Shelter
What Can You Do?
Does Your Partner
. . .
- hit you or push you around?
- play mind games?
- invade your privacy?
- control your finances?
- hurt you or your feelings?
- judge or belittle you?
- criticize any decisions you make without his input?
- criticize your friends or family or stop you from seeing
them?
- stop you from leaving the house?
- threaten to harm you or your children?
- blame you for actions and feelings that are not your own?
Are you . . .
- frightened?
- afraid for your children?
- feeling alone? helpless?
- feeling confused and hopeless?
- feeling like you are going crazy?
- feeling like a prisoner in your own home?
- needing someone to talk things over with?
If
you are being abused . . .
- call the Isabel Johnson Shelter at 525-2141 for information
and support.
- do not rely on what your partner tells you about your
rights. Contact Legal Aid in Regina at 787-8760 and find
out for yourself.
- confide in your doctor, tell her/him about your family
situation.
- if you think you might have to leave the home, remember
to take legal identification, driver's license, SIN, marriage
and birth certificates, medical insurance cards.
- ask a trusted neighbour to call police if they hear an
attack occurring.
- set up a safety plan for you and your children.
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Safety Plan
Safety Planning
for Victims
If
you stay in the relationship without insisting that the abuser
get treatment for violence, you need to prepare yourself for
the chance of future violence. Even if the abuser is in treatment,
you should be careful.
Preparing for Future
Violence
- Remove all deadly weapons from your house .
- Even if you still hope the relationship can be mended,
tell someone you trust (family, friends, co-workers) what
is going on and be aware that the situation may someday
become dangerously violent.
- If you don't tell your friends and family, you may be
putting yourself in greater danger. Find people you can
tell about the violence even if you still hope the relationship
can be mended.
- Ask a neighbour you trust to call the police if they hear
any loud noises or fighting from the house.
- Think of a code word or phrase that will let them know
that you need help. Tell your friend what to do if they
hear the phrase or word, e.g. call the police, knock on
the door and take the children away.
- Think of code words to use with your children and family
when you need the police. Teach your children how and when
to use the telephone to contact the police or the fire department.
Make sure they know their own address and telephone number.
- Decide and plan for safe places to go if the abuser becomes
violent and you need to stay away from him.
- Leave a bag of clothing with basic necessities with a
friend or family member in case you have to leave the house
suddenly. Collect important documents and leave them with
someone you trust.
- Inform school administrators of the situation for your
child's safety as well as yours.
- Give as much information as possible about the abuser
to friends and family, i.e. full name, nicknames, social
insurance number and tattoos
Remember
– the more you plan, the better you'll be able to protect
yourself and your children.
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