03.26.2010
In the March 8 edition of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the newspaper reported that a 19-year-old woman was killed by her 22-year-old live-in boyfriend before he turned the gun on himself. The article stated that the woman had moved out of the home the previous week. In talking with teens, I often hear, “if her man is abusing her, why not just leave?” One reason why women may stay in an abusive relationship is because it could be fatal for them to leave. Statistics show that women who leave an abusive relationship have a 75 percent greater risk of being killed by their partner. Because of this, it is so important to safety plan in order to make a safe transition from the relationship. A safety plan can include:
- changing your work schedule or the location of your work,
- taking different routes to and from home,
- changing phone numbers and email addresses,
- changing school schedules or transferring schools,
- getting a Temporary Protective Order (TPO) placed on your abuser (if you are a teen under the age of 18, you have to have a parent or guardian obtain the TPO for you),
- creating code words with your family and friends, so if you run into your abuser, you can safely let your family and friends know that you are in need of help without alarming your abuser, and
- talking to others, particularly parents or other trusted adults, about the abuse.
By creating a safety plan, you increase your odds for leaving an abusive relationship safely. Click on the links below for safety plans designed specifically for teens and college students.
Teen Safety Plan
http://www.thesafespace.org/pdf/handout-safety-plan-workbook-teens.pdf
College Student Safety Plan
http://www.thesafespace.org/pdf/handout-safety-plan-workbook-college.pdf
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