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Domestic Violence is a serious health and social problem, affecting millions of women and children:
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE - THE FACTS
A woman is battered every nine seconds. One in seven women seen for general medical care report violence in their relationship. Between one and two million women in the US have a history of partner violence. One in nine women report recent domestic abuse and more than one in two women report a lifetime prevalence of violence.
Approximately 97 percent of the victims of domestic violence are women. In at least half of the cases of child abuse, mothers are also being abused.
In 1994, the Boston Police Department responded to more than 11,000 incidents of domestic violence; during that same year they also made more than 3,000 arrests for violations of restraining orders.
Children of abused mothers are six times more likely to attempt suicide and 50 percent more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol.
One in five women who are pregnant also experience domestic violence. Women who are physically or sexually abused during pregnancy are more likely than non-abused women to deliver low-birth weight babies and to delay seeking prenatal care.
Domestic violence can result in acute injury, chronic illness, mental health problems, substance abuse, and sometimes death.
WHAT IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE?
Domestic violence is a pattern of violent behavior and/or coercive control exercised by a person over another person.
Abusers use physical and sexual violence, threats, emotional insults, economic deprivation, and social isolation to dominate their partners and get their way. These behaviors can occur in any combination, in sporadic episodes or chronically. Domestic abuse can be a punch or a slap, harassment, intimidation, rape, or even murder.
WHO EXPERIENCES DOMESTIC VIOLENCE?
Women of all cultures, races, occupations, income levels, and ages are battered - by husbands, boyfriends, lovers and partners.
While the vast majority of victims of domestic violence are women, men are also battered by their partners. People in gay, lesbian, and bisexual communities experience domestic violence as well.
Children are often traumatized by witnessing violence at home and may be another target of the batterer's abuse and control.
A person who is affected by domestic violence is usually the best judge of the risks involved and her/his opinion needs to be respected in all decisions regarding safety.
WARNING SIGNS OF ABUSE IN RELATIONSHIPS
While each situation is different, there are some common signs of abusive relationships.
You deserve to be healthy and safe in your relationships... Sometimes it's hard to tell the difference between a loving relationship and an abusive one. At first, things can be exciting and romantic. As time goes on, what may seem like a perfectly loving relationship can sometimes turn abusive. What may have been considered "protective caring" initially, may turn into "raging jealousy" as time progresses. Above all... If you are a victim of abuse, it is not your fault.
The following list of some of the warning signs can help you to identify an abusive relationship. If your partner has been doing any of these things to you, you may be in an abusive relationship.... Please seriously step back and take another look at your relationship if any of these things are happening...
Do you see a pattern in your relationship? The person who is abusing you may seem like two different people - loving some of the time and mean some of the time. Most people want the relationship to continue and the violence to end. This can be confusing and may make it harder to know what to do.
When people are abusive, they are taking control to hurt you. Is the person controlling your life?
Social Interactions & Personal Freedoms: Do you have to check in before you go places?
Are you allowed to go places without the other person being with you?
Are you expected to carry a beeper or a cell phone and respond immediately when paged or called?
Are you told where you can go or who you spend time with?
Do you feel you have to ask to spend time with your family or friends?
Do you feel like you are being forced into isolation from your friends and family by the person?
Are you wrongly accused of flirting, teasing, or infidelity? Are these accusations occurring in what may be considered a totally ridiculous scenario under normal conditions?
Personal Empowerments: Are you being told you are not good enough?
Or that no one else would want to be with you?
Are you having mind games played on you?
Are you and your feelings ignored? Ridiculed?
Are your personal goals and activities supported?
Are you being called names and having derogatory statements made about you?
Can you express yourself without being judged? Do you feel comfortable expressing yourself?
Can you talk about any thing without fear of being hurt or put down?
When you do not agree, can you find middle ground or negotiate and compromise?
Are you forced into financial dependency by taking your money? Are you allowed to have your own money and to use it for what you deem necessary?
Is the person acting jealous, yelling, making you feel guilty?
Are you afraid?
Personal Sexual Safety: Have you been infected with a sexually transmitted disease?
Are you forced into having sex when you do not want it?
Can you choose safer sex without being accused of cheating or not trusting?
Do you have the ability to use or refuse to use birth control for pregnancy choices?
If you are pregnant, are you receiving the loving support that you should be during this special event?
Personal Physical Safety: Are you being hurt in ways such as hitting, choking, or using objects or weapons to hurt you?
Are you making excuses to family, friends, authority figures (such as police & health care providers) or hiding abusive attacks from outsiders?
Are you blaming yourself for outbursts and occurrences?
Are you a regular face at the emergency room?
Are you being threatened or harassed at work?
Are you being forced into drinking or using drugs?
Is the person abusing alcohol and/or drugs (which often makes the abuse worse)?
Is the person threatening suicide or continuing to harass you after the relationship ends.
Is the person using your immigration status to threaten you?
IF YOU ARE IN AN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP...
You do NOT deserve to be beaten or threatened.
You are NOT responsible for your partner's abuse.
You are NOT alone--there are many other women, like you who are or have been in similar situations. (Note: Men can also be victims in abusive relationships.)
Tell someone you trust. Talk to a friend, relative, neighbor, counselor, or health care provider. Get the support you need from someone who cares about you and will keep what you say confidential. Surround yourself with people you trust and who understand what you are going through.
Call a 24 hour hotline to get support and information about what you can do. You can call without giving your name. Hotline people are not there to judge you, but to assist you in exploring your choices and figuring out ways to be safe. Hotlines can give you information about shelters, support groups, legal assistance, and other resources. Call 4-1-1 for the number of your local battered women's program or use the resource list in this webpage.
If you need medical attention, call your health care provider or go to an emergency room. If you are pregnant, it is important to seek prenatal care. Domestic violence can cause many different health problems and injuries that should not be ignored.
Plan for your safety - whether you are still in the relationship, are making plans to leave or have already left. Think about who you can call, where you can go, and what you will need.
IF SOMEONE YOU KNOW IS BEING ABUSED...
Let her know that you support and care about her and that she is not responsible for the violence. Tell her she does not deserve to be abused.
Listen without judging. Allow her to express herself in a comforting, safe environment.
Share your concerns for her safety and for the well-being of her children.
Inform her about available resources. Encourage her to call a battered women's hotline so she can explore all her options. Empower her to make her own decisions.
Offer to assist her in seeking medical care, legal protection or other resources should she decide to pursue any of these options.
Whether she makes plans to leave or remains in the relationship, help her to consider all of the ways she can increase her safety.
If you see or hear an assault in progress, call the police. Do not intervene and jeopardize you own safety.
LEGAL INFORMATION
Domestic violence is a crime. The Abuse Prevention Act, also known as Chapter 209A, defines abuse as:
Actual physical abuse or an attempt to harm another;
Placing another in fear of imminent serious physical harm; or
Forcing someone to have sex.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE & ABUSE
HELP, TREATMENT, INTERVENTION, & PREVENTION
If you are a victim of domestic violence or abuse, you may be afraid to seek help out of fear of you are your partner would do if he found out. However, there are many things you can do to protect yourself when leaving. Start by creating a safety plan ahead of time, so you know exactly where to go and how to get away fast when your abuser attacks.
Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) for advice, support and help with your escape.
Additional help can be obtained through E-mail: ndvh@ndvh.org.
Help for the hearing-impaired: 1-800-787-3224 (TTY) or deafhelp@ndvh.org.
If you need emergency help immediately, call 9-1-1 if you are in immediate danger of domestic violence or have already been hurt.
Call your state’s branch of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence if you need a shelter from domestic violence. To find your state’s hotline number, go to the State Coalition List.
GETTING HELP
How can a woman safely leave an abusive relationship and protect herself from further abuse?
Most women cannot simply leave their homes, their jobs, their children's schools, their friends, and their relatives to escape their abuser. They depend upon police to enforce the law against physical abuse. Yet, police cannot act until a restraining order is violated or until some physical harm again befalls the woman.
If you are a victim of domestic violence, you may believe that it's easier to stay with your abuser than to try to leave and risk retaliation. However, there are many things you can do to protect yourself while getting out of an abusive situation, and there are people waiting to help.
PROTECTING YOURSELF FROM DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
If you live with someone who abuses you or if someone is stalking you, you need to take immediate measures to protect yourself. You are in extra danger if your abuser or stalker talks about murder or suicide. You are also in particular danger if you are thinking about leaving an abusive relationship.
Because of the risk of being seriously hurt or killed when leaving an abusive relationship, it is important to develop a safe plan for departure. The National Domestic Violence Hotline website provides Hotlines for help. People who are staffing the phones or answering E-mail can advise you on how to protect yourself, refer you to other services and domestic violence shelters, and inform you about local laws and restraining orders.
IF YOU ARE STILL LIVING WITH AN ABUSIVE PARTNER
Know your abuser's red flags. Be on alert for signs and clues that your abuser is getting upset and may explode in anger or violence. Come up with several believable reasons you can use to leave the house (both during the day and at night) if you sense trouble brewing.
Identify safe areas of the house. Know where to go if your abuser attacks or an argument starts. Avoid small, enclosed spaces without exits (such as closets or bathrooms) or rooms with weapons (such as the kitchen). If possible, head for a room with a phone and an outside door or window.
Be prepared to leave at a moment's notice. Keep the car fueled up and facing the driveway exit, with the driver's door unlocked. Hide a spare car key where you can get it quickly. Have emergency cash, clothing, and important phone numbers and documents stashed in a safe place (at a friend's house, for example).
Practice escaping quickly and safely. Rehearse your escape plan so you know exactly what to do if under attack from your abuser. If you have children, have them practice the escape plan also.
Come up with a code word. Establish a word, phrase, or signal you can use to let your children, friends, neighbors, or co-workers know that you're in danger and the police should be called.
Make and memorize a list of emergency contacts. Ask several trusted individuals if you can contact them if you need a ride, a place to stay, or help contacting the police. Memorize the numbers of your emergency contacts, local shelter, and domestic violence hotline.
Keep change and cash on you at all times. Know where the nearest public phone is located, and have change available so you can use it in an emergency situation to call for help. Also try to keep cash on hand for cab fare.
Additionally, to keep yourself safe from domestic abuse and violence you should document all abuse. If you have been injured, take photographs. If you have been abused in front of others, ask witnesses to write down what they saw. Finally, do not hesitate to call the police if your abuser has hurt you or broken the law. Contact the police even if you just think your abuser might have broken a law. Assaulting you, stealing from you, and destroying your property are all crimes.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ESCAPE KIT
PACK A SURVIVAL KIT:
- Money for cab fare.
- A change of clothes.
- Extra house and car keys.
- Birth certificates.
- Driver's license and/or passport.
- Medications and copies of prescriptions.
- Insurance information.
- Checkbook.
- Credit cards.
- Legal documents such as separation agreements and protection orders.
- Address books.
- Valuable jewelry.
- Papers that show jointly owned assets.
Conceal it in the home or leave it with a trusted neighbor, friend, or relative. Important papers can also be left in a bank deposit box.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Domestic Violence Awareness Handbook
PROTECTING YOUR CHILDREN
FROM DOMESTIC VIOLENCE & ABUSE
TIPS FOR MAKING YOUR CHILDREN SAFER
Teach them not to get in the middle of a fight, even if they want to help.
Teach them how to get to safety, to call 9-1-1, to give your address and phone number to the police.
Teach them who to call for help.
Tell them to stay out of the kitchen.
Give school officials a copy of your court order; tell them not to release your children to anyone without talking to you first; use a password so they can be sure it is you on the phone; give them a photo of the abuser.
Make sure the children know who to tell at school if they see the abuser.
Make sure that the school knows not to give your address or phone number to anyone.
Source: American Bar Association
LEAVING AN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP SAFELY
You may be afraid to leave out of fear that your partner will retaliate if they find out. However, there are precautions you can take to stay safe as you seek help.
SEEKING HELP BY PHONE
When you seek help by phone, use a corded phone if possible, rather than a cordless phone or cell phone. A corded phone is more private, and less easy to tap.
Remember that if you use your own home phone or telephone charge card, the phone numbers that you call will be listed on the monthly bill that is sent to your home.
Even if you have already left by the time the bill arrives, your abuser may be able to track you down by the phone numbers you have called for help.
You can call 9-1-1 for free on most public phones, so know where the closest one is in case of emergency. Some domestic violence shelters offer free cell phones to battered women. Call your local hotline to find out more.
You may consider getting a "disposable cell phone" that uses pre-pay minutes on it for emergency purposes. These do not have phone numbers that show up on any billing and are much more difficult to track. Keep it safe and do not let your abuser know you have an emergency cell phone. You may consider keeping it in your "survivial kit" mentioned above or in a hidden safe location for easy access.
Safe-Link Wireless: Free Cell Phone For Income-Eligible Customers
PROTECTING YOURSELF FROM DOMESTIC VIOLENCE - PHONE SAFETY TIPS
When seeking help for domestic violence, call from a public pay phone or another phone outside the house, using one of the following payment methods:
- A prepaid phone card.
- A friend’s telephone charge card.
- Coins.
- A collect call.
SEEKING HELP ONLINE
If you seek help online, you are safest if you use a computer outside of your home. You can use a computer at a domestic violence shelter or agency, at work, at a friend's house, at a library, or at a community center.
It is almost impossible to clear a computer of all evidence of the websites that you have visited, unless you know a lot about Internet browsers and about your own computer. Also be careful when sending e-mail, as your abuser may know how to access your account. See the Womenslaw.org article on Internet Security for instructions for covering your online tracks and e-mail history, but be wary of leaving traces that your abuser might find.
RESTRAINING ORDERS
You may want to consider getting a restraining order or protective order against your abusive partner. However, remember that the police can enforce a restraining order only if someone violates it, and then only if someone reports the violation. This means that you must be endangered in some way for the police to step in!
If you are the victim of stalking or abuse, you need to carefully research how restraining orders are enforced in your neighborhood. Find out if the abuser will just be given a citation or if they will actually be taken to jail. If the police simply talk to the violator or give a citation, your abuser may reason that the police will do nothing and feel empowered to pursue you further. Or your abuser may become angry and retaliate.
DO NOT FEEL FALSELY SECURE WITH A RESTRAINING ORDER!
You are not necessarily safe if you have a restraining order or protection order. The stalker or abuser may ignore it, and the police may do nothing to enforce it. To learn about restraining orders in your area, call 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or contact your state's Domestic Violence Coalition.
OBTAINING A RESTRAINING ORDER
If you are being abused by your spouse, ex-spouse, household or former household member, blood relative, the parent of your child, or a person with whom you have had a substantive dating relationship, you have the right to seek legal protection, often referred to as a "restraining order" or a "peace bond".
During regular business hours, you can go to your local court and apply for a restraining order. There is no fee and you do not need an attorney. On nights, weekends, and holidays when the courts are closed, you can obtain an order through the police, who will contact a judge for an immediate restraining order.
Violation of this order is a crime. If your abuser violates the order, call 9-1-1 immediately.
In addition to obtaining a restraining order, you may also file a criminal complaint with the assistance of the police department and District Attorney's Office.
See MoonDragon's D.V. Guide for more information.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTERS
A domestic violence shelter or women’s shelter is a building or set of apartments where victims of domestic violence can go to seek refuge from their abusers. The location of the shelter is kept confidential in order to keep your abuser from finding you.
The domestic violence shelter will provide for all your basic living needs, including food and child care. Shelters generally have room for both mothers and their children. The length of time you can stay at the shelter is limited, but most shelters also help victims find permanent homes, jobs, and other things they need to start a new life.
LOCATE A WOMAN'S SHELTER
Click Here for a state-by-state directory of domestic violence shelters.
PROTECTING YOUR PRIVACY AT A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTER
If you go to a domestic violence shelter or women's refuge, you do not have to give identifying information about yourself, even if asked. While shelters take many measures to protect the women they house, giving a false name may help keep your abuser from finding you (particularly if you live in a small town).
STAYING SAFE AFTER YOU LEAVE
Keeping yourself safe from your abuser is just as important after you have left. To do so, you may need to relocate so your former partner cannot find you. If you have children, they may need to switch schools.
To keep your new location a secret:
- Get an unlisted phone number or a pre-pay cell phone that cannot be traced.
- Use a post office box rather than your home address.
- Apply to your state's address confidentiality program, a service that confidentially forwards your mail to your home.
- Cancel your old bank accounts and credit cards, especially if you shared them with your abuser. If you use these old accounts, you can be traced. When you open new accounts, be sure to use a different bank.
If you are remaining in the same area, change up your routine. Take a new route to work, avoid places where your abuser might think to locate you, change any appointments he knows about, and find new places to shop and run errands. You should also keep a cell phone on you at all times and be ready to call 9-1-1 if you spot your former abuser. You can also learn self-defense to protect yourself.
SELF-DEFENSE IS NOT A CRIME - SOME FACTS ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Facts compiled by the National Clearinghouse in Defense of Battered Women
Washington, D.C.
Each day in the U.S., between 5 and 11 women are killed by a male intimate partner, between 1800 and 4000 per year.
In the U.S. women are more likely to be killed by their male intimate partners than all other homicide categories combined.
90 percent of women murdered are killed by men, men who are most often a family member, spouse or ex-partner.
There are thousands of women in prisons nationwide convicted of killing an abusive partner.
Studies show that the vast majority of women who kill their abusers do so as a last resort in defense of their own lives and/or the lives of their children, and that many have stayed with abusive partners because they have been beaten trying to escape or because they rightly feared an attempt at escape would cause their partner to retaliate with violence.
Battered women who defend themselves are being convicted or are accepting pleas at a rate of 75-83 percent nationwide.
In about 85 percent of spouse assault and homicide cases, police have been called at least once before. In about 50 percent of those cases, police have responded five times to family violence incidents prior to the homicide.
Women in the U.S. are much less likely to commit homicide than are men. During the years 1980-84, women perpetrated only 14 percent of all homicides committed by those 15 years or older, a homicide rate of 2.7. Men committed 86 percent of all these homicides, a homicide rate of 18.1.
Between 2.1 and 8 million women are abused by their partners annually in the U.S. At least every 15 seconds, a woman is beaten by her husband or boyfriend.
The Surgeon General has reported for at least 10 years that battering is the single largest cause of injury to U.S. women.
In national surveys, approximately 25 percent of U.S. couples report at least one incident of physical aggression between them during the course of their relationship.
Over 50 percent of all women will experience physical violence in intimate relationships. For about 25 percent of them, the battering will be regular and ongoing.
Women of all class levels, educational backgrounds, and racial, ethnic, and religious groups are battered.
Almost 90 percent of the hostage taking in the U.S. is domestic violence. Most hostages are the wives or female partners of hostage takers, although children are frequently taken hostage.
Abusive husbands and lovers harass 74 percent of employed battered women at work either in person or over the telephone, causing 56 percent to be late for work at least 5 times per month, 28 percent to leave early at least 5 days per month, 54 percent to miss at least 3 full days of work per month and 20 percent to lose their jobs.
47 percent of the husbands who beat their wives do so three or more times per year.
Children in homes where domestic violence occurs are physically abused or neglected at a rate 1500 percent higher than the national average.
Children are present in 41-44 percent of homes where police intervene in domestic violence.
At least 53 percent of all battering husbands also batter their children.
75 of women surveyed in some studies report that their children had been physically and/or sexually abused by their batterers.
33 percent of teenage girls report physical violence from their date.
21-30 of college students report at least one occurrence of physical assault with a dating partner.
Between 25-45 percent of all battered women are abused during pregnancy.
In many U.S. cities, more than 50 percent of women and children seeking shelter are turned away due to lack of space.
An estimated 10 percent of incidents of domestic violence are reported.
The injuries that battered women receive are at least as serious as injuries suffered in 90 percent of violent felony crimes, yet under state laws, they are almost always classified as misdemeanors.
In some surveys, 90 percent of battered women who reported assault to the police actually did sign complaints, but fewer than 1 percent of the cases were ever prosecuted...
Obtained from: PrisonActivist.org: Self-Defense Is Not A Crime
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE & SELF-DEFENSE LINKS
NoNonsenzeSelfDefense.com: Stalking & Domestic Violence
Essortment.com: Women's Safety - Domestic Violence & Self Defense
Women's Self Defense Instruction Online: Domestic Violence victims
General Strike - Self Defense Facts & Links
RECOMMENDED BOOKS
DEALING WITH DOMESTIC ABUSE TRAUMA
The scars of domestic violence and abuse run deep. The trauma of what you and your children been through can stay with you long after you have escaped the abusive situation. Counseling, therapy, and support groups for domestic abuse survivors can help you process what you have been through and learn how to build new and healthy relationships.
EMOTIONAL & PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA
If you have gone through a traumatic experience, you may be struggling with upsetting emotions, frightening memories, or a sense of constant danger that you just cannot kick. Or you may feel numb, disconnected, and unable to trust other people.
When bad things happen, it can take awhile to get over the pain and feel safe again. But treatment and support from family and friends can speed your recovery from emotional and psychological trauma. Whether the traumatic event happened years ago or yesterday, you can heal and move on.
For more information about emotional and psychological trauma and for help in coping with the aftermath of domestic violence see the following links:
HelpGuide.org: Emotional & Psychological Trauma
HelpGuide.org: Domestic Violence Abuse Types - Signs, Causes, & Effects
HelpGuide.org: Elder Abuse - Physical, Emotional, Sexual & Neglect
HelpGuide.org: Child Abuse & Neglect - Warning Signs & Reporting It
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RESOURCES
BATTERED WOMEN'S PROGRAMS / HOTLINES
HELP FOR ABUSED WOMEN & THEIR CHILDREN (H.A.W.C.) (Salem - North Shore Region, Massachusetts)
24 Hour Hotline: 1-978-744-6841
CASA MYRNA VAZQUEZ, INC. Boston, Massachusetts - 24 Hour Hotline: 1-800-992-2600
SafeLink Statewide Hotline: 1-877-785-2020
TTY: 1-877-521-2601
Website: www.casamyrna.org
SEXUAL ASSAULT HOTLINES Hablemos Hotline: 1-800-223-5001
Boston Area Rape Crisis Center Hotline: 1-617-492-7273
NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE
1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY)
Website: www.ndvh.org
A crisis intervention and referral phone line for domestic violence. The service also has an email address and access for the deaf. Hotline staff members can speak in English or Spanish and have access to translators for many other languages.
(Texas Council on Family Violence)
STATE COALITION LIST
Website: www.ncadv.org/resources/StateCoalitionList_73.html
Lists the phone numbers for the state offices of the NCADV. These offices can help you find local support or a shelter from domestic violence, as well as free or low-cost legal services.
(National Coalition Against Domestic Violence)
SUPPORT COMMITTEE FOR BATTERED WOMEN
(Waltham) - English, Spanish: 1-800-899-4000
RESPOND
(Somerville) - English, French, Spanish, Haitian Creole: 1-617-623-5900
INDEPENDENCE HOUSE
(Hyannis) - English: 1-800-439-6507
NEW HOPE
(Attleboro / Taunton) - English, Spanish: 1-800-323-4673
YWCA NEW BEGINNINGS
(Westfield) - English: 1-800-479-6245
ASIAN SHELTER & ADVOCACY PROJECT
1-617-338-2355
NETWORK FOR BATTERED LESBIANS
English, Spanish: 1-617-236-7233
OTHER RESOURCES
Suffolk County District Attorney's Office
Domestic Violence Unit
1-617-725-8617
Boston Police Domestic Violence Unit
1-617-343-4350
Greater Boston Legal Services
1-617-357-5757
Victim Recovery Program
- Fenway Community Health Center
1-617-267-0900
Elder Abuse Hotline
1-800-922-2275
Disabled Abuse Hotline
1-800-426-9009
Child at Risk Hotline
1-800-792-5200
Samaritans Hotline
1-617-247-0220
Mayor's Youth Line
9 am - 11 pm Sunday - Saturday
1-617-635-2240
Violence Recovery Program
Fenway Community Health Center
1-800-632-8188
Parental Stress Line
1-800-632-8188
INTERNET RESOURCES - DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTERS & SUPPORT
Safe Horizon: Tour a Domestic Violence Shelter
Find out what you can expect at a typical women's refuge or shelter and hear personal experiences of what life there is like.
Phenomenal Women Of The Web Against Domestic Violence Webring
An online support group for women who are victims of domestic abuse. The site points to other sites that discuss domestic violence.
SAFETY PLANNING FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Women's Law Initiative: Safety Planning
Guidelines for how to safely leave an abusive relationship, what to do if you have filed a restraining order, and what to do once you have left the relationship.
Women's Law Initiative: Internet Security
Gives detailed instructions on how to clear your computer's Internet browser and email account from showing evidence of your seeking help for domestic abuse.
Safe Horizon: Hiding Your Internet Tracks
More advice on how to cover your Internet tracks from your abuser.
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV): Protecting Your Identity
Tips for keeping your identity and location a secret after leaving an abusive relationship.
LEGAL HELP & ADVICE FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE & ABUSE
Women's Law Initiative
State-by-state legal information and resources for victims of domestic violence.
En Español: Women's Law Initiative: Bienvenido (Iniciativ a de Derecho de la Mujer).
American Bar Association: Consumer's Guide to Legal Help on the Internet
Guide to finding free legal aid for victims and perpetrators of domestic violence.
Americal Bar Association: Statutory Summary Charts
Provides charts summarizing the statutes from all 50 states regarding domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and dating violence.
National Center For Victims of Crime: Victim Law
Search a comprehensive, user-friendly database of victims' rights laws across the U.S. Includes summaries of statutes, tribal laws, constitutional amendments, and court rules.
STALKING & CYBERSTALKING
National Center For Victims Of Crime: Stalking Resource Center - Help For Victims
A storehouse of information and resources for victims and potential victims of stalking or cyberstalking.
Stalking Victims Sanctuary: If You Are Being Stalked (PDF)
Lists the ten most important things you can to do protect yourself if you are the victim of stalking.
Stalking Victims Sanctuary: Survival - What You Need to Know
Resources for stalking victims, including how to stay safe, avoid common mistakes, and find help.
National Center For Victims of Crime: Cyberstalking
Learn how to protect yourself from cyberstalking and what your legal rights are.
SELF-DEFENSE FOR WOMEN
Impact Safety Programs: Personal & Organization Violence Prevention
A self-defense training program for people, especially women, that focuses on quick response and retreat from danger.
FAST Defense Training Locations
Lists locations around the world where you can take FAST self-defense classes, which teach you how to respond both verbally and physically when threatened.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE & ABUSE INFORMATION
National Advisory Council on Violence Against Women: Toolkit to End Violence Against Women
In-depth guide for communities, policy leaders, and other individuals on how to end violence against women.
Violence Against Women Online Resources
Office of Violence Against Women & Minnesota Center Against Violence & Abuse website for professionals and practitioners who help victims and perpetrators of domestic violence and abuse.
BATTERER TREATMENT PROGRAMS
EMERGE
1-617-422-1550
Common Purpose
1-617-628-2451
Information by Casa Myrna Vasquez, Inc.
With Support from The Boston Healthy Start Initiative
JaneDoe.org Domestic Violence Awareness
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE WEBRINGS
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LINKS
MoonDragon's Obgyn Information: Domestic Violence
Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence
3420 Norman Berry Dr, Suite 280
Atlanta, Ga 30354
www.gcadv.org
DOMESTIC ABUSE LINKS
Abuse Consultants Online
Domestic Abuse Resources: Police Department, Wakefield, MA
Domestic Abuse Section: Burlington Police/Lahey, MA
Massachusetts Law About Domestic Violence
Domestic Violence, Massachusetts: A Pathfinder by Mass. Trial Court Law Libraries
Angels In Blue: Domestic Abuse Laws-Massachusetts
Governor's Commission on Domestic Violence - Domestic Abuse
Mass Department of Correction Technology Services
Brookline, MA Police Programs
Links & Resources - Massachusetts Citizens for Children (MCC)
Domestic Violence Resource Page - Danvers, MA Police Dept.
Foxborough, MA Police Dept: Domestic Abuse Information & Resources
AbsoluteWoman.net" Massachusetts, Domestic Abuse Information
ElderAbuseCenter.org
Reporting Domestic Abuse, NorthEastern University, Massachusetts
Massachusetts Domestic Abuse Law
Prevent Child Abuse Massachusetts
Norton, MA Police Dept: Domestic Violence
Domestic Violence: Elder Abuse
Jane Doe, Inc. - Voices For Change
National Coalition For Domestic Abuse Awareness
Family Law Information: Neighborhood Legal Services
United Way - Protecting Women & Children From Abuse
Women's Law Initiative
Domestic Abuse Groups Dispute Status of Claims by Men (/gasp!)
Kimberly Chapman - Domestic Abuse - US Help
Divorce Source: Massachusetts Domestic Violence Shelters
Domestic Abuse and Alcohol
Therapist Finder - Mental Health Internet Resources, Boston
Peace At Home: Domestic Violence Resources
Battered Women's Shelters, Massachusetts
For Health Care Providers: Tips For Detecting & Treating D.V. Victims
Response To Domestic Violence, Quincy, MA
Tuft's Women's Center: Violence Help Hotline
How We Heal From Domestic Abuse
Incest & Child Maltreatment Stalkers - How To Spot 'Em & Drop 'Em
MOONDRAGON'S DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LINKS
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The source of all creation;
May the Goddess, the Lady of the Moon;
And the God, Horned Hunter of the Sun;
May the Rulers of the Elemental realms, Earth, Air, Fire and Water;
May the powers of the Stars above and the Earth below,
Bless this web site, and this time, and I who am with You.
I ask for you to protect these pages,
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So mote it be.
Blessed Be.
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