves, its defining characteristics and how it can manifest after separation.
02
Why the Abuse Works
The factors that make these behaviours effective, including how they can create pressure, uncertainty and vulnerabilities.
03
Objectives Behind the Abuse
The different outcomes abusive behaviours may be intended to achieve, including control, punishment and continued influence after separation.
04
Tactics & Behaviours
A detailed breakdown of the specific tactics used, how they operate and the behaviours women may encounter.
05
Preventative & Responsive Countermeasures
Practical, research-informed ways to prepare for particular tactics, reduce potential harm and respond when they occur.
06
What Women Wish They Had Known
Lessons from women who have experienced post-separation abuse, including mistakes, missed opportunities and what they would do differently.
07
One Woman’s Experience
A case study exploring one woman’s experience of this form of abuse, the challenges she faced and how she responded.
08
Glossary
Clear explanations of the legal, professional and specialist terminology used throughout the guide.
09
Reference Bibliography
A comprehensive list of the research, legislation, professional guidance and other sources used to develop the guide.
10
Citations & Supporting Evidence
References throughout the guide linking factual information and countermeasures to their supporting sources.

Explore the Post-Separation Abuse Guide Series

The collection includes four guides, each examining a different form of post-separation abuse, and a compendium bringing all four together.

Available as downloadable digital publications, the guides allow practitioners and women to explore specific issues in depth, work through relevant sections and return to the information as circumstances change.