Invisible in Plain Sight: When Domestic Violence Enters the Workplace 

October was Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Abuse and violence within the home are described in a variety of ways: domestic violence, dating violence, interpersonal violence, relationship violence, etc. No matter what you call it, this pervasive issue affects more than 10 million people each year (Huecker et al., 2023) with nearly one in four people experiencing such violence in their lifetime (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2026). The impacts of domestic violence reach beyond the privacy of a household and can permeate all aspects of a person’s life, including their workplace. Often, abusers disrupt a victim’s place of work through excessive contact or surveillance during working hours, resulting in absenteeism, injuries and illnesses, diminished focus, and changes in temperament (Lenmark et al., 2025). Active bystander intervention, particularly in the workplace, can be critical to the safety and well-being of fellow employees experiencing domestic violence. 

The Reality is Difficult

Given its prevalence, many of us have likely been directly or indirectly affected by domestic violence. In February 2026, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program released a special report focused on violent crimes meeting the program’s definition of domestic and family violence: between 2020-2024, there were 11,000 domestic violence murders and 1.1 million victims of domestic violence. These are just the situations that met the federal definition of domestic violence, which must include a felony or misdemeanor crime of violence. Not accounted for by the FBI are other forms of serious abuse, such as emotional, psychological, financial, or verbal—together with physical and sexual abuse—impacting millions of people each year. Just as domestic violence does not discriminate, the workplace is not immune to its impacts. Often, those impacted by domestic violence do not seek help, do not know how to get help, or do not get the help they need.  

Seeking help can be difficult, and coworkers may be among the few people positioned to notice concerning changes or disruptions and offer support. Warning signs, of course, are not proof of domestic violence, and it is not up to colleagues to diagnose someone’s relationship or investigate suspected abuse. Inaction, however, can perpetuate the bystander effect: when the presence of others reduces an individual’s sense of personal responsibility to intervene (Darley & Latané, 1968). Something as simple as asking if someone is okay can open the door to support. 

From Passive to Active 

Effective intervention is not about taking control of the situation from the person experiencing harm. Effective intervention creates safer opportunities for people to make informed choices. The goal is not to rescue someone; it is to support their agency. One easy-to-follow framework to help us all act with confidence is known as the 5Ds of Bystander Intervention (Right to Be, 2017).