One of the most important things you can do when developing your safety plan is to talk to a victim advocate who can help you fully consider safety issues, understand your legal rights, and identify community resources (e.g., shelters, sources of financial assistance, or food banks). You can locate a victim advocate through a local domestic violence agency, which provides services at no-charge to victims. The National Crime Victim Helpline, (1-800-FYI-CALL, 1-800-394-2255) can also help you prepare a safety plan and find victim assistance within your own community. The following safety suggestions have been compiled from safety plans distributed by state domestic violence coalitions from around the country.
Identify your partner’s use and level of force so that you can assess danger to you and your children before it occurs.
MOSAIC Threat Assessment Systems, computer-assisted method to help the assessor weigh the present situation in light of expert opinion and research, and instantly compares the present situation to past cases where the outcomes are known thus providing valuable feedback to be used in assisting individuals and families whose lives are at risk.
Try to avoid an abusive situation by leaving.
Identify safe areas of the house where there are no weapons and where there are always ways to escape. If arguments occur, try to move to those areas.
Don’t run to where the children or family pets are as your partner may hurt them as well.
If violence is unavoidable, make yourself a small target: dive into a corner and curl up into a ball with your face protected and your arms around either side of your head, fingers entwined.
If possible, have a phone accessible at all times and know the numbers to call for help. Know where the nearest pay phone is located. Know your local shelter phone number. Don’t be afraid to call the police.
Let trusted friends and neighbors know of your situation and develop a plan and visual signal for when you need help.
Teach your children how to get help. Instruct them not to get involved in the violence between you and your partner. Plan a code word to signal that they should get help or leave the house.
Tell your children that violence is never right, even when someone they love is being violent. Tell them that neither you nor they are at fault or cause the violence, and that when anyone is being violent, it is important to keep safe.
Practice how to get out safely. Practice with your children.
Plan for what you will do if your children tell your partner of your plan or if your partner otherwise finds out about your plan.
Keep weapons like guns and knives locked up and as inaccessible as possible.
Make a habit of backing the car into the driveway and keeping it fueled. Keep the driver’s door unlocked and the other doors locked for a quick escape.
Try not to wear scarves or long jewelry that could be used to strangle you.
Create several plausible reasons for leaving the house at different times of the day or night.
Call a domestic violence hotline periodically to assess your options and get a supportive, understanding ear.
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Copyright © 2006 by The National Center for Victims of Crime.
This information may be freely distributed, provided that it is distributed free of charge, in its entirety and includes this copyright notice.
Information italicized was added by the Operation for HOPE Foundation, Inc. 2011