Developing a Safety Plan

Protect yourself and your children, in a time of crisis.

Safety planning allows you to create intentional ways to resist abuse and to protect yourself, and your children, in a time of crisis. Together, we can compile the skills you have and the insight you have used in the past to keep yourself safe and build upon the knowledge to keep you safe in the future. If you are currently in an abusive situation and are thinking about leaving, or have recently left, there are steps you can take to increase your safety. The safety of you and your children is the most important thing.

Safety Plan for your Emotional Health and Wellbeing

No matter what types of abuse you have experienced, it will have an impact on your emotional wellbeing. It is important to remember your strength and resilience.

Safety Plan for your Emotional Wellbeing

Living with an abusive partner

No matter if an abusive incident has only happened once or many times, a safety plan can be useful in helping you recognize the events that led up to that incident and how you might respond differently, if needed, in the future. If you are currently with an abusive partner, the following link will allow you to view and/or download an outline of the steps which represent the plan for increasing your safety and preparing in advance for the possibility of further violence. Although you do not have control over your partner's violence, you do have a choice about how to respond him/her and how to best get your children and yourself to safety.

Safety Plan - Living with Abuse

Thinking About Leaving

When leaving a situation where there is family violence, leaving must be done in a careful plan in order to increase safety. There is potential for the violence to escalate if the abuser believes their partner may be leaving.

Safety Plan - Thinking about Leaving

Harassment & Stalking

Criminal harassment, more commonly referred to as stalking, can be defined as harassing behaviour including repeatedly following, communicating with, or watching someone's home. This sort of behaviour is against the law.

Safety Plan - Stalking & Criminal Harrasment

Recently Separated

Sometimes abusive partners will continue abusive and controlling behaviours even after you separate. There are many things you can do to increase your own safety. It may be impossible to do everything at once, but safety measures can be added step by step.

Safety Plan - Recently Separated

Pet Safety

We understand that pets are important members of your family and you may be delaying or avoiding leaving your abusive home due to fear of pets being harmed and wanting to keep them safe too.

Pet Safekeeping Program

How to stay safe during violence

Have a plan in mind

When a situation where I’m not safe begins, I will move to a safe room - ideally a room with 2 exits. I will avoid bathrooms, the garage, or kitchen, and being near weapons or in rooms without access to an outside door.

Teach others in the home to call 911. If it is a regular phone (i.e., a landline and not a cell phone or phone on your computer) and the caller cannot speak, leave the phone off the hook and the call will be traced. If it is a cell phone, the caller must give the address in order for the police to find the location.

I will have a safe package (see Escape Plan list) or list already prepared and stored in a place that I can access easily and the abusive person will not find.

Stay mentally focused on my safety

I will remind myself that I have an Emergency Escape Plan and rehearse it in my mind.

Start to position myself to get out quickly or to get near a phone so I can call 911 if necessary. Keep a phone with me if possible.

Use my judgment and intuition. If the situation is very serious, I can agree with my abuser or give him/her what they want to calm them down. I have to protect myself until I am out of danger.

Ask for help when I can

When, or after, I have been assaulted, call the police at 911 if I can. Don't hang up the phone, so that 911 can hear if I am in further danger while waiting for police to arrive.

If I am blocked from using the phone, try and call for help loudly enough that neighbours can call the police for me.