There are people who care that you and your children have been hurt.  They have information and experience to help you plan for the future.  They can provide information on the legal system, financial assistance, job counseling, and in some cases shelter. If you want support and information, telephone the Victim's Advocate at the Peoria Police Department (494-8309).

If you need to get away, try to stay with a friend or relative.  If you cannot find a safe place to live for a while, contact the Victim's Advocate or the Center for Prevention of Abuse (309/691-0551).  Shelter can be hard to find but keep trying and stress to the people with whom you speak that you are in danger.

Contact the Victim's Advocate at the Peoria Police Department or the Center for Prevention of Abuse; if they are unable to take you in, look in the telephone book for emergency assistance or women's services numbers.  Try the YWCA, the rape crisis hotline, churches or social service agencies.

Even if you do not need or want shelter, talking with other women who have been abused, or with a counselor, can help you decide what is best for you and your children.  It can help you see your own strengths and will confirm that you do not deserve what is happening to you.  Domestic violence counselors will not tell you what to do or make decisions for you but will provide you with information and support so that you can make the best possible decisions for yourself and your family.

The more you talk about your situation with friends or relatives, the more you will be able to figure out what you want to do.  If you keep it all a secret, you are protecting him, not yourself and your children.

Sharing your experiences with women who have had similar ones can help you very much.  Contact the Center for Prevention of Abuse to learn more about the battered woman support group in Peoria.  The more you talk about your life, the more you will discover new possibilities for a better future.