Sexual Assault
Domestic Violence
Elder Abuse
Child Abuse
Preparing to Leave
Open a checking or savings account in your own name
Get your own post office box
Plan a safe place where you can go and someone who is willing to loan you money
Keep money, spare keys, necessary medications, a change of clothes, and copies of important documents in a safe place or at the home of someone you trust
If you have pets, make arrangements for them to be cared for in a safe place. You can contact the Knoxville Family Justice Center for referrals
Keep your cellphone charged and with you. If you don’t have a cellphone, keep important phone numbers and a pre-paid phone card or some change for making emergency phone calls with you
What to Take When You Leave
Indentification
- Driver’s license and/or other photo I.D.
- Birth certificate
- Children’s birth certificates
- Social security cards
Financial Resources
- Money and/or debit/credit cards in your name
- Checking/savings accounts information
Important Documents
- Order of Protection
- Lease/rental agreement or house deed
- Vehicle registration and insurance information
- Health and life insurance documents
- Medical records for you and your children
- School records
- Work permits/green card/visa and/or passport
- Marriage license or divorce and custody documents
Other
- House and car keys
- Medications
- Clothes for you and your children
- Children’s favorite blankets/toys
- Pictures and other possessions of sentimental value
- Valuable jewelry
- Address book
After You Leave
Register with VINE, an automated victim notification service that can call, text, or email you when there are changes to your abuser’s criminal case or when they are released from custody.
In Your Own Home
If you are staying in the home you shared with your abuser, change the entry locks as soon as possible and keep your windows locked. You can arrange to have your locks changed through the Knoxville Family Justice Center.
Inform your neighbors and landlord that your abuser no longer lives with you and ask them to call the police if they see your abuser near your home.
If you have moved, do not give your new address to your abuser.
Make a safety plan with your children in case your abuser shows up when you are not with them.
Inform your children’s school/daycare about who has or does not have permission to pick them up.
Do not call your abuser from your phone. Your phone number will show up on caller ID and can help your abuser locate you.
Request an unlisted/unpublished number from the phone company. Try to look up your number on the internet and, if it is there, request that it be removed.
On the Job and in Public
If possible, change your work hours and/or location.
Inform someone at work of your situation, especially security officers. Provide them with the name and a picture of your abuser.
If possible, have someone screen your work calls.
If possible, have someone walk with you to and from your car/the bus/the train.
Don’t take the same route to and from work every day.
Important Phone Numbers
Domestic Violence:
National Domestic Violence Hotline (24/7):
- Call: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or TTY 1-800-787-3224
- Live chat: https://www.thehotline.org/
- Text: text “START” to 88788
Knox County Domestic Violence Shelters (24/7):
- McNabb Center’s Family Crisis Center: 865-637-8000
- Salvation Army’s Joy Baker Center: 865-522-4673
- Knoxville Are Rescue Ministries (KARM)’s Serenity: 865-971-4673
Need a Safe Way to Communicate?
We can help you set up a secure Google account and Google Voice number to ensure you can communicate without exposing your personal information. It gives you control over your privacy and adds a layer of security in sensitive situations.
If you need further guidance or assistance, we are here to help. Please reach out, and we can walk you through the process confidentially.