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Welcome
PLAN AHEAD TO STAY SAFE
An Order Of Protection by itself may not keep you safe. If your abuser lives or has lived with you. You may need to take extra steps to stay safe.
You cannot always keep violence from happening again. Here are some ways to keep yourself safer next time.
Do these things even if you think there won't be a next time.
A.
Stay out of the kitchen and bathroom during a fight.
B.
Practice getting out safely. Decide now what doors, windows, elevators, etc. you will use.
C.
Keep your purse or wallet and keys hidden where you can always get them quickly.
D.
Tell someone about the violence and ask them to call the police if they hear suspicious noises coming from your home.
E.
Teach your children when to call 911 to report an emergency.
F.
Decide now where you will go if you have to leave your home. Pick more than one place. Pick at least one place your abuser will not quickly think to look.
G.
Keep several quaters and dimes with you all the time to make phone calls from pay phones.
STAY SAFE WHILE YOU GET READY TO SEPARATE FROM YOUR ABUSER
Call the Domestic Violence Division to talk to someone about staying safe.
Call legal Aid about staying safe while you build a new life apart from your abuser.
Leave some money , clothes, copies of important papers and an extra set of keys with someone. This will let you leave quickly if you need to.
Put your money in a bank account in your name only. This gives you more independence.
Keep the number of a Domestic Violence Program. you can go there for a place to stay.
Check with friends and family to see if they would let you stay with them or lend you some money.
Practice escape plan. You may want to practice it with your children.
PLAN HOW TO BE SAFE AT HOME AFTER YOU SEPARATE.
Tell someone your abuser no longer lives with you and that they should call the police if they see your abuser near your home.
Change the locks on your doors and windows.
Replace wooden doors with steel or metal ones if you can afford it.
Buy rope ladders you can use to escape.
If you can afford it, install security sytems, including extra locks, window bars, etc.
Tell the people who take care of your children who they should let pick up the children. They may need to see your signed Order Of Protection.
PLAN HOW TO STAY SAFE AT WORK AND IN PUBLIC
At work, you must decide if there is someone you should tell that you have been battered and may still be in danger.
You could tell your boss, and/or the security supervisor.
You could ask someone to anwer your phone calls or let your voice mail or answering machine take your calls.
Go to and from work with another person and.or change the way you go to work each day.
Think about other things you can do to be safe when driving or taking the bus.
Change the places you shop and do business.
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