Staying Safe in a Women’s Shelter

The purpose of a women’s shelter is to be a safe haven, or a protective place for women. Most of these women have been battered and abused in the past, and are looking for a safe place to be. But the problem is that shelters are not as safe as some may think. Many women who have been forced to live in a women’s shelter said that the experience is a horrifying one. Unfortunately even though the people who run the women’s shelters have the best of intentions and work very hard to keep all of the women safe, it does not always work.

For those women who are trying to get away from an abusive husband, once he finds out where she is he may come there, and try to harm her. The problem in this case is not the shelter but the women, since they allow them into the building. There are some women’s shelters that are safe, and have helped many women to get back on their feet. According to one women who lived in a shelter for a year, she indicated that the worst shelters are in the city areas.

If you ever find yourself living in a women’s shelter there are definitely some precautions that you will want to take. First of all make sure that you keep your door locked at all times. If it can be helped try to avoid coming in the house too late. Anything after ten o’clock at night is considered dangerous. There are a lot of predators that like to prey on women in shelters. They feel that they are already weak and depressed.

Also if you can help it try to find someone to go out and come in the shelter with. There are some women who have been attacked during the daytime as well as the night. If you make sure that you always have someone with you then it will be a lot safer for you. It also never hurts to carry mace in your purse. Most women who live in these type of shelters try to watch out for each other. The bottom line when it comes to the dangers of living in a women’s shelter is to follow a few of the safety tips mentioned in this article. It may help to save your life.

Another important thing that you will want to keep in mind is that a women’s shelter is only supposed to be a temporary situation. You are not supposed to live there for an extended period of time. This should only be a stepping stone on your way to getting something better. Many women go to shelters after drug rehab, or sometimes prison. If you have to go to a women’s shelter and are not familiar with any of the women that are there, it may be in your best interest to keep it that way. Or if you want to try and make friends be very cautious about who you choose to associate with. You do not want to end up making your problems worse.

Remember shelter’s are supposed to help you get back on your feet, not knock you back off them. Your survival in any women’s shelter depends greatly on you. The longer that you live there the harder it will be for you to leave. Try your best from becoming too dependent on the shelter. It would also be a good idea to keep yourself busy working. This way the majority of your time is not spent at the shelter, and you will be earning enough money to help you get out of the shelter. This may mean that you have to work seven days a week, and possibly maybe ten hours a day. This is assuming of course that you have no children. If you have children that you have to take with you to the shelter their safety should be one of your primary concerns.

If you can not afford child care or do not have anyone responsible to care for your child while you work, you can try looking into some of the programs that your state offers. Surviving in a women’s shelter with children is a very difficult thing to do, but it can be done. Just try to remember the less time you and your children spend their the better. Try and only use the shelter for sleeping, eating, and showering. Don’t allow your kids to hang out there especially not alone. The best advice to keep in mind is the quicker you leave the better your chances and your kids chances are of survival.