Safety Planning
There is a safe way to leave your abuser. Your safety plan should fit your individual situation. A Safe Place advocate can help you develop the right plan for you and your children. These are some suggestions for a basic safety plan. You do not have to do each of these things before you can leave your abuser. You and your children can come to Safe Place at any time of the day or night by calling the 24-hour hotline at 432-570-1465 or 1-800-967-8928.
Basic Safety Planning
- Every situation is different – you know your abuser best. Trust your instincts and judgment. Think ahead about which rooms in your house are safest during a violent incident. Try to stay out of the kitchen where knives can be used as weapons and bathrooms where there are no exits.
- Keep the hotline phone number close at hand so you will have it at any time.
- Identify one or more neighbors you can tell about the violence, and ask that they call the police if they hear a disturbance coming from your home.
- Think of a code word or phrase to use with your children, family, friends or neighbors to let them know when you need the police.
- Think ahead about where you would go if you have to leave your home – even if you don’t think you will need to.
- If you have a protective order, keep it with you at all times. Give a copy to a trusted neighbor, friend, or family member. Inform your friends, family, employer or trusted co-worker that you have a protective order in place.
- Call the police if your partner breaks the protective order.
- Inform school, daycare, etc., about who has permission to pick up your children.
- Inform neighbors and landlord that your partner no longer lives with you and they should call the police if they see your partner near your home.
Always remember – You don’t deserve to be abused.