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DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
HOW DO I PROTECT MYSELF?
PREPARING TO LEAVE
If you believe that your partner or ex-partner is displaying violent behaviour, there are a number of things you can do in advance to ensure your safety and that of your children’s. Prepare to leave by taking the following measures:
1.
Keep a suitcase, a box or a bag where you can access it quickly and easily, without your partner’s knowledge. You should try to include the following items:
- A duplicate set of keys to the apartment or house as well as the car.
- Money in small denominations and coins to be able to take a taxi or make a phone call.
- Your identification: passport, social insurance card, health insurance card, birth certificates (yours and those of your children), immigration file, citizenship card, aboriginal status card.
- Your driver’s licence and proof of registration.
- Your bank books, cheques, credit cards and mortgage documents or other bank loans.
- Your lease, title deeds, partnership or business agreements, rent or mortgage payment receipts.
- Your address book.
- A photo of your ex-partner to help identify him.
- A list of other items that you can pick up when you return at a later time.
2.
Make sure your purse, wallet, ID, keys and other emergency items are located in an area that you can access easily and quickly (and that only you are aware of) in case you need to leave the house quickly.
3.
Open a separate bank account in your name and send the bank statements to another address (a friend or family member) so that your partner cannot see them.
4.
Check how much money is in your joint bank account in case you need to quickly withdraw half the funds.
5.
You can help children escape by deciding on a meeting place where everyone can meet. Tell them to dial 9-1-1 in case of an emergency (accidents, beatings and injuries towards them or yourself, or if they feel like they are in danger). Talk about your situation with people you trust. Establish a password to warn them that you are in danger, as well as a password with your children so they can protect themselves during an episode of violence.
6.
Go around every room in your house and determine how you can escape. When your partner is present, try to avoid rooms from which you cannot escape, such as the bathroom, the basement, or a storage room. Also avoid places where firearms or knives are stored.
7.
Identify the best places to escape on the main floor, second floor and basement.
8.
Always trust your judgment and your intuition. If the situation becomes very dangerous, you must think in advance of a way to calm your aggressor. Always remember that the priority is your safety and that of your children’s.
9.
Review and check your security plan regularly.
Be prepared!
Planning a scenario to protect yourself will help you escape from a violent situation.
AFTER THE SEPERATION
If after the separation you feel violence might be present, be prepared by having access to the following documents:
- Documents concerning the divorce or legal guardianship of the children
- All legal documents given by the court system (restraining order)
Any given moment, you may contact us for support.