SAFETY PLAN

WHAT YOU CAN DO PRIOR TO A VIOLENT INCIDENT

1.      Know your local battered women’s shelter phone number.

2.      Learn to recognize the growing potential of violence in your partner.

3.      Notify a neighbor to be alert to strange noises and to call the police when this happens.

4.      If it is safe, get rid of all weapons in your home.

5.      Plan where you will go in an emergency or dangerous situation. Make arrangements   with a trusted friend to help you and your children. Ask them not to tell anyone. Consider telling your employer not to talk with your partner until your employer talks with you first.

IMPORTANT ITEMS TO TAKE WHEN YOU LEAVE

1.      MONEY - Always keep some money hidden in a safe place where you can get it night or day. Have enough money for motel rent, telephone calls, gas and food expenses. Be sure you have both coins and bills.

2.      KEYS - Have two extra sets of keys made for your car and your home, one for you to put in a safe place and the other to give to a trusted friend.

3.  CLOTHING - Have a bag with extra clothing for you and your children.

4.  IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS - Know how to get the following documents quickly:

ü      Your and your children’s Social Security Cards (and his(her social security number)

ü      Birth Certificates (yours and your children’s)

ü      Immunization records

ü      Important medical documents

ü      Your driver’s license (and his/her driver’s license number)

ü      Pay stubs (yours and his/hers)

ü      Any individual and mutual ownership papers

ü      Copy of all your monthly bills

ü      Bank Accounts

ü      Insurance Policies

ü      Marriage License

ü      Divorce or separation decrees

ü      Valuable jewelry

WHAT YOU CAN DO DURING A VIOLENT INCIDENT

1.      Leave home with your escape items or, if not possible, get to a room with a lock on the door and/or a phone.

2.      Call the police, “911”

3.      Scream so your neighbors can hear and call the police.

4.      If you have to leave your children in the home, contact the police immediately.

5.      If you leave by car, lock your car doors immediately and do not unlock the doors until you arrive safely at your destination.

6.      Check yourself and your children for injuries and go to the hospital if necessary.

SAFETY PLAN FOR CHILDREN AND TEENS

HOW TO STAY S.A.F.E. IN YOUR HOME!

1.   Stay out of the fight

Ø      You may want to get in the middle of the fight to protect and help your parent, but this is not a safe thing for you to do.

Ø      Stay out of the room where the fight is happening.

2.   Avoid getting trapped in a small room or closet or the kitchen.

Ø      You may feel like hiding, but if you go into a corner or closet, it may be hard to get out again safely.

Ø      Don’t get trapped in the kitchen where there are objects that can be used as weapons.

3.   Find a phone in a safe place.  Call 911 for help and stay on the phone.

Ø      Use a phone out of reach or out of sight of the batterer.

Ø      If you can’t reach a phone safely in your own house, go to a neighbor, relative, or friend you trust and ask if you can use the phone.

Ø      Call 911, or your local police emergency number, and stay on the phone until someone answers.

Ø      Tell the dispatcher what is happening in your home and ask for immediate help.

Ø      Give the dispatcher your address.

4.   Escape to a safe place.  Find a relative or neighbor and ask for their help.

Ø      Think about which grownups you would feel safe talking to.

Ø      Don’t give up if the first person you go to won’t help.  Try another adult.  Keep trying until you find someone to help you.

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