While each person’s safety plan is unique, some common elements include:
- A trusted confidant – friend, family member, clergy, therapist, or another abuse survivor – who will believe a victim’s story and listen without passing judgment.
- Areas in the house to avoid should the abuser become physically violent.
- An escape route – planned and practiced (a good way to leave is to follow everyday routines that include leaving the house, and then proceed to a designated safe place).
- A safe place to stay such as a women’s shelter or a safe house for abused women.
- A code word to use with children, friends, and / or neighbors when the victim needs the police.
- Copies of important documents – such as banking information, insurance policies, birth certificates, passports or immigration papers, medical records and prescriptions, and school records – hidden in a safe and accessible place.
- Other essentials stashed away in a safe and accessible place – such as clothing, a spare set of house and car keys, a pre-paid cell phone, and important phone numbers.
- Money set aside that can be accessed quickly in an emergency.
- Copies of a protective order or restraining order.
- Copies of other court documents regarding custody and visitation.
- A safety plan for your pet.