GUEST POST: This October, Standing With You is recognizing National Domestic Awareness Violence Month to raise awareness and support for women who are escaping from abuse in order to save themselves and their children. It’s important as research tragically shows that pregnant and postpartum women have a greater risk of being killed by an intimate partner than they do dying from pregnancy or birth complications.

This staggering finding is unfortunately one of the reasons that mothers can feel forced into abortion, as the Charlotte Lozier Institute reports that 60% of post-abortive women felt coerced into the decision.  

The timing of National Domestic Violence Month is not a coincidence, either. As winter approaches in the coming months, the cases of domestic violence needing police intervention will increase by 10% across the nation, according to the Journal of Public Economics.  

Where can you go for help? 

At Standing With You, we want you to know that no matter what the situation is or where you are, there is always a place near you to go for safety. 

You can contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline for anonymous and confidential help at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or 1-800-787-3224. Our Standing With You directory also offers pregnancy help centers, maternity homes, domestic abuse resources and more based on your zip code. All of these resources have been individually vetted by our staff to ensure that you will find safe and effective support for both you and your child. 

Do you have an escape plan? 

An abuse crisis is so emotionally traumatizing that many women become burdened by the challenge of preparing to escape…so much so that they often delay making their plan at all. 

Today’s Homeowner is a helpful place to go for any victim of domestic violence to find ideas for how to create a plan to evacuate your home and simply how to make your home a safer place.  

When the moment comes for you to escape, it will more than likely be a specific and spontaneous situation that occurs so you want to make sure you are ready.  

The goal is for you to leave safely without being traced and possess all the necessities to start fresh. These things include:  

1. Having all important identification documents on hand, including your ID, birth certificate, passport, school IDs, medical records, all of your children’s documents, some bills with your name on it, and any documents of importance with your personal information.  

2. Starting to save money, preferably cash. Try to save enough to live off of for a few weeks to a month if necessary.  

3. Changing passwords and disabling all electronics from location services. If possible, try to purchase a new phone.  

No one should have to decide between their own life or the life of their child. This is why we have made it easy and accessible to know the resources near you. Visit Standing With You, where you will find more than 4,000 resources all over the country with help. All you have to do is put in your zip code and begin your journey of safety today.