By Dave Beatty, Founder, Riders Against Domestic Violence (RADV)
Yesterday, we began Domestic Violence Awareness Month by asking people to be the bridge. Today, October 2, we take that message one step further.
What happens after we put on the purple ribbon?
Someone still has to go home afraid. Someone is sitting in a parking lot, trying to find the courage to walk through their own front door. Someone is smiling at work while wondering what kind of night is waiting for them.
For that person, awareness needs to become understanding—and a path toward support.
Some wounds never show up in a photograph
Domestic violence can involve threats, humiliation, isolation, physical harm, or control over money and everyday choices. A survivor does not have to have a visible injury for their experience to matter.
It may mean being kept from working, having every purchase questioned, or being threatened for speaking to family. It may mean changing your behavior constantly because you are afraid of your partner’s reaction.
When fear and control shape someone’s life, we need to pay attention.
Women, men, and people of every background deserve safety. No one should have to prove they are hurting enough before someone listens.
If this feels familiar, you deserve support
You may have spent a long time explaining away what happened. You may love the person who hurts you. You may be worried about your children, your pets, your income, or where you could possibly go.
Those concerns deserve to be heard without judgment.
You do not have to make every decision today. A domestic violence advocate can help you explore your options and think through a safety plan that fits your circumstances. If your phone or internet activity may be monitored, use a safer device to seek support when possible.
At RADV, we help point survivors toward resources and organizations that provide direct services. Visit RADV.org to find a starting point, then contact the listed providers directly about your needs and their available services.
RADV is a referral and awareness organization. We do not provide emergency shelter or direct financial assistance, but we can help show you where to begin looking for support.
Reaching out is a step you are allowed to take—even if you are still unsure what comes next.
Be someone a survivor can talk to
If someone tells you they are being abused, start by listening.
“I believe you.”
“You don’t deserve this.”
“What would help you right now?”
Let them tell their story at their own pace. Respect their privacy. Give them room to make their own decisions.
Sometimes the bridge begins with one calm conversation—with someone who stays, listens, and refuses to blame them for what another person has done.
Our Day Two action: make the ribbon mean something
Today, choose one way to turn awareness into care:
- Learn about a form of abuse you may have overlooked.
- Share RADV.org with a message of hope, without identifying a survivor.
- Privately check on someone you care about, if it is safe to do so.
- Ask a local domestic violence organization what supplies or volunteer support it needs.
If you give someone a purple ribbon, offer it without assumptions. A simple, “This is for Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Everyone deserves to feel safe,” can open a door without asking them to reveal anything personal.
You may never know what that moment means to someone. Give it with kindness anyway.
Keep the bridge open
Our commitment must continue after the ribbon comes off. Survivors need people who will listen tomorrow, next week, and long after October ends.
On Day Two, let’s give the purple a purpose: learn, listen, and help someone find their next safe step.
To the person reading this while carrying more than anyone knows:
You survived. You matter. Keep going. One mile at a time.
We Are the Bridge. Your best miles are ahead.
Need support in the United States? Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE (7233), text START to 88788, or visit TheHotline.org. If you are in immediate danger, call 911 if you can do so safely.
RADV.org — A bridge to resources, support, and hope.
Bloom Beyond Bruises — An RADV Initiative.
© 2026 Riders Against Domestic Violence (RADV)