If someone is physically abusing you, that’s a tough situation. If they’re in your family and claim they love you, that’s even worse. This person might not understand that love means never harming someone.
You might look into legal options for domestic violence victims. You have some possible choices, and you can also do things that don’t involve the legal system, but they might still help your situation.
We’ll discuss some of the options you have available now.
Get a Restraining Order
On the legal side, you can always request a restraining order. If you do that, you’ll probably hire a lawyer, or you can get a public defender. You can also represent yourself in court, though that’s likely not the best idea since you probably don’t know the law well enough.
You can ask whether the judge will issue a restraining order against the individual who harmed you. If you want that order, you must prove the other person hurt you, or you must at least show probable cause that they did.
You might do that by showing video or photographic evidence that shows your cuts, bruises, abrasions, broken bones, etc. You may also show a doctor’s or hospital report that shows what this person did.
You might have someone testify that they saw the person harm you. Maybe a neighbor saw this individual push you down, slap you, or something along those lines.
If you convince the judge, they’ll issue a restraining order. The person who harmed you can’t come near you. Different restraining orders have various details.
Some might stipulate the person who harmed you can’t come within 500 yards. Perhaps they also can’t call, text, email, or otherwise contact you. Once you have that restraining order in place, you’ll likely feel better.
End the Relationship
You can also end the relationship. You can tell the person you’re done and never want any contact ever again.
They might respect that. They may take their things and leave if you two lived together. You might stay away from the house or apartment while they get their things, and when you come back, you can change the locks.
Maybe you’ll both end the relationship and get a restraining order. If you want, you can have the police accompany you while you tell the person who hurt you that they must stay away from now on.
Demand the Abuser Leave the House
You can demand the abuser leave the house; if they won’t go, you can tell the police about the situation. The abuser might yell at you or threaten you, but with the cops by your side, they likely won’t do anything else.
Hopefully, they’ll leave without causing an ugly scene. If they’re controlling, though, they won’t like you breaking away from them.
If so, you should have the police escort them from the premises and tell them they’ll arrest them if they return. The police regard domestic violence seriously, so their warning might convince the person who hurt you they must stay away from now on.
Find a Shelter and Stay There
You might also find a domestic violence shelter and stay there for a while if you fear the person who harmed you. Maybe they own the house where you lived. If you get a restraining order, you can’t make them leave. You must go instead.
You can spend some time in the shelter until you figure out where you’ll live next. Sometimes, these shelters can form tightly-knit communities, and you might make friends there. You may also feel safe there till the situation calms down a little.
After a while, maybe the person who hurt you will forget about you and move on. You can do the same. You can leave the shelter and get your own place.
Stay with Relatives
You might leave the situation after getting a restraining order and live with some relatives for a time. Maybe your parents or grandparents can take you in. Perhaps a cousin or aunt and uncle might offer you shelter.
You can stay there till you feel safer, and then you can get your own place. By then, you’d hope the person who hurt you has moved on. Maybe they have a new significant other.
Taking these actions can help you. You can create distance and hopefully enter a new and happier life chapter.
Featured Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
