A. SAFETY AT HOME
1. Make an extra copy of the house/car keys and keep them in a secret place, preferably outside your home.
2. Keep your purse hidden in a secure place.
3. Tell a ___________(family member, friend, neighbor or co-worker) about the violence and request they call the police if any suspicions arise.
4. Teach your children how to call the police.
5. Teach your children to be safe by developing their own plan, i.e. stay in their bedroom during arguments, leave the house and go to a neighbor’s/friend’s house, call 911 and/or tell a relative.
6. Develop a code word or signal with your children, friends or neighbors so they can call for help. Our code word and/or signal is ____________ .
7. During an argument, try to avoid rooms with no outside door or those containing potential weapons.
8. Call the police (911) and if possible, get an automatic dial or cellular phone.
9. If you have to leave, identify where you can go ______________.
B. SAFETY WHEN PREPARING TO LEAVE
1. Save a little money each week and put it in a place only you know about it.
2. Open your own savings account for emergencies in a different bank. *Make sure bank statements are mailed somewhere else.*
3. Locate the closest telephone to your house. If it is a pay phone, always have change available in the house or hidden outside.
4. Identify the domestic violence shelter closest to your house and have the phone number close at hand. Name of shelter _____________________ . Phone number _____________________.
5. Arrange for a safe place to stay, anytime of the day or night.
6. Pack some personal belongings for you and your children such as clothing, favorite toys, medicine, personal hygiene products, important addresses and phone numbers, jewelry, pictures and possessions of sentimental value and place them in a safe place (with friends, family or at work).
7. Gather and organize important papers and documents (marriage license, birth certificates, passports, social security cards, immunization records, insurance cards, bank statements, deeds and contracts related to property, car title, etc. and put them in a place you can easily get to.
8. Inform babysitters, school professionals, medical facilities, parents of your child’s friends, etc. that the child is not to leave with the abuser.
9. Rehearse your escape plan and, if appropriate, practice it with your children.
C. SAFETY WITH A PROTECTIVE ORDER
1. Keep your order of protection on you at all times preferably in your purse.
2. Inform family, friends, neighbors and co-workers that you have a protective order in effect. Give a copy to a neighbor, family member and supervisor at work.
3. Call the police once the protective order is violated.
4. Think of alternative ways to keep safe. Take a different route to work. Be aware of your surroundings. Let someone know about your whereabouts.
5. Remember that protective orders don’t guarantee safety.
PREPARE YOURSELF
1. Review the following checklist.
2. Collect the items on the checklist that you possess.
3. Rent your own safety deposit box in a bank far from your house OR find another secure place (not in your home) for your papers and documents.
KEEP IN YOUR PURSE:
• Credit cards and cash on hand.
• Driver’s license.
• Membership cards in your names.
• Keys to the safety deposit box(es).
(Remember to keep your purse in a secure place)
CHECKLIST
What you need to take when you leave:
__Identification, passport
__Driver’s license, car title & registration
__Money, credit cards, bank cards, checkbooks, etc.
__Children’s birth certificates
__Your birth and marriage certificate, divorce decree
__Social security card, for self & children
__School records
__Health insurance card, immunization records
__Medications, prescriptions, medical records
__Insurance papers
__Income tax returns
__Protective order
__Lease, rental agreement, property deeds and contracts
__House & car keys
__Clothing, personal hygiene products
__Children’s favorite toys
__Phone/Address book
__Jewelry, pictures, possessions of sentimental value
__Pets (if you can)
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