When discussing violence against women it becomes apparent that we need to discuss what measures need to be taken by women that are in abusive relationships. This is an extremely important topic because many women are living under abusive conditions and if you are planning to leave or even if you are not ready to leave yet there are a few things that you need to consider to make any emergency leave easier on yourself.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline has a few guidelines to follow.While reading it a few things stood out for me that I found interesting such as hiding a prepaid phone where you can easily access it in case of emergencies. Also, creating a code word with friends or family. While thinking on this I realize how important it could be. How many times in a normal situation has someone called you and you wanted to tell them something important but couldn't because the person was standing right in front of you that the information was about? If you have a code word and a family member or friend calls and you are in the middle of a heated situation you could use this code word and the other person would not realize you had alerted them to your situation.
Another tip I found helpful is to always have a bag of important things packed and ready to go. Have it easily accessible or even at work or someone elses home. Include clothes and important papers that you may need.
There are even things to think about that I had not considered. What will you do to keep yourself safe at work, you should have an exit strategy in place in case your abuser shows up there as well.
These are just a few of the vast amount of things to think about to help ensure your safety. Please check out this great resource for safety plans and start developing yours today.
