A “safety plan” is a term often used to describe a plan of actions that can help keep you safer from an abuser.
A victim cannot control his or her partner’s abusive behavior, but they can take steps to protect themselves and their children from harm. A safety plan is a personalized and practical plan that helps identify things a victim can do to better protect themselves and their children and to help reduce the risk of being hurt.
Safety plans can include:
-
Obtaining a new cell phone
-
Changing a routine
-
Changing locks and installing security systems
-
Determining ways to keep children safe
-
Creating a plan for where to go should an incident occur.
If a victim is planning to leave, here are some thing to consider:
-
Putting aside a bag with money, a change of clothes, identification, and medication.
-
Putting aside important documents like birth certificates and social security cards.