Abuse of Power

THE clearinghouse on police-perpetrated domestic violence

...police victims' special circumstances affect legal strategies

Changing Your Identity

The "Underground"

Novels, movies and many well-meaning sources have created the fiction of an underground for battered women. The underground supposedly supplies victims with a new identity, transportation to get away, a place to live, a job, money and everything else they need to start a new life. To our knowledge, there is no such underground. There is, however, an established network of domestic violence shelters.

Using the shelter network may be possible, but it will be more complicated for you because your abuser is in law enforcement. Police often know the location of shelters. The intake process for a shelter may require personal information that you are unwilling to give as it may jeopardize your safety. The shelter may require that you file a police report or get an Order of Protection to remain in the shelter and you may not feel that these are viable options in your situation.

Leaving Everything Behind

You may think that the only way you will ever be safe is to change your identity so the abuser cannot find you. This becomes more unrealistic every day as private businesses and the government compile enormous data bases of information which they share.

Changing your identity means more than changing your name, social security number, address and phone number. It means your children leaving their school, leaving your job, leaving your friends and family. You will have to leave behind anything that could identify your former identity or lead the abuser to you [personal account]. Changing your identity means leaving behind every thing that makes you "you" in the legal sense and social sense.

Lasting Consequences

Applying for financial assistance or food stamps, moving to transitional housing, finding employment, getting medical care, and enrolling children in school all require identifying information. Most service providers, schools, employers, landlords, banks, etc. require an extensive history before they will provide services or employment. Carefully consider the long-lasting consequences of changing your identity before you start the process. A few of these are:

  • You cannot use your work history. This means that you will have to start all over again and not work in jobs for which you were formerly qualified. You will not be able to provide any degrees, professional licenses or certification.
  • You will not be able to purchase anything on credit without your credit history. Do you have access to enough cash to live without credit?
  • You will have trouble getting government benefits like welfare, disability, or social security income.
  • Your will need to apply for insurance — health, car, property — for both you and your children. However, you will be unable to provide any prior medical or financial records.
  • You cannot get a passport or other federal documentation because you don't have a birth certificate under the new identity.
  • You will have trouble proving past abuse because medical records and court papers are in your old name.
  • You will not be able to safely contact friends or family. Many women say this is the worst consequence of all.
  • You will have to lie to everyone you meet about who you are, your past, and your family.

Your children will also be affected:

  • They will not be able to safely contact their friends or family members.
  • You will have to teach them to always lie about who they are, where they came from, and where their father is.
  • They will lose opportunities for scholarships based on former scholastic and athletic accomplishments.
  • They will have to avoid all school activities that present a risk of public exposure, such as school pictures, sports, awards, etc. that could be posted on the Internet or media outlets.

Changing Social Security Numbers

Application process

Should you decide to take this step, you will have to go to a Social Security Administration (SSA) office to apply for a new number. You will have to prove that you are a victim of domestic violence and that you are in danger. They require documentation such as police reports, copies of protection orders, letters from shelters. You may not have these documents because your abuser is a police officer and you could not use the normal channels for help. Ask a domestic violence advocate to go to the SSA office with you to help explain your circumstances. The SSA will review your application and inform you of their decision within several weeks. If your application is denied, you have a right to appeal the decision.

The Social Security Administration has additional information about changing your social security number. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence provides information about protecting your identity. Please be aware that online information may be outdated.

New numbers are traceable

Credit bureaus, law enforcement agencies and other governmental agencies can match your new number with the old number. While the Social Security Administration (SSA) is not to disclose information about your new number without your consent, it is required by law to disclose it to many agencies, including the IRS, Department of Justice, INS and the Selective Service System.