By: Arezoo Shahbazi Roa, MSW, Sr. Prevention & Strategic Partnerships Director
As summer winds down and the rhythm of school returns, many families are preparing for a season filled with fresh starts, new routines, and renewed possibility. Backpacks are packed, calendars begin to fill, and children look ahead to new teachers, friends, and opportunities. For many, back-to-school season feels hopeful. For survivors of relationship violence, this season can carry both hope and hidden challenges. While some families are celebrating new beginnings, survivors may be navigating safety concerns, financial stress, custody challenges, housing instability, trauma triggers, or the emotional weight of rebuilding their lives. Some are returning to school themselves in pursuit of education, healing, and economic independence. Others are preparing their children for a new school year while carrying responsibilities and burdens that most people may never see.
Karol spent years dreaming of finishing her degree. During her abusive relationship, she was repeatedly told she was not smart enough, capable enough, or strong enough to succeed on her own. After leaving, Karol began rebuilding her life while balancing work, parenting, healing, and night classes. Many evenings ended with homework spread across the kitchen table while her children completed their own school assignments beside her. There were moments she doubted herself, but she kept going. Every completed course became more than academic progress; it was a step toward reclaiming her confidence, rebuilding her future, and showing her children what perseverance looks like. For Karol, returning to school was not only an educational journey. It was part of her healing journey.
Stories like Karol’s show us that survivors are not defined by what they have endured. They are defined by their courage, resilience, and determination to create something different for themselves and their families.
The challenges survivors face during back-to-school season are often invisible. Financial pressure can feel overwhelming as families work to purchase school supplies, clothing, technology, and other essentials. Parents who have experienced financial abuse may be recovering from limited access to income, savings, education, or employment opportunities. Children who have witnessed or experienced domestic violence may also carry emotional burdens into the classroom. Trauma can affect concentration, behavior, sleep, emotional regulation, and a child’s sense of safety. What may appear as distraction, withdrawal, or difficulty adjusting can sometimes be a child’s way of communicating that they need support.
For survivor parents, even routine school activities can require careful safety planning and emotional energy. A school orientation, parent conference, sports practice, or after-school event may bring added stress when there is a history of abuse or ongoing concerns about safety. Yet even in the midst of these challenges, survivors continue to show extraordinary strength. They help their children adjust to new classrooms. They show up for work. They pursue education and career goals. They advocate for their families. They keep moving forward, even when the path ahead feels uncertain.
This season also reminds us that healing does not happen in isolation. It happens within families, schools, workplaces, neighborhoods, and communities that choose to show up with compassion and support. Support does not always require grand gestures. Sometimes it begins with a check-in text, an offer to help with school supplies, assistance with transportation, or simply listening without judgment. As family members, neighbors, educators, coaches, mentors, and community members, we each have an opportunity to create environments where survivors and their children feel seen, supported, and safe enough to thrive.
As children walk through school doors this fall and families settle into new routines, it is worth remembering that everyone is carrying a story we may not fully see. Some are beginning a new school year. Some are beginning a new chapter after abuse. Some are doing both at the same time. Every survivor deserves more than safety. They deserve the opportunity to learn, grow, dream, and thrive. And every one of us has a role to play in helping make that possible.
At Human Options, we believe help should be available in every season. Our 24/7 hotline connects survivors with compassionate advocates who can provide support, safety planning, and information about available resources. Whether someone is seeking immediate assistance or simply needs someone to listen, they do not have to navigate their journey alone.
If you or someone you know is experiencing relationship violence, contact Human Options’ 24/7 Hotline at 877-854-3594. Help is available, and you are not alone.
