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Crime Prevention Tips From
National Crime Prevention Council 1700 K Street, NW, Second Floor Washington,
DC 20006-3817
and
BRISTOL VIRGINIA POLICE DEPARTMENT
For additional information call: (276) 645-7400
INFORMATION
AND HELP
Abuse Alternative, Inc.
- Shelter and Crisis Counseling
*(423) 764-2287
Domestic Violence Programs
(423) 652-9093 (business)
Perpetrator's Program for Men
(423) 652-9092 (business)
The Crisis Center -
Crisis Intervention and Information
*(276) 466-2312
Sexual Assault Programs
*(276) 628-7731
(276) 466-2218 (business)
Outreach Specialist
(276) 466-5246
Bristol Virginia Police
Department
(276) 645-7400 (business)
911 (emergency)
Domestic Violence Unit
(276) 645-3750
Bristol City Sheriff's Office
(276) 645-7430
Victim/Witness Assistance
Program
(276) 645-7322
Juvenile and Domestic Relations
Court
(276) 645-7325
Department of Social Services
(276) 645-7450
Southwest Virginia Legal
Aid Society
1-800-277-6754
*
24-hour hotline available
The Bristol Police and The
Crisis Center offer the following services:
- 72 hour follow up visits
- Crisis intervention counseling
- Information and referrals
- RAD(Rape Aggression Defense)
- self-defense programs for
women
The Domestic Violence Office
is located at:
City Hall, 300 Lee Street
Bristol, VA
Phone: 645-3750 (police)
466-5246 (crisis center)
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One
out of every four women in this country will suffer some kind of violence
at the hands of her husband or boyfriend.
Very few will tell anyone -
not a friend, a relative, a neighbor, or the police.
Victims of domestic violence
come from all walks of life - all cultures, all income groups, all ages,
all religions. They share feelings of helplessness, isolation, guilt,
fear, and shame.
All hope it won’t happen again,
but often it does.
ARE
YOU ABUSED?
Does
the person you love...
- "Track" all of your
time?
- Constantly accuse you of
being unfaithful?
- Discourage your relationships
with family and friends?
- Prevent you from working
or attending school?
- Criticize you for little
things?
- Anger easily when drinking
or on drugs?
- Control all finances and
force you to account in detail for what you spend?
- Humiliate you in front
of others?
- Destroy personal property
or sentimental items?
- Hit punch, slap, kick,
or bite you or the children?
- Use or threaten to use
a weapon against you?
- Threaten to hurt you or
the children?
- Force you to have sex against
your will?
If
you find yourself saying yes, it’s time to get help.
IF YOU ARE
HURT, WHAT CAN YOU DO?
There are no easy answers,
but there are things you can do to protect yourself.
- Call the police or sheriff
Assault, even by family members, is a crime. The police often have information
about shelters and other agencies that help victims of domestic violence.
- Leave, or have someone
come and stay with you. Go to a battered women’s shelter - call a crisis
hotline in your community or a health center to locate a shelter if
you believe that you, and your children, are in danger - leave immediately.
- Get medical attention from
your doctor or a hospital emergency room. Ask the staff to photograph
your injuries and keep detailed records in case you decide to take legal
action.
- Contact your family court
for information about a civil protection order that does not involve
criminal charges or penalties.
DON’T IGNORE
THE PROBLEM
- Talk to someone. Part of
the abusers power comes from secrecy. Victims are often ashamed to let
anyone know about intimate family problems. Go to a friend or neighbor,
or call a domestic violence hotline to talk to a counselor.
- Plan ahead and know what
you will do if you are attacked again. If you decide to leave, choose
a place to go; set aside some money. Put important papers together --
marriage license, birth certificates, check books -- in a place where
you can get them quickly.
- Learn to think independently.
Try to plan for the future and set goals for yourself.
HAVE YOU
HURT SOMEONE IN YOUR FAMILY?
- Accept the fact that your
violent behavior will destroy your family. Be aware that you break the
law when you physically hurt someone.
- Take responsibility for
your actions and get help.
- When you feel tension building,
get away. Work off the angry energy through a walk, a project, a sport.
- Call a domestic violence
hotline or health center and ask about counseling and support groups
for people who batter.
THE
HIGH COSTS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
- Men and women who follow
their parents’ example and use violence to solve conflicts are teaching
the same destructive behavior to their children.
- Jobs can be lost or careers
stalled because of injuries, arrests, or harassments.
- Lives are lost when violence
results in death.
TAKE A STAND!
- Reach out to someone you
believe is a victim of family violence, or to someone you think is being
abusive. Don’t give up easily - change takes time. Ending the family’s
isolation is a critical first step.
- Urge organizations and
businesses to raise community awareness by hosting speakers on domestic
violence launching public education campaigns, and raising funds for
shelters and hotlines.
- Ask the local newspaper,
radio station, or television station to examine the problem and publicize
resources in the community through special features and forums.
- Form coalitions or “watchdog”
groups to monitor the response of local law enforcement agencies and
courts. Offer praise where appropriate and demand reform when necessary.
- Most communities offer
resources for victims of family violence. Check your telephone directory
or ask a law enforcement agency.
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