Support

Although I cannot speak to the specifics of your situation, the general pattern of people who physically abuse an intimate partner is that if they do it once, they will do it again. Often times, the abuse escalates (gets worse) even if there are periods in between violence where the abuser is not violent. Someone who is abused may choose to call the police and /or get a protection order from civil court, which may possibly get the abuser removed from the home and away from the victim. Here is some more information on protection orders in [STATE] and what they can do. [LINK]

Even if a victim decides not to get a protection order right away or if s/he decides s/he is not ready to report an abuser to the police, the victim may consider documenting any injuries that s/he has by taking photographs of them if s/he thinks that it can be done safely. (Holding up that day’s newspaper in one of the photos can help to prove the date of the injuries if the victim saves the newspaper and eventually shows both the newspaper and the photo in court, if necessary.) A victim may also decide to go to the doctor or hospital for medical treatment and also to document the injuries in case s/he decides to pursue a protection order or criminal charges against the abuser in the future. Photos and medical records may be able to be used as evidence in court if they meet the state’s evidence rules. Perhaps you may want to get some support from a counselor at a domestic violence organization to help you plan for your safety – LINK and/or talk to a lawyer to decide how to use the law to help you stay safe - LINK. Here is safety information that may also help [LINK TO SAFETY PLANNING]