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
Characteristics of Abusers
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- 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:
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- 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