Step 1. Safety during violence.
We encourage you to complete this form with someone you trust and print this page and keep it with you. Be sure to keep it in a place where the person abusing you would not find it. You may want to highlight the information below and copy and paste it into a Word document.
I can use the following options:
- When I decide to leave, I will ___________________
- a. Move to a room with easy access to an exit. Don't go to the kitchen, bathroom or near possible weapons.
- b. Know the quickest route out of your home. Practice escaping that way.
- c. Know the quickest route out of your workplace. Practice escaping that way. Domestic Violence does not just occur in your home.
- d. Pack a bag and have it ready. Keep it hidden but make it easy to grab quickly.
- e. Tell your neighbors about your abuse and ask them to call the police when they hear a disturbance.
- f. Have a code word to use with your family and friends. They will know to call the police and get you help.
- g. Know where you are going to go, if you ever have to leave.
- h. Use your instincts.
- i. You have the right to protect yourself.
- Set up a private post office box for correspondence with agencies.
- I can keep a bag ready and put it ___________________ so I can leave quickly.
- I can tell ___________________ about the violence and have them call the police when violence erupts.
- I will use this word code ___________________ for my friends, or family to call for help.
- I have to leave my home, I will go ___________________. (Be prepared even if you think you will never have to leave.)
- When an argument erupts, I will move to a safer room such as ___________________.
- I will use my instincts, intuition, and judgment. I will protect myself until I am out of danger.
Step 2. Safety when getting ready to leave.
I can use the following strategies:
- I will leave money and an extra set of keys with ___________________.
- I will keep important documents ( driver’s license, birth certificate, social security card for self and children, proof of food share) and keys at ___________________.
- I will open a savings account by this date ___________________ to increase my independence.
- Other things I can do to increase my independence are: ___________________.
- The domestic violence hotline is 1.800.799.SAFE (7233).
- The Women’s Community Center shelter's Crisis Line phone number: (715) 842-7323, or the number for my local shelter (listed under the Where to Get Help Link) is _______________________________.
- I will keep change for phone calls with me at all times. I know that if I use a telephone credit card, that the following month the telephone bill will tell the batterer who I called after I left. I will keep this information confidential by using a prepaid phone card, using a friend's telephone card, calling collect, or using change.
- I will check with ___________________ and ___________________ to know who will let me stay with them or who will lend me money.
- I can leave extra clothes with ___________________.
Step 3. Safety on Campus
I can do the following to stay safe on campus:
- I will ask friends, or campus security to escort me to and from classes and to any other activities on campus where I may be alone.
- I can contact Campus Security about changing my living arrangements and/or class schedule to avoid contact with my abuser, also if I want to file an on-campus report.
- I can talk to my roommate(s) about how they can help keep me safe by not giving out my class schedule, phone number, and other personal information without my permission. I will also ask that they lock doors and windows at all times.
- I can contact the Peaceful Solutions Counselor, at 715-803-1797 or PeacefulSolutions@ntc.edu to ask questions or get help.
Step 4. Safety at Home
- I can use the following safety methods:
- I or my landlord can change the locks on my doors and windows as soon as possible.
- I or my landlord can replace wooden doors with steel doors.
- I or my landlord can install security systems, i.e. additional locks, window bars, poles to wedge against doors, electronic sensors, etc.
- I can purchase rope ladders to be used for escape routes from the second floor.
- I can install smoke detectors and buy fire extinguishers for each floor of my home.
- I or my landlord can install an outside lighting system that lights up when someone approaches my home.
- I can tell the following people that my partner no longer lives with me and that they should call the police if he is near my residence:
- Neighbors ___________________
- Friends ___________________
- Others ___________________
Step 5. Order of Protection
The following steps will help enforce the order of protection:
- I will keep the protection order ___________________ (the location). Always keep it with you.
- I will give my protection order to police departments in the areas that I visit my friends, family, where I live, and where I work.
- If I visit other counties, I will register my protection order with those counties.
- I can call Campus Security, the Peaceful Solutions Counselor or the local domestic violence agency if I am not sure how to register my protection order with the police departments.
- I will tell my employer, professors, my church leader, my friends, my family and others that I have a protection order.
- If my protection order gets destroyed, I know I can go to the county courthouse and get another copy.
- If my partner violates the protection order, I will call the police and report it. I will call my lawyer, my advocate, counselor, and/ or tell the courts about the violation.
- If the police do not help, I will call my advocate or my attorney and I will file a complaint with the Police Department.
- I can file a private criminal complaint with the district judge in the jurisdiction that the violation took place or with the district attorney. A domestic violence advocate will help me do this.
Step 6. Job and Public Safety
I can do the following:
- 1. I can tell my boss, security, and ___________________ at work about this situation.
- I can ask ___________________ to help screen my phone calls.
- When leaving work I can do the following: ___________________
- When I am driving home from work and problems arise, I can ___________________
- If I use public transportation, I can ___________________
- I will shop at different stores at different hours than I did when I was with my partner.
- I will use a different bank and bank at different hours than I did when I was with my partner.
- I can also do the following: ___________________
Step 7. Drug and Alcohol Use
I can enhance my safety if I do the following:
- If I am going to use, I am going to do it in a safe place with people who understand the risk of violence and who are committed to my safety.
- I can also ___________________
- If my partner is using, I can ___________________
- I can also ___________________
Step 8. Emotional Health
I can do the following:
- If I feel depressed and ready to return to a potentially violent situation/ partner, I can ___________________
- I can call ___________________
- When I have to talk to my partner in person or on the phone, I can ___________________
- I will use "I am..." statements and I will be assertive with people.
- I can tell myself ___________________ when I feel people are trying to control or abuse me.
- I can call the following people and/ or places for support: ___________________
- Things I can do to make me feel stronger are: __________________
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