A hard-hitting campaign highlighting the damage that domestic abuse can cause will be launched today by an island charity.

The campaign by the Women’s Resource Centre will use “powerful” imagery to emphasise non-physical forms of abuse. The charity teamed up with authorities in New York after they ran a similar campaign several years ago.

The collaboration was initiated by Tammy Richardson-Augustus, a lawyer and abuse survivor who was impressed by the New York campaign.

Yolanda Jimenez, a former Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence in New York City, was then drafted in to help Ms Richardson-Augustus to adapt the campaign for Bermuda.

According to the WRC, it is projected that 7,000 women in Bermuda will experience domestic abuse during their lifetime, with an estimated 3,000 women having experienced intimate partner abuse in the past 12 months.

Ms Jimenez said: “The NYC campaign was effective in raising awareness of the fraught issue of abuse and resulted in a substantial increase in calls to the city's domestic violence hotline.

“I am thrilled that Ms Richardson-Augustus is working with the Women’s Resource Centre and will be able to make this happen for the residents of Bermuda.”

"The scars of emotional abuse can be just as devastating as those of physical abuse.“

Ms Richardson-Augustus said: “Stalking, emotional, verbal and economic abuse are prevalent in almost all cases of domestic violence. A singular focus on physical violence can obscure the reality.

“Abuse takes many forms that do not necessarily involve direct physical assault. It is important to understand the early warning signs of abuse as sometimes the only act of violence is the final and fatal act.”

Juanae Crockwell, executive director of the WRC, thanked Ms Richardson-Augustus and Ms Jimenez “for bringing this powerful awareness campaign to Bermuda”.

She said: “So many women and families are impacted by abuse annually, and we are committed to raising awareness on this silent epidemic that has very loud repercussions for our community.

“We are also committed to providing survivors with trauma informed care and becoming the support network many need to recover from the emotional scars of abuse.”

A spokeswoman for the WRC added: “With an emphasis on the non-physical forms of domestic abuse, the ad campaign employs a novel strategy for reaching women who may be in mentally and emotionally abusive relationships before physical violence begins.

“Using bold words and imagery, the campaign intends to grab attention and provoke reflection.

“The campaign was successful in New York City in raising awareness on the non-physical signs of abuse in intimate partner relationships and on increasing disclosure of abuse. We hope to have a similar impact here in Bermuda.”

The campaign is being released on Purple Thursday, the day that victims, survivors and supporters stand in solidarity, don purple ribbons and observe Domestic Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month.

• To find out more about the WRC, go to www.wrcbermuda.com or call 295-3882