Staying Safe

These pages provide tips to help keep you as safe as possible while you are still in an abusive relationship, when you are preparing to leave, and after you have left. 

Following these suggestions (often known as a safety plan) can't guarantee your safety, but it could help make you safer.  However, it is important that you create a safety plan that is right for you.  Not all of these suggestions will work for everyone, and some could even place you in greater danger.  You have to do what you think is best to keep yourself and your children safe.

WomensLaw.org thanks the National Center for Victims of Crime and Lydia Walker for their assistance in compiling this material.

• Internet Security

  General safety tips for Email and browsing the Internet

• Safety with an Abuser

  This page helps you think of ways to try to stay safe if you are currently living with someone who is violent.

• Getting Ready to Leave

  If you are thinking about leaving a violent relationship, this page can help you think of ways to prepare.

• Ending the Abusive Relationship

  If you have left an abusive relationship, or you are trying to keep the abuser away, this page will provide tips for staying safe.

• Safety in Rural Areas

  If you live in a rural area or a small town, there are some extra things to keep in mind when you're making a safety plan.

• Safety Tips for Stalking Victims

  Tips for how to stay safe if you are a victim of stalking

• Safety with Social Media

  How to stay safe on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and Blogs

• Safety in Court

  If you are going to court for a final protective order, the abuser may also be coming to court. Here are some ideas on keeping safe in court.

• Where to Find Help

  Additional resources to help you stay safe and to create a safety plan that is right for you.

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