What Can I Do To Be Safe?

     Call the police

       Write down the emergency number for the police. Call the operator if you don’t know it.
        If you don’t have a phone, try to arrange a signal with neighbors so that they can call the police.
        When the police come, be specific about where he hit you. Say, “He hit me in the stomach, kicked me in the ribs.”
        Show the police your injuries. Show the police what household items he broke.
        If you are scared to do that in front of your partner, think about talking to one of the officers alone.

              Why you may want to call the police

        They can protect you from immediate danger and help you and your children get out of the house safely.
        They can arrest the abuser without a warrant, when the police officer has good reason to believe that an assault has taken place or is taking place or that the abuser has violated a personal protection order.
        They must advise you of the availability of shelter programs and other services in your area.
        They must write out a police report, which is a detailed account of what happened to you.
        A police report may be used to help prove the abuse occurred, should charges be filed against the abuser.
        A police report can be used to show good cause for the court to grant a personal protection order if you should
 ever need one.

     Get support from friends and family

        Tell your family, friends and co-workers what has happened.

     Move out, move away

        It’s not fair. You should not have to leave your home because of his behavior. But sometimes the only way you will be safe is to leave. There are shelters throughout the country that can help you relocate. HAVEN can put you in touch with them.
 

     Get medical help

        If you have been injured, go to the emergency room, or urgent care unit, or see your doctor. Advocates may be available through the emergency room for support.

        Medical records can be important evidence in criminal or civil court cases. Medical records can also help you get a personal protection order. Give all the information you feel safe to give. Medical records are confidential and are not supposed to be given out to anyone but you.

     Special medical concerns

        You may not even know you are injured.
        What seems like a minor injury could be a major one.
        If you are pregnant and he has beaten you in your stomach, tell the doctor. Many batterers injure unborn children.
        Battered women are in special danger of closed head injuries because their partners often hit them in the head.
        Be specific about where he hit you and what injuries you have.
 

  What Can Each of Us Do?

        Call the police if you see or hear evidence of domestic violence.
        Speak out publicly against domestic violence.
        Take action personally against domestic violence when a neighbor, a co-worker, a friend, or a family member is involved or being abused.
        Encourage your neighborhood watch or block association to become as concerned with watching out for domestic violence as with burglaries and other crimes.
        Reach out to support someone whom you believe is a victim of domestic violence and/or talk with a person you believe is being abusive.
        Help others become informed, by inviting speakers to your church, professional organization, civic group, or workplace.
        Support domestic violence counseling programs and shelters.

  What Can Communities do to Prevent Domestic Violence?

        Expand education and awareness efforts to increase positive attitudes toward nonviolence and encourage individuals to report family violence.
        Form or task forces to assess the problem, develop an action plan, and monitor progress.
        Mandate training in domestic violence for all social services and criminal justice professionals.
        Advocate laws and judicial procedures at the state and local levels that support and protect battered women.
        Establish centers where visits between batterers and their children may be supervised, for the children's safety.
        Fund shelters adequately.
        Recruit and train volunteers to staff hotlines, accompany victims to court, and provide administrative support to shelters and victim services.
         Improve collection of child support.
        Establish medical protocols to help physicians and other health care personnel identify and help victims of domestic abuse.
        Provide legal representation for victims of domestic violence.
        Advocate for the accessibility of services for all population groups, especially underserved populations which include immigrants and refugees, gays and lesbians, racial and ethnic minorities and the disabled.