Safety Plan for Victims of Domestic Violence

Safety planning helps develop tools in advance of potentially dangerous situations. Choose only the suggestions listed here that make sense for your situation.

Go to an area that has an exit.
Not a bathroom (near hard surfaces), kitchen (knives), or near weapons.

Stay in a room with a phone.
Call 911, a friend, or a neighbor, if necessary. In-form them if there are weapons in the home.

Know your escape route.
Practice how to get out of your home safely. Visualize your escape route.

Have a packed bag ready.
Keep it hidden in a handy place in order to leave quickly, or leave the bag elsewhere if the abuser searches your home.

Devise a code word or signal.
Tell your children, grandchildren, or neighbors so you can communicate to them that you need the police.

Know where you’re going.
Plan where you will go if you have to leave home, even if you don’t think you’ll need to..

Trust your judgment.
Consider anything that you feel will keep you safe and give you time to figure out what to do next. Sometimes it is best to flee and sometimes it is best to appease the abuser – anything that works to protect yourself and the children.

Leaving Can Be The Most Dangerous Time!

Have a safe place to stay.
Make sure it is a place that can protect you and your children or grandchildren.

Call a sexual and domestic violence victim service program.
Find out which services and shelters are available as options if you need them. Keep their address and phone number close at hand at all times.

Find someone you trust.
Leave money, extra keys, copies of important documents, and clothing with them in advance so you can leave quickly, if necessary.

Open a savings account.
Put it in your name only, to increase your independence. Consider direct deposit from your paycheck or benefit check.

Concerns about immigration status.
You may qualify under a law called the Violence Against Women Act. Talk to an immigration expert (not Immigration and Customs Enforcement) or your local sexual and domestic violence program for more information.

Upgrade your security system.
Change the locks on doors and windows. Consider a security service, window bars, better lighting, smoke detectors, and fire extinguishers.

Have a safety plan.
Teach your children or grandchildren how to call the police or someone they can trust. Have a secret code word that you and your children agree on to communicate trouble and for the people who are allowed to pick up the children.

Change your phone number.
Screen your calls. Save or take screenshots of all voicemails or text messages with threats or that violate any orders. If you are concerned that the abuser may have tampered with your phone, you may want to get a new phone and/or phone number or a disposable cell phone that the abuser does not have access to.

Talk to neighbors and landlord.
Inform them that the abuser no longer lives with you and that they should call the police if they see the abuser near your home.

Get legal advice.
Find a lawyer knowledgeable about domestic violence to explore custody, visitation, and divorce options that may protect you and the children. Discuss getting a protection order as an option.

The abuser may be mandated to a batterers’ intervention program. Talk with the program to find out more about potential risks to you while the abuser participates. Additionally, contact your local sexual and domestic violence program for more information.

Tell somebody
There can be pros and cons to informing your employer about your situation. You can discuss any concerns you may have with a domestic or sexual violence advocate who can talk with you about your employment rights and can help you plan for your safety on the job. Decide who at work you will inform of your situation, especially if you have a Protection From Abuse Order (PFA). This may include office security, if available. Provide a picture of the abuser, if necessary. You can request confidentiality from those you disclose to.

Screen your calls.
Arrange to have someone screen and log your telephone calls, if necessary.

Make a safety plan.
Create a safety plan for when you enter and leave your work place. Have someone escort you to your vehicle or other transportation.

If you and the abuser work at the same place, discuss with your supervisor your options regarding scheduling, safety precautions, and employee/family benefits.

In an Emergency, Call 911

Get support.
Call a domestic violence crisis hotline or attend a women’s or victims’ support group to gain support from others and learn more about yourself and the relationship with the abuser.

Do what is safe for you.
If you have to communicate with the abuser, arrange to do so in a way that makes you feel safe – whether by phone, mail, or in the company of another person.

Tell schools and childcare.
Let them know who has permission to pick up the children. Discuss with them other special provisions to protect you and your children. Provide a picture of the abuser, if necessary.

Exchange children in a safe place.
Find a safe place to exchange the children for visitation. Some communities have specific locations just for this purpose. Contact your local sexual and domestic violence program for more information.

You and your children deserve to be safe.

• Marriage and Driver’s licenses
• Birth certificates – yours and family’s
• Money, checkbooks, credit cards, ATM cards, mortgage payment book, car title
• Social Security card, work permit, green card, passport, visa
• Divorce, custody papers and protection order
• Insurance papers and medical records
• Lease, rental agreement and/or house deed
• School and health records
• Keys – house, car, office, friend’s
• Medications, glasses, hearing aids needed by you and your family
• Personal items – address book, pictures, toys
• Copies of your spouse’s green card or social security card and all immigration related documents
• Benefit card

For support, contact:

The sexual and domestic violence program nearest you.

Kansas Crisis Hotline
1-888-END-ABUSE
(1-888-363-2287)

National Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-SAFE (1-800-799-7233)