If you are living with an abusive partner it can be helpful to develop a plan to enable you to keep safe. Here are some suggestions that you may like to include in your own personal safely plan:
- Consider carefully who you tell about your plan to leave. This includes children and friends as this may compromise your safety.
- Decide who you will call if you feel threatened or in danger.
- Decide where you will go if you need a safe place.
- Have money for a taxi or bus fare to get you to a safe place.
- Decide what arrangements you will make to ensure the safety of your children.
- Have a spare key to your house and/or car with you at all times or somewhere where you can grab it quickly.
- Keep your ID in a safe place or on you at all times.
- Have a list of emergency contact numbers with you at all times.
- Hide a change of clothing for you and your children.
- If you take medication have enough packed with the change of clothing.
- To avoid confusion in a panic, practice travelling to your safe location.
- Train your children how to phone 000 – the emergency number for the Police – and when to phone this number.
- Keep a list of items you may wish to retrieve at a later date.