Make a plan for what you will do the next
time he assaults you:
Decide NOWwhere
you will go and how you’ll get there the next time he
becomes violent. Do this even if you really don’t think there will be a next time.
Leave some money, an extra
set of car keys and extra clothes at a neighbor’s
or with some you trust.
Keep important documents
(birth certificates, medical records, marriage license, financial records, etc.) hidden
near an exit or at a neighbor’s or friend’s house.
Develop a code word with
your children, neighbors and friends that lets them know you need to get out now.
Provide your
children’s teachers and school principal with enough information
about your situation to respond supportively. Ask them not to release the
children to their father should you report to them that you are about to leave the home.
Try to avoid arguments in
the bathroom, garage, kitchen, near weapons or near other places where there are sharp or
heavy objects.
If he seems to be "building up"
and you can’t leave safely, keep your back towards an open space,
not a corner.
If you leave, always try to
take your children with you.
Keep any evidence of
physical abuse (ripped clothing, photographs of bruises and injuries, etc.).
Tell someone you know and
trust what is happening to you so that if you need to get out of your home in a hurry, you
will have someone you can turn to.
If you are injured go to
the hospital emergency room or doctor and tell them what happened to you.
Call the Women’s
Coalition at 773-9272. We have trained advocates on duty 24 hours-a-day,
every day of the year, to respond compassionately to victims of domestic violence and
other crimes at the hospital or police commands; call if you just need someone to talk to.
Se Habla Español. Calls to the Women's Coalition remain
confidential.
Call the National Domestic
Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE (7233) or 800-787-3224 (TTY).
This is a 24 hour-a-day hotline staffed by trained counselors ready to provide immediate
crisis intervention assistance to those in need. Calls to the Hotline are confidential.
Battered Women's Action Plan