Interview:



Sarah
Krall,


Crisis
Line
Coordinator
for
Domestic
Abuse
Intervention
Services
(DAIS)


Facilitates
DAIS
Support
group
for
abuse
victims



Q:
As
the
facilitator
what
do
you
and
the
support
group
in
general
try
to

provide
for
members?



A:
I
guess
just
to
provide
a
sounding
board
to
get
their
thoughts
and
concerns
about

their
situation
out
and
just
to
be
able
to
see
themselves
in
another
person
and
find

some
commonality.
Because
a
lot
of
times
they
feel
isolated,
this
allows
them
to
make
a

connection
with
people
who
have
been
in
similar
situations.




Q:
What
is
the
format
of
the
group
like?



A:
We
start
off
with
introductions
and
going
over
the
group
guidelines
every
time.

With
introductions
we
do
ask
that
everyone
share
their
names
and
a
little
bit
about

what
brings
them
here.
Are
they
currently
in
a
relationship
or
have
they
in
the
past?

And
then
we
take
time
in
the
group
to
share.
We
split
up
the
time
based
on
those
in
the

group
who
would
like
to
share
and
we
asked
them
if
they’d
like
feedback
when
they’re

done
sharing.



Q:
Can
you
tell
me
about
how
the
guidelines/rules
for
the
group
developed?



A:
We
(DAIS)
set
them
up.
When
things
came
we
added
some
rules.
We
recently
added

if
things
came
up
between
group
members
you
address
them
individually
not
in
the

group
session.
So
yeah,
it
was
implemented
from
the
top
down.



Q:
What
some
of
the
guidelines/rules?

A:

1. 
Confidentiality,
what
is
said
in
the
group
stays
in
the
group

2. Show
respect
to
yourself
and
others

3. People
control
their
level
of
disclosure
so
don’t
share
more
than
you’re
willing

to
share

4. Take
responsibility
for
yourself,
if
you
need
to
get
up
and
use
the
restroom
or

get
some
air
if
things
get
kind
of
heavy
we
understand
if
you
need
to
step
out
of

the
room


5. Make
your
best
effort
to
arrive
on
time,


6. One
person
speaks
at
a
time

7. Actively
listen.




Q:

What
happens
when
someone
violates
one
of
these
rules?



A:
Depend
s
what
rule
it
is
I
guess.
If
it
is
something
major
that
is
happening
the

moment,
like
if
they
are
singling
someone
out
or
picking
on
them,
I
would
asked
that

we
continue
on
in
the
group
and
maybe
can
they
continue
their
discussion
at
the
break

and
address
it
with
each
other.
That
has
actually
never
happen.
People
have
been

really
good
at
following
the
rules.




Q:
In
the
online
community
I
am
studying,
there
have
been
a
number
of

instances
where
members
attack
other
members.
Have
you
ever
experienced

members
being
less
than
supportive
of
one
another
in
your
group?



A:
Not
really.
I
guess
with
the
online
it’s
hard
because
you
don’t
see
the
gestures
and

the
body
language.
But
no,
the
only
thing
I
guess
is
kind
of
comparable
to
that
is

sometimes
people,
when
other
people
are
describing
their
situation,
will
jump
in
and

say
yeah
I
experienced
that
too
and
this,
this
and
this.

So
we
just
try
to
direct
it
back
to

the
person
that
is
supposed
to
be
sharing.



Q:
How
often
do
people
attend
group.
Are
the
same
members
coming
back

continually?



A:
We
recently
had
to
limit
it
to
twelve
just
because
of
our
space
constraints.
So
with

everyone
that
is
interested
in
the
group
I
do
a
screening.
Anyone
that
is
in
a

relationship
that
is
abusive
is
automatically
in,
anyone
who
has
been
in
a
relationship

in
the
past
year
is
automatically
screened
in,
anyone
who
is
in
a
complicated
situation

with
issues
like
isolation
from
family
and
friends
and
inability
to
trust
others.




The
general
trend
is
people
will
come
for
about
3­6
months
and
then
kind
of
trickle
off,

but
come
back
as
needed.
We
do
get
about
1­2
new
members
a
week
on
average.




Q:
As
the
facilitator,
are
you
legally
obligated
to
report
issues
like
suicide
or

child
abuse?



A:
Everyone
upon
entering
the
group
signs
a
confidentiality
agreement,
which
states

that
if
they
are
expressing
thoughts
of
suicide
or
harming
others
or
child
abuse
that
we

will
break
their
confidentiality
agreement
to
create
the
greater
good
for
everybody

involved
in
that
situation.
Due
to
my
degree,
I
am
a
mandated
reporter
of
child
abuse

and
things
like
that,
so
in
which
case,
I
would
have
to
automatically
report.
I
have

never
actually
had
to
do
that.
People
have
made
suicidal
comments
that
I
don’t
think

were
cause
for
me
to
report.
Sometimes
after
group
I
will
ask
someone,”
hey
what
you

said
had
me
concerned
will
you
tell
me
a
little
more
about
that.”
But
yeah,
I
have
never

had
to
report
anything.




Q:
As
some
with
experience
in
this
field,
can
you
think
of
any
disadvantages
of

online
support
groups
or
ethical
issues
that
might
come
up
with
something

like
this?



A:
I
think
a
lot
would
be
missing
with
the
body
language
and
the
flow
of
it
all.
Just

being
stalled
in
an
online
one,
you
have
to
wait
for
a
response
and
while
your
out
their

no
one
is
responding
to
you
and
your
dealing
with
emotions.



If
I
did
have
to
think
of
an
ethical
issue,
they
would
have
to
maintain
confidentiality.

Ausers
are
skilled
and
can
see
the
Web
sites
people
look
at,
but
that
can
happen
with

any
type
of
support
group
I
guess.