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

  There are ways that an abuser can access your email and also find out where you have been on the Internet. It is impossible to hide all your tracks.

• 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.

• Going to 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.

• 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.

• Pepper Spray / Mace

  Basic information about pepper spray and Mace to help you decide if carrying a defensive spray for additional protection is right for you.

• 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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