Safety Planning
Are You Safe?
If you or someone you know is is an abusive relationship, knowing ways to stay safe and find safety are vital. Please look at our helpful safety tips listed below or feel free to call our 24/7 helpline to create your safety plan with a trained advocate. Click the button below to access our safety planning toolkit.
Safety Tips
Pack an Escape Bag
Consider creating an escape bag with clothes and important documents such as your birth certificate, SS card, and Passport. You may also want to include a spare set of keys to your car or house.
Injunction For Protection
A IFP or Restraining Order can serve to keep you safe and your abuser away from you.
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If an IFP is in place be sure to provide copies to your work and children's school if applicable.
Plan Your Escape
Have an escape destination planned for you and your child if applicable and determine the safest route. Consider any transportation needs you may have and if you have pets consider how you will get them to safety.
Bank Accounts
If you share a joint bank account with your abusive partner, consider opening a new account in your name or removing your partner's access to the account information. Remember to consider your safety when thinking about these tasks.
Code Words
Create a code word or phrase that you can quickly text or tell a trusted friend or family member that you are in danger and need assistance.
Change Passwords
Consider making your social media accounts private and changing all your account passwords.
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Also consider removing the ability for someone to tag you in a post on social media.
Power &
Control Wheel
The Power and Control Wheel is a tool commonly used our field of domestic violence. It's designed to help you understand the different ways in which an abuser may exert power and control. The Power and Control Wheel is like a map that helps us understand how someone might use different tactics to contro usl and manipulate us in our relationship. Imagine a wheel with eight slices, each representing a different method of control. At the center of the wheel is the core of the abusive behavior: power and control. This is what the abuser always seeks to maintain over the survivor.
