Creating a Safety Plan

A safety plan is a plan that a victim can develop to help her leave home in a hurry or secure the safety or her and her children. The following provides some key aspects to consider and sets out an action plan (provided by Women's Net). [Please click here for an example of a personalized 7-step safety plan which you can develop with the support of a friend or family member.]

Have plan in case you need to leave home in a hurry and tell someone you trust about the plan:

• Tell someone about the abuse! If you have neighbors close by, tell them, and ask that they call the police if they hear that you are in trouble
• does your abuser have a gun? Make sure you know where it is kept, and think about ways you can get it out the house (a Protection Order can remove the weapon)
• Decide where you will go if you need to leave home in a hurry. For instance, you may arrange to go to the house of a friend or family member for shelter. Keep the telephone numbers of these services in a safe place and tell your children where these are kept
• Hide a packed bag with essential items such important documents - Identity Document, marriage certificate, children's birth certificates, hospital cards, bank card (s), house and car keys in a safe place (this can be at a friend or family members house). If removing these items from the home may make the abuser suspicious, make copies of these documents, have them certified at a police station and keep these in the packed bag
• Keep copy of the Protection Order and suspended warrant of if already have one
• Keep money aside to safeguard you if you want to run away and need transport
• Work towards becoming financially independent: save money, open your own bank account

Items to take with you (when/if possible):

• Children (if it is safe)
• Money
• Keys to car, house, work
• Extra clothes
• Medicine
• Important papers for you and your children
• Birth certificates
• identity documents/passports
• School and medical records
• Bankbooks, credit cards
• Driver's license
• Car registration
• Grant forms
• Lease/rental agreement
• Insurance papers
• Protection Order, divorce papers, custody orders
• Address book
• Pictures, jewelery, things that mean a lot to you
• Items for your children (toys, blankets, etc.)