Domestic violence: A gesture to know and recognise
- victimepasseule
- May 31, 2022
- 2 min read
Updated: Nov 22, 2024
Asking for help silently
When someone is a victim of physical, psychological, and/or sexual violence, alerting others can be incredibly difficult, especially when the abuser exerts strong psychological control or monitors them constantly.
Created in Canada in the spring of 2020 by the Canadian Women’s Foundation and made viral on social media through the hashtag #SignalForHelp, this simple gesture allows a victim to signal for help discreetly during a video call, leaving no digital trace. It can also be used in stores, pharmacies, or bars – even in the presence of the abuser.
Now widely recognised in English-speaking countries, this gesture remains relatively unknown in Switzerland. However, it could save lives!
What to do if you see this gesture?
If you’re on a video call and someone makes this gesture, you could, for example, notify the police and provide information about the person’s location.
In this short video, a woman who is a victim of domestic violence asks another woman about a recipe. This allows her to request help without alerting her partner, who is right behind her. You can see by her expression that the other woman immediately understands. She stays calm, continues discussing the recipe, and likely contacts help once the call ends.
If you’re a shopkeeper, pharmacist, bartender, or barista and a customer with a companion signals distress with this gesture, stay calm. Ask closed questions (yes or no answers) without alerting their companion. This way, you can determine if they need immediate help or if they would like you to contact the police. Ensure they remain safely in the premises until they can be removed from harm.
In 2021, nearly 20,000 cases of domestic violence were recorded in Switzerland. The real numbers are higher, with many cases going unreported.
Making this gesture known
In autumn 2021, in North Carolina (United States), this silent signal saved a 16-year-old girl’s life. From the car where her kidnapper was holding her, she used the gesture to alert another driver. Knowing the gesture’s meaning, they called emergency services, who were able to locate and rescue her.
Some wonder what might happen if abusers learn the meaning of this gesture. Yet, this is not a concern, as it can be made discreetly, at the right moment. This information should be widely shared and discussed to give victims of domestic violence a way to signal their distress silently without risking increased violence.
This poster (in French) can be downloaded and printed for free below in A4 or A5 format.
