Child's Safety Plan

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(Taken from UDVC Live Basic DV Training, Family Dynamics)

When people are fighting remember to be SAFE:

  1. Stay out of the fight
  2. Ask for help
  3. Find an adult who will help you
  4. Everyone knows it is not your fault

What can I do to be safe?

Where can I go to be safe?

These are the safe exits from my house:

Who are my safe people I can talk to about my problem?

Practice calling 911 . . .

My name is ________________.

I am ____ years old.

I need help. Someone is hurting my mom.

I live at __________________________.

The phone number here is __________________.

Other Thoughts

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Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

“The key to change . . . is to let go of fear.” –Rosanne Cash

“Let go of changing others; you can only change yourself.” –Dr. John Lund

“Happy is the person who knows what to remember of the past, what to enjoy in the present, and what to  plan for in the future.” –Arnold Glasgow

“God loves you where you are.” –Shawna Draper

“What if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?”

–“Blessings” by Laura Story. To listen to this beautiful song, click here.

“Research has found that satisfying relationships are characterized by a simple formula: two people mutually meeting each other’s needs.” ― John Van Epp, How to Avoid Falling in Love with a Jerk: The Foolproof Way to Follow Your Heart Without Losing Your Mind

There are good things to come.

Everyone is worthy of love.

“We have power to choose our thoughts, our attitudes and essentially, our happiness.” –Diane Peterson

Domestic Violence Stats

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An act of domestic violence occurs every 12 seconds in the United States.
About 50% of all couples experience at least one violent incident; in about 25% of these couples, violence is a common occurrence.
35% of women who visit hospital emergency rooms are there for symptoms of abuse; only 5% of these women are identified as victims of domestic abuse.
15% – 25% of all battered women are pregnant.
One in ten Utah residents have been a victim of domestic violence.
In the year 2001, Utah had 17 deaths as a result of domestic violence.
In the year 2002, Utah had 10 deaths as a result of domestic violence.In the year 2003, Utah had 14 deaths as a result of domestic violence. Two of those deaths were children.More than 5 million women are battered annually causing:
54,000 deaths
21,000 hospitalizations
28,700 emergency room visits
$44,000,000 in medical costs
Taken from www.orem.org September 2007.

Domestic violence is the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior perpetrated by an intimate partner against another. It is an epidemic affecting individuals in every community, regardless of age, economic status, race, religion, nationality or educational background. Violence against women is often accompanied by emotionally abusive and controlling behavior, and thus is part of a systematic pattern of dominance and control. Domestic violence results in physical injury, psychological trauma, and sometimes death. The consequences of domestic violence can cross generations and truly last a lifetime.

Child Abuse Stats

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There are nearly 3 million reports of child abuse made annually.

In 2003, there were 906,000 child abuse convictions.

The rate of child abuse is estimated to be 3 times greater than is reported.

The rate of victimization is 12.3 children per 1,000 children.

Children ages 0-3 are the most likely to experience abuse. They are victimized at a rate of 16.4 per 1,000.

79% of the children killed are younger than 4.

These statistics are from the Administration for Children & Families of the US Department of Health & Human Services “Child Maltreatment Report 2003.”

Sexual Abuse Stats

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“In a study of female adolescent sex offenders, ages 10 to 18 years, approximately 70% of their sexual offenses took place while they were baby-sitting. The average age of the victims was 5.2 years.” (Miss America By Day, pg. 427)

“An adolescent who wishes to engage in sexual experimentation may assume that fondling an infant will do no harm because the infant will not remember what has happened. This is not true. Infants can be traumatized, and they will manifest this through observable changes in their behaviors. Listlessness, prolonged crying, inability to be soothed, a refusal to drink or eat, and a lack of eye contact are classic symptoms of infant trauma.” (Miss America By Day, pg. 427)

“Research educates us that one out of three to four girls and one out of six boys will be sexually violated before the age of eighteen and that the highest percentage, by far, are violated in their homes.” (Miss America By Day, pg. 398)

“85% of childhood sexual abuse occurs in the home.” (Right to Innocence, pg. 99) “Childhood sexual abuse is an inherited disease. It is passed down from generation to generation.” (Right to Innocence, pg. 103)”The estimates are that incest between siblings may be five times more common than paternal incest.” (Miss America By Day, pg. 399)

“At what age do you believe most offenders sexually abuse? When they are 40 years old? 25 years old? The answer is 14 years old. 14-year-olds comprise the largest number of sex offenders of any age group. The modal (most commonly reported) age of the violator was 14 years.”  (Miss America By Day, pg. 399)

“The most frequently reported age when the abuse began was five years old.”  (Miss America By Day, pg. 399)