Worldwide, domestic violence forces many mothers with their children into refuges for abused women. Some children experience multiple residential relocations and continual schooling disruption. Limited research exists exploring these children's school experiences. This article examines their strategies at school. Data were collected in qualitative interviews with 20 children, ages 6-16, with multiple stays at Norwegian refuges. Data were coded according to the constructivist approach to grounded theory. The generated code "thought control" led to Bandura's theory of "self-efficacy and thought control" as the framework for data analysis. Children used six strategies to regulate their emotional state at school. The strategies were: imaginative safety, recreational learning, healing talks, physical activity, divertive play, and creative explanations.