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Survivor Voices: In My Own Words

This form is one way for survivors of domestic violence to share their stories publicly while preserving their confidentiality as much as possible. Please read the safety notes and submission guidelines carefully before submitting your story. You may leave this page at any time without submitting anything.

The goal is to provide a safe platform for survivors to speak in their own words for 3 main reasons:
  1. So that survivors have an opportunity to share their own stories on their own terms and in their own words
  2. So that other survivors know that they aren't alone
  3. As a reminder to everyone that statistical data reflect real people

What constitutes domestic violence?
Domestic violence refers to a pattern of coercive control that one person has over another person in an intimate relationship and which causes fear. It may or may not have included physical violence; verbal, emotional, financial, spiritual, and other forms of harm can also be part of the abuse. The abuse may have come from a family member, dating partner, romantic or sexual partner, a queerplatonic partner, or a co-parent.

For more information about what domestic violence is and how it can manifest, please visit the resources at our website here or contact our 24-hour domestic violence hotline to speak confidentially with an advocate: 1 (866) 2MY-ALLY.

Safety & Confidentiality
A survivor who uses their real name or other identifying details that would allow someone "in the know" to recognize them may be at greater risk for retaliation from an unsafe person, depending on the situation. As the person who understands your situation and its risks best, please make your decision on what to publicly disclose accordingly. You may also contact us to speak with an advocate about what details you may or may not feel safe to include in sharing your story.

"Who will see my submission?"
All submissions to this form are reviewed only by certified advocates with Walnut Avenue. After review, submissions are posted by an advocate on the public Survivor Voices page of our website.
1.Do you consent to have your story shared by Walnut Avenue Family & Women's Center on its "Survivor Voices" page for purposes of education and survivor support? If you don't consent, you may exit this page at any time without submitting anything.

If you change your mind after submitting your story, you may contact us at info@wafwc.org and an advocate will reach out to you to confirm that you want your story removed from Walnut Avenue's platform.(Required.)
2.What name would you like us to attach to your story for public view? You may use your real name, a false name, or select 'anonymous.'(Required.)
3.Are you a resident of Santa Cruz County, either currently or during the period in which you experienced domestic violence? (You do not need to be a resident to participate.)(Required.)
Submission Guidelines

1. Please do not list anyone else's personal name(s), including their legal or chosen names. You may use fake names or relationship/job/role titles (e.g. Parent, Partner, Ex) when referring to other people if you wish.

2. Please only share a story that happened to you personally, not one that happened to another person.

3. Submissions to this form will be made available for reading by the public through our "Survivor Voices" page. Please keep that in mind when deciding which details you do or don't want to share. You don't have to share anything you don't 100% want to.

4. Please avoid using language which is misogynistic, transphobic, racist, ableist, antisemitic, or otherwise discriminatory.

5. If you choose to include a graphic for your story, please ensure that it does not involve discriminatory imagery; explicit sexuality or nudity; the portrayal of weapons, drugs, or drug paraphernalia; or graphic imagery of violence against a person.

Submissions that do not follow these guidelines may either receive redactions by a Walnut Avenue advocate to be in compliance (such as bracketing out discriminatory language) or may not be posted publicly. If you have questions or concerns, you may contact us at info@wafwc.org.

Please note that participating in this project does not provide any legal judgment or process.
4.Please describe your experience. Share only as much or as little as you want to.
  • Remember to check in regularly with your body and emotions and to take any breaks as needed.
  • You may take as much time as you need.
  • Please note that this form does not automatically save your work, so you can also write your story in another document, then copy it here when you're done.

Not sure where to start? You're welcome to read stories from other survivors for inspiration and support.
5.Would you like an advocate to make any minor spelling or punctuation corrections only as needed for clarity? No content or information would be changed.(Required.)
6.Walnut Avenue uses a small graphic beside each story link. If you would like to submit an image of your choosing for your own story, you may do so. (Websites like Unsplash.com offer free-use stock photo downloads.)
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7.Optional: Walnut Avenue periodically hosts opportunities for survivors to talk or write about their experiences or to provide feedback. This might include articles as a guest writer, speaking at an event, or participating in research about domestic violence in Santa Cruz County.

If you would like an advocate to contact you when these kinds of opportunities are available, please leave contact info we can safely use to reach you. This information is kept confidential and will not be used for any other purposes. You may also leave this question blank.
Thank you for allowing us to share your story.

It may take some time for your story to be posted to Walnut Avenue's library of survivor voices. You may check on the status of your story's posting by contacting us at info@wafwc.org.