24 hour hotline: (340) 773-9272

Make a plan for what you will do the next time your partner assaults you:

• Decide NOW where you will go and how you will get there the next time your partner becomes violent. Do this even if you really don’t think there will be a next time.
• Leave some money, an extra set of car keys and extra clothes at a neighbor’s or with someone you trust.
• Keep important documents (birth certificates, medical records, marriage license, financial records, etc.) hidden near an exit or at a neighbor’s or friend’s house.
• Develop a code word with your children, neighbors and friends to lets them know you need to get out immediately.
• Provide your children’s teachers and school principal with enough information about your situation for them to respond supportively. Ask them not to release the children to your spouse should you report to them that you are about to leave the home.
• Try to avoid arguments in the bathroom, garage, kitchen, near weapons or near other places where there are sharp or heavy objects.
• If he seems to be “building up” and you can’t leave safely, keep your back towards an open space, not a corner.
• If you leave, always try to take your children with you.
• Keep any evidence of physical abuse (ripped clothing, photographs of bruises and injuries, etc.).
• Tell someone you know and trust what is happening to you so that if you need to get out of your home in a hurry, you will have someone you can turn to.
• If you are injured, go to the hospital emergency room or doctor and tell them what happened to you.
• Call the Women’s Coalition at 773-9272. We have trained advocates on duty 24 hours a day, every day of the year, to respond compassionately to victims of domestic violence and other crimes at the hospital or police commands; call if you just need someone to talk to. Se Habla Español. Calls to the Women’s Coalition remain confidential.
• Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE (7233) or 800-787-3224 (TTY). This is a 24-hour hotline staffed by trained counselors, ready to provide immediate crisis intervention assistance to those in need. Calls to the Hotline are confidential.

Where to Call for Assistance:

Women’s Coalition, St. Croix – available 24 hrs.
Se Habla Español 773-WCSC (9272)

National Domestic Violence Hotline – available 24 hrs.
Se Habla Español 800-799-SAFE

National Domestic Violence Hotline – available 24 hrs.
800-787-3224(TTY)

Family Resource Center, St. Thomas – available 24 hrs.
776-STOP (776-7867)

Safety Zone, St. John – available 24 hrs.
690-SAFE (7233)

Victims Advocate Program, St. Thomas
775-6103