What Is a Safety Plan?

A safety plan is a personalized, practical plan that includes ways to remain safe while in a relationship, planning to leave, or after you leave. Safety planning involves how to cope with emotions, telling friends and family about the abuse, taking legal action, and more.

Local domestic violence programs and the hotlines/helplines listed here can safety plan with victims, friends and family members — anyone who is concerned about their own safety or the safety of someone else.

Although some of the things that you outline in your safety plan may seem obvious, it’s important to remember that in moments of crisis your brain may not function the same way as when you are calm.  It can be hard to think clearly or make logical decisions about your safety. Creating a safety plan in advance can help protect yourself in those stressful moments.

For additional information, on safety planning, visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline (NDVH) What is a Safety Plan?

For information and resources on safety in the use of  technology, visit Technology Safety & Privacy: A Toolkit for Survivors  created by the National Network to End Domestic Violence. 

Information excerpted from the National Domestic Violence Hotline (NDVH).