Your safety is very important to us. A safety plan is a useful tool when you are living in an abusive situation. The resources and ideas below may help you make decisions about what to do if you need to leave your abuser.
Plan ahead
- Make a plan with your children so they know where to go for help when they don’t feel safe.
- Arrange for a place to stay when you have to leave the house.
- Hide copies of important papers.
- Collect important phone numbers.
- Know where your cell signal is strong in case you have to call from your house.
- Pack and hide an overnight bag.
- Put aside money, spare keys, and a spare 9-1-1 cell phone from the police department.
During an incident
- Get out if you can and call 9-1-1.
- If you can, take important items listed above.
- Avoid rooms with only one exit.
- Avoid kitchen, bathroom, and tool areas.
After you leave an abuser
- Change lock, secure doors, and secure windows in your house.
- Arrange to have someone stay with you.
- Change your phone number.
- Consider obtaining a protection order.
- Notify trusted friends and family about what is happening.
At work and in public places
- Inform your work, childcare and schools.
- Change your daily routine.
- Plan ahead for unexpected contact with the abuser.
If you can’t leave the situation
- Learn where you can get help.
- Call the YWCA for advice and support.
If you are concerned that your computer and internet use is being monitored, please read about how to safely access webpages like this one.
myPlan, an app that may help
Versions are available for the App Store, Google Play , and for the web. The user sets a four-digit PIN, and the app includes safety features to help if an abuser demands access. The advice is appropriate for any gender, but the language assumes a woman is the target of abuse.
- The app has six sections, through which the user has to progress in a sequential order:
- Relationship myths
- Healthy relationships
- Red flags
- Safety assessment
