Fleeing Violence in the United States

Many of these tips we also recommend for all women as you never know when you will become a target, but if you take steps to protect yourself only after the fact, it is too late. Many of these tips also apply in our financial education for women.

At Empowering Minds we regularly work with female crime victims, including those fleeing violence and have been part of supporting women who are being abused via the legal system for many years, both in and outside of Illinois.

Women fleeing violence in the United States face unique challenges. Due to anti-terrorism and public safety legislation safety for victims is next to impossible, as exemptions are not granted for violence victims.

Going into hiding from an abuser used to be a simple process-move to a new place and tell the landlord and utility companies to put you under a different name. That is no longer allowed. And this is problematic as utilities property and residential addresses are public record, meaning if your name is on a utility and you are in hiding, you are going to be easily found.

The same thing is true for drivers license information and auto insurance.

Your drivers license/state ID information becomes public record as it is deemed necessary in case of medical emergency or if you become a criminal. You’ll be told that the only individuals who could access that information are police officers, private investigators, social workers or insurance companies. Data brokers get around this by being partial or full owners of insurance companies and being granted information that way.

Most people, including violence organizations, don’t understand the true scope of what it takes to actually be able to be safe in the United States as someone who is in hiding or fleeing violence. You’d be hard pressed to find an organization that knows about what is mentioned in the above image. If they do, they may say all those steps arent’ necessary, but they are. And there are more than that in reality.

Sadly, many people truly believe that if you were in that much danger, the person you are fleeing from would be in prison. Of course, if the victim is female, and the abuser is male that is not the case.

UnEqual Rights

It has become common place for male abusers to utilize the legal system and city codes to continue to abuse their female victims. It’s not at all uncommon for abusers to initiate restraining orders against their victims, cite their property with repeated city code violations (even if there are none), or sue their victims for defamation..

Most attorneys will inform you that under the United States Constitution women do not have equal rights to men as the equal rights amendment has not been officially added to the constitution yet. And that matters.

It plays a big role in male abusers being able to take action against their female victims, including getting restraining orders against their victims and even suing their victims. Attorneys make big money off of this so often most abusers will be able to find an attorney to represent them for free. Whereas most victims cannot find an attorney to represent them. We recommend all women have umbrella insurance that covers defamation lawsuits. That is the only way that we have found that women are able to have attorneys represent them in defamation cases from their male abusers. And if you can’t find representation, your abuser will win in court by default.

Many people will say they have never heard of this happening, but the Amber Herd and Johnny Depp case is the most famous defamation case of an alleged abuser against their victim. And that case played out as the typical defamation suit against victims play out. Regardless of the evidence that a woman may have- just like in criminal cases.

No evidence is required to initiate a civil suit and we have not yet heard of a civil case where the woman was found innocent and her abuser guilty.

Reporting a victims property to the city repeatedly for or without cause is also another common legal means of abuse. Often with the hope of forcing the person to move (and deplete their resources for a more effective move), or draining them financially to keep up with code enforcement a city wouldn’t bother with otherwise. Or simply causing their victim further mental anguish.

All are attempts to financially ruin a woman so that she doesn’t have the means to continue fleeing. The best defense is a good offense. If you are a woman, get defamation insurance, and move to a state with strong Anti-SLAPP laws that protect victims from suits from abusers, as well as an Address Protection Program.

Illinois Address Protection Program

As of January 2025 we have been aware of the Illinois Address Protection Program (Called the Address Confidentiality Program in Illinois) removing crime victims if they are found in public record. No other state currently does this. We strongly recommend that victims not move to Illinois until this policy is changed. And it isn’t likely to be changed.

If you currently are part of the ACP in Illinois, we recommend moving away before you are removed from the program.