THE SAFETY ZONE

 


THE TRUTH LIVES ON

The Safety Zone was created as a content-driven site on domestic violence for use by both survivors and potential helpers that made its debut in February 1997. I initiated The Zone in frustration at the lack of information and support available to abused women on the net. For those of you who know anything about web technology, you won't be surprised to learn that I was NOT a web designer. I didn't know the first thing about computers or the language of the internet. I hand-coded my HTML on WordPad (no joke!). I used campy graphics and inadvertently violated just about every rule of on-line propriety that existed at that time. But I was determined to get useful information up on the net and accessible to women who could benefit from it. And I heard from women across the globe that reinforced my conviction that it was an important contribution to their safety.

A few years after The Zone went up, and after working in the field of domestic violence for more than 20 years, I spent 2001-2007 at home with my first (and only!) child. I was priviliged enough to have the opportunity to do it and it was the right decision for me. I continued to do some domestic violence consulting during that time, but ultimately couldn't keep up with all the developments in the field. And now, after allowing this site to languish for far too long, it's time to let it go.

Today, there's a plethora of accurate, useful, and safety-centered information available on the web to help abused women understand their experience, identify options and take additional steps to protect themselves and their children. Below, I provide only a few links to credible sites that provide information to survivors or friends and family members of survivors. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list, and I'm not really interested in expanding it. It'll do its job by getting you to resources that can either provide you what you're looking for or further direct you to resources that can.

For Survivors
Most important —if you are abused yourself, please know that. . .

You are not alone.
You are not to blame.
You do not deserve to be abused.
You have a right to be safe.

Here's a link to a booklet called Domestic Violence: Finding Safety and Support located on the NYS Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence website. It's in its 3rd revision since 1996; I wrote the first edition but it's been revised and expanded significantly since then. It still remains a terrific resource of basic and comprehensive information, including safety-planning, for both those who are being abused by an intimate partner and those who care about them. Here's a downloadable PDF of it if you're interested.

More resources are available now than ever before to help women and their children be safe. To find the domestic violence program nearest you, go to The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence List of State Coalitions. Each state's coalition website is likely to post a complete list of local domestic violence programs that provide free and confidential assistance — including, but not limited to, emergency shelter. Call now to find out what options are available to you.

Computer Safety
If you're concerned about someone knowing you visited this site or being able to track your computer activity, go here for more information about how to protect yourself.

National Organizations and Resources

New York State Resources

Domestic Violence and Chemical Use
The hardest thing for me to let go of is my past work on the connection and "dis-connection" between partner violence and substance abuse. From 1988 until July 2001, I worked for the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (OPDV). While there, I was able to devote most of my time to developing a Domestic Violence and Substance Abuse Project that included the provision of training, technical assistance, and policy development and implementation to substance abuse treatment agencies, employee assistance professionals, and domestic violence programs across New York state. The connections between substance abuse and violence in women's lives is profound; the need to support both safety and sobriety in providing assistance essential; and the current lack of collaboration between the various systems disheartening.

So, while there are certainly people across the country far more equipped than I am to educate and train on these issues, here are links to some things I've written that may still have some relevance today.

And here are some additional resources on the topic that you might find helpful as well:


Thank you
For your support, suggestions, critiques, and feedback on this site over the years. I, no doubt, did many things wrong. But I know that at least some of the things I did right made a difference. And that's enough for me.

Theresa Zubretsky
tz@thesafetyzone.org