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What Can I Do To Be Safe? |
Call the police
Why you may want to 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.
Get support from friends and family
Move out, move away
Get a personal protection order
Get medical help
Special medical concerns
Make a safety plan
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.
Tell your family, friends and co-workers what has happened.
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.
See Personal Protection Orders
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.
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.
Figure out what to do before or when the next attack happens. See Personalized Safety Plan
