Domestic Violence: Finding Safety & Support - Contents

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Understanding the Problem

• Is This Publication for Me?
• Some Facts about Domestic Violence
• What is Domestic Violence?
• Why Do Abused Women Feel Trapped?

Getting Safe

• Safety Planning and Risk Assessment
• Planning for Your Safety
• What Can a Domestic Violence Program Do for Me?
• What Other Services are Available?
• What About My Children?
• What About Help for My Partner?
• Sexual Assault
• Stalking
• Technology Safety

The Police and Courts

• Deciding to Use the Police or Courts
• What Can the Police Do for Me?
• Under What Conditions Will the Police Make an Arrest?
• The Domestic Incident Report (DIR) and Your Statement
• What Happens When an Arrest Is Made?
• What is an Order of Protection?
• How Do I Get an Order of Protection?
• How Do I Decide Which Court To Go To?
• Other Courts and Resources

Specific Populations

• Older Victims of Domestic Violence
• Lesbian, Gay, Transgender, and Bisexual Victims
• Teens
• People with Disabilities
• Immigrant Women

Friends, Family and Co-workers

• I Think That Someone I Know Is Being Abused. How Can I Help?
• Possible Signs of Domestic Violence
• How Can I Know For Sure?
• What You Can Do

Resources

• Domestic Violence Hotlines
• Additional New York State Resources
• National Resources
• Personalized Resources

About This Publication

Acknowledgments

For the purposes of this booklet, the term "domestic violence" is defined as abuse by one adult intimate partner against another. While the information included in this booklet is primarily meant for adults, it may also apply to adolescents experiencing dating violence. There is also information specific to teens in the Special Populations section of this booklet.

Domestic violence is one of the most serious public health issues and criminal justice issues facing women today. Because the vast majority of victims of domestic violence are women who are abused by their male partners, this booklet will refer to victims as female and abusers as male. But most of the information contained in this guide will apply to all victims regardless of their gender or the gender of their partner, including people who are lesbian, gay, transgender or bisexual and men who are physically abused by their female partners.