Domestic Violence Personalized Safety Plan printable pdf download

OMESTIC

IOLENCE

ERSONALIZED

AFETY

LAN

Name: _____________________________________________ Date: _________________________________

The following steps represent my plan for increasing my safety and preparing in advance for the

possibility for further violence. Although I do not have control over my partner’s violence, I do have

a choice about how to respond to him/her and how to best get myself and my children to safety.

STEP 1: Safety during a violent incident. Women cannot always avoid violent incidents. In

order to increase safety, battered women may use a variety of strategies.

I can use some of the following strategies:

A. If I decide to leave, I will ______________________________________________________.

(Practice how to get out safely. What doors, windows, elevators, stairwells, or fire

escapes would you use?)

B. I can keep my purse and car keys ready and put them (location) ___________________

_________________ in order to leave quickly.

C. I can tell _____________________________ about the violence and request that she or

he call the police if she or he hears suspicious noises coming from my house.

D. I can teach my children how to use the telephone to contact the police, the fire

department, and 911.

E. I will use _____________________________________________ as my code with my

children or my friends so they can call for help.

F. If I have to leave my home, I will go to _________________________________________.

(Decide this even if you don’t think there will be a next time.)

G. I can also teach some of these strategies to some or all of my children.

H. When I expect we’re going to have an argument, I’ll try to move to a place that is low

risk, such as __________________________________. (Try to avoid arguments in the

bathroom, garage, kitchen, near weapons, or in rooms without access to an outside

door.)

I. I will use my judgment and intuition. If the situation is very serious, I can give my

partner what he/she wants to calm him/her down. I have to protect myself until I/we

STEP 2: Safety when preparing to leave. Battered women frequently leave the residence they

share with the battering partner. Leaving must be done with a careful plan in order to increase safe-

ty. Batterers often strike back when they believe that a battered woman is leaving a relationship.

I can use some or all of the following strategies:

A. I will leave money and an extra set of keys with _________________________ so I can

leave quickly.

B. I will keep copies of important documents or keys at _____________________________.

C. I will open a savings account by ____________________, to increase my independence.

D. Other things I can do to increase my independence include: _______________________

______________________________________________________________________________.

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Domestic Violence Personalized Safety Plan