Safety Tips

If your safety is in question, there are places you can call for immediate assistance.

Sacred Heart Family Services Women’s Shelter: 605-964-7233
Available 24 hrs a day.

Toll Free Crisis Line: 1-800-390-9298

Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Police Department
(24 hrs a day) 911  or  605-964-2155

City of Eagle Butte Police Department-24 hrs a day
911  or  605-964-3777

Resource Links

Characteristics of Abusers
    • jealousy
    • possessiveness
    • controlling behavior
    • isolation
    • blames others for problems and feelings
    • hypersensitivity – getting upset over things that don’t really matter
    • cruelty to animals or children

An abuser may: use verbal abuse by calling you names, putting you down, or making fun of you.

An abuser may: have a history of being abusive, threatening you with violence, using force to make you do things, being too serious about the relationship too fast, blaming you when he/she mistreats you saying it’s your fault, or making statements such as “you make me do this to you.” 

Always remember:  you are never responsible for how another acts or feels especially if it is compromising your mental health and/or physical safety.

Safety Planning:
    • Who can help and where you can go: Friends, family, Sacred Heart Family Services Women’s Shelter, (Tribal and City) law enforcement.
    • What to bring: birth certificates, social security cards, license/identification cards, immunization records, keep an extra set of keys, important numbers, Tribal ID/enrollment, and clothing for a few days if possible.
    • How to respond to the abuser’s actions: Be conscious of places the perpetrator frequents (work schedule, favorite places to go, etc.)
      • Plan what you would say and do if you came into contact with him or her.
    • Staying Safe: Be aware of your surroundings such as people and exits, keep house and car doors locked, have gas in the vehicle at all times, close curtains, establish a “code word” with others you can use so they know if you are in trouble, have a backup plan, keep in contact with organizations that are helping you, carry a noise maker (whistle), install motion sensor lights, and change locks on house doors or install deadbolts.
    • Trust your instincts: If you don’t feel safe, call for help.
    • Read all you can about Domestic Violence.
    • You are not alone.
    • No one deserves to be hit.
    • Know your rights:
      • To live without fear of violence
      • To be treated with respect
      • To have and express your own feelings and opinions
      • To be listened to and taken seriously
      • To set your own priorities
      • To say “no” without guilty feelings
      • To ask for what you want without reprisal
      • To get what you pay for
      • To ask for information from professionals
      • To make mistakes like everyone else
      • To have your needs met