Personal Safety Plan

Violence at home

If you are home and an argument becomes dangerous: 

• Leave your home; 
• Take your children with you; 
  • Go to a friend or family member’s house, or 
  • Go to a shelter;
• If you have been hurt: 
  • Go to a doctor or hospital; 
  • Take pictures of your injuries;
• If you cannot leave; 
  • Do what the abuser wants; 
  • Allow the abuser to calm down; 
  • Stay close to a room with a door to the outside; and 
  • Avoid bedrooms, bathrooms or kitchens. 

Preparing to leave safely

• Open a savings account in your own name; 
• Get a safe address, such as a P.O. Box; 
• Pack a bag with: 
  • Money, 
  • An extra set of car and house keys, 
  • Important documents, and 
  • Medicine, and 
  • Clothes; 
• Leave the bag with someone you trust; 
• Have a place to go; and 
• Figure out who can loan you money if you need it.

Safety at home

If you are threatened:

• Change your locks or add new locks; 
  • If you rent, tell your landlord about this; 
• Talk with your children about a safety plan for when you are not with them; 
• Tell your neighbors and landlord your partner does not live with you anymore; 
• Do not put outgoing mail in your mailbox; 
• If you have a locked mailbox, change the lock; 
• Keep your protection order with you at all times; 
• If the protection order covers the children, leave a copy of the order at their school or day care; 
  • Tell the school and day care who can pick the children up; 
• Change your phone number; 
• Do not call your abuser from your new number; 
• Keep a diary of all contact with your abuser; and 
• Call the police if the abuser breaks the protection order and contacts you.

Protect your personal information

• Create a new e-mail account; 
• Save and print out any messages your abuser sends you; 
• Use a public computer; 
  • Your home computer has a history of your searches. Public libraries have computers for the public to use. 
• Protect or change your e-mail and voice mail passwords; 
• Protect or change your PIN numbers; 
• Check with your phone service provider to see if the location service is activated on your phone; 
  • Have the location feature turned “off;” and 
• Do not give anyone your social security number unless it is necessary.

Safety outside your home

• Change your travel routes often; 
• Shop in different locations; 
• Cancel all joint credit cards; 
  • Open an account in your name only; 
• Close joint bank accounts; 
  • Open an account in your name only; 
• Keep your protection order with you at all times; 
• Tell your co-workers, your boss and security at your place of work about your situation; 
• Let your calls at work go to voice mail or get caller ID for your work phone; and 
• Walk with a co-worker to your car or the bus stop after work.

Safety for your pets

• Keep emergency provisions for your pet, like food and medicine; 
• Keep a phone number for the nearest emergency veterinary clinic; 
• Establish ownership of your pet; 
  • Get a pet license; 
  • Have a vet put your pet’s medical records in your name; 
  • Keep a copy of your pet’s records; 
• Pack a bag for your pet and include; 
  • Food; 
  • Medicine; 
  • Toys; and 
  • Bedding; 
• Find the name of a shelter for your pet; 
• Keep your pet indoors as much as possible; 
• Do not leave your pet outdoors alone; 
• Pick safe routes and times to walk your pet; 
• Do not walk your pet alone; and 
• Tell your vet or kennel that you want to keep the location of you and your pet confidential.

For more detailed information, review the Protection Orders Handbook.