The video presents a scripted role‑play that follows a survivor of intimate partner violence as she navigates a cascade of phone calls and interactions with key figures in her life. The abusive partner (Mike) repeatedly pressures her to stay, using guilt and threats. Family members (Mom, Aunt) alternate between enabling the abuser and urging the survivor to leave, often invoking generational trauma and family reputation. The survivor’s boss threatens termination if she does not prioritize work, while the son’s teacher and landlord add academic and housing pressures, including threats of a zero grade and eviction. A judge grants a one‑year protective order but warns the abuser will be present at the next hearing. A SAFE Alliance advocate offers safety planning, medical referral, support‑group options, and connects the survivor to counseling. The counseling session validates the survivor’s feelings, introduces coping skills, and reinforces that the trauma is not her fault. Throughout, the survivor expresses relief at the protective order, anxiety about job security, and concerns about burdening family and friends, highlighting the complex web of stressors survivors face and the coordinated response from legal, advocacy, and mental‑health services.
Chapters
It's me, Mike. I'm sorry. You know I don't like hurting you. If you would just do what I say, I wouldn't have to act like this.
Hi, it's me, Mom. How are you? What's been going on? I haven't seen you in a while. How my babies? You know it's not his fault. You gotta start listening to me. You gotta stop talking back. You know I love you, but you gotta do what he tells you to do. You, you, oh, worry me. I worry about you and my babies.
Hey, it's me, your boss. Um, since you worked late today, I will go ahead and excuse your absence, but Mike keeps calling, and unless it's an emergency, I need you to not have him call you at work. I know you're tired, but you need to prioritize this job if you're going to keep it.
Hi, I'm your son's teacher. He did not turn in his project this week. I'm afraid I'm going to have to give him a zero if he doesn't turn his project in by the end of this week. Hey, it's me, your landlord. I've heard a lot of yelling and screaming from upstairs. I don't know what that's about, but your rent is late. You need to pay that or I'm gonna go ahead and start a process for eviction.
Hi, it's your aunt. Your mom told me what happened. You need to leave him. You don't want to wind up like Like your mother and your grandmother. You know it's not gonna get any better. You shouldn't have moved so far away or I'd be able to help you more.
Hi, it's your friend Cindy. Um, I'm sorry to hear you have a lot going on. Let me know if there's anything that you need. How can I help?
Hi, I'm the judge. Thank you for sharing with me what happened. I'm going to grant your protective order. However, I want you to be aware that at the next court date, which will be in 10 days, that Mike will be able to attend that court date.
Hi, I'm the SAFE Alliance advocate. I know it wasn't easy for you to make this call, but I'm so glad you reached out for help. Do you have any injuries? You may want to consider seeing a doctor just to make sure you're okay. I would love to work on a safety plan with you and talk about some of the next steps you can take. I can also give you some tips and referrals to work on your son's behavioral issues. Also, would you be open to attending a support group or counseling?
You know I love you. You can't leave me.
You need me.
How you doing? You're gonna leave? You sure that's what you want to do? Oh my gosh, sweetie, what are you gonna do? What are you gonna do for support? How are you gonna support you and my babies? They— you know what I did with your dad. I put up with him and I put up with him because we needed him. We couldn't make it without him. You can't leave. Please think about it. You can't leave. Stay there and take care of my babies and just do what you're supposed to do, just like I did with your dad, and it'll be all right.
I really hope that your day off helped you. I really need you at this job, and I think that you probably need the money too, but the next time that you need to take a call at work, that you're late, or that you have to step out for any reason, you will be fired.
Your son is gonna have to stop with these emotional outbursts that he's been displaying in class. It's disrupting the class. Our students have not been able to focus, and it's causing major havoc. We're gonna have to make some changes here effective immediately. Came up to the place, I saw a lot of damage, holes in the walls. You need to fix that. And even if you don't, I still need my rent. If not, I'm gonna start the eviction process.
I cannot believe you got a protective order. You're embarrassing the whole family. This is a private family matter, and it's stressing everybody out. I hope you leave him for good this time, or we're not gonna keep helping you.
I'm sorry I missed your call. I understand you need some help with the kids. I'd really love to help, but I've got a lot going on. You know, I do have a life too. And can I just give you a call tomorrow?
We're granting your protective order. It will be valid for 1 year. Please make sure you take care of yourself and your children. If there's any issues, please call the police.
It's so great to hear that you were granted your protective order. Let's talk a little more about the safety of you and your children. If you need any supportive services, I can also help make those connections for you. Please don't hesitate to call if you need anything at all. The counselor will call in a few days to schedule your appointment.
Hi there, it's so nice to meet you. I'm so glad that you decided to try out counseling. I know it takes a lot of courage to seek support, so I'm so glad that you're here today. I've been reading through your paperwork and it sounds like you've been through a lot, especially in the last few weeks. And I'm glad that I get to walk with you through that a little bit upcoming. But I really just wanted to start out by asking, how are you doing? How are you coping with all this?
I'm okay. Helping— talking to the advocate helped a lot. I am excited that I was able to get the protective order. I am concerned about my job, though, and I feel like I'm becoming a burden to my family and friends.
You know, you're navigating a lot right now, and I've heard very similar emotions and thoughts from a lot of the clients that we've worked with, and I just want you to know the most important thing is that you're not alone in this, and that none of this is your fault. You didn't ask for any of this, and so we're gonna just take it step by step, and as you're ready, work through healing the trauma that you've experienced. Something that other clients have shared is really helpful is to kind of start with some coping skills for when things start to get overwhelming. Does that sound like it would be helpful to you today?
That sounds great. I feel like a weight has been lifted just from talking to you today. And so I know that it's going to be a long journey, but I am confident that I can get through it with SAFE Alliance's support.
