Are you Being Abused?
Warning Signs - Does your partner…….

• Criticize and degrade you?
• Act jealous and possesive?
• Control every aspect of your life?
• Isolate you from your family and friends?
• Control your finances?
• Threaten to hurt or kill you or your children?
• Become violent and then blame you?
• If you are a victim of domestic violence…….
• Leave immediately, if possible.
• Call Our Sister’s Keeper Hotline and speak to an advocate. Call 970-247-7888
• Call 911.
• Have the police make a report.
• Seek medical attention, if needed.
• Have pictures taken of injuries. We can do this for you at our office. Call 970-247-7888

You have these legal rights:

• The right to press criminal charges.
• The right to call the police and get a police report number.
• The right to apply for a protective order to have your abuser removed from your home.

Make an escape plan: Keep a packed bag at a neighbor’s house or another safe place. The bag should contain the following:

• A change of clothing for you and your children.
• Important documents (birth certificates, passports, Immigration Information, social security numbers, health insurance and medical records, and bank account numbers).
• Extra cash and checks.
• An extra set of keys to your house and car.
• Pay stubs from your abuser’s paycheck.
• Familiar toy or book for each child.

• Children living in violent homes see and hear what is occurring. They fear for their own safety and security and worry about protecting their parents. They are ashamed and fear the unpredictability of violence. They also feel responsible for everything that happens to them, their parents, and their siblings.
• Children who witness abuse between their parents, or are aware of abuse of siblings, are more likely to become involved in abusive relationships as adults.
• The effects of domestic violence on children are devastating and long term. They include: Emotional Effects
  Anxiety
  Depression
  Nightmares
  Aggression
  Low Self Esteem
  Acting Out
  Drug and Alcohol Abuse
  Pregnancy
  Death by Suicide or Homicide
  Poor school performance

Ways you can help a child who has witnessed domestic violence include:

• Explain things in language that children can understand
• Tell them that the violence is not their fault
• Give them permission to talk about the violence
• Help make a safety plan which they can follow
• Find them someone outside the family with whom they can share their feelings
• Let them know that others have had similar experiences

If You are a Victim of Family Violence or Sexual Assault

1. Call Our Sister’s Keeper Coalition HOTLINE 970-247-7888 to talk with an Advocate. An Advocate can assist you in obtaining the help you need.
2. Medical Help If you are ill or injured, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room for treatment.
3. Contact Law Enforcement If you choose to report the incident to law enforcement, do not delay.
4. Sexual Assault If you are the victim of sexual assault, do not shower, change clothes, brush your teeth, bathe or douche. Try not to urinate until medical/legal evidence is collected at the hospital. Preserve any evidence used in the assault.
5. Safety Plan Create a Safety Plan with a victim’s Advocate that includes what you will take if you leave, important documents to keep with you, money arrangements, phone numbers, medical records, keys, etc.
6. Support Enroll in a support group or with counseling services.

Contact our office any time if you or someone you know needs assistance.