Youth Safety Planning

Youth safety planning tool

1Intro

2Basics

3Emotional

4During an argument

5Home

6Online

What is a safety plan?

Your safety plan is an adaptable tool to help keep you safe in your ever-changing situation.

It includes information specific to you and your life that will increase your safety at school, work, home, and other places that you go on a daily basis.

Gender-based violence continues as an epidemic. Planning for safety is one way you can take back your power in abusive relationships. Although you can't control an intimate partner's use of violence, planning for safety can help you evaluate, define options and opportunities for liberation and safety.

If you’re in an abusive relationship, the risk of lethal violence increases during or just after you leave an abusive partner, therefore planning for safety is critical. Your personalized safety plan is a practical plan that includes ways to remain safe while in a relationship, planning to leave, or after you leave.

Safety Alert

The interactive guide to safety planning requires you to enter information into an online form.

Be sure that the computer you are using is in a safe location and is not being monitored by your partner. Click or tap "EXIT THIS SITE" to quickly leave this page.

You can learn more about how an abusive partner can monitor your computer as well as tips to keep you safe online here. If you need to hide this page quickly, click the ESC key on your keyboard or tap the "Exit This Site" link in the top right-hand corner of this page.

How do I use this tool to make a safety plan?

Take some time to go through each section of this safety planning tool. You will be asked a series of questions to help you identify your safety options. You can use this tool on your own, or you can use it with a friend, someone you trust, or call our crisis and intake line 1-855-687-1867.

At the end of the process, you will have a printable version of your personalized safety plan that you can reference whenever you need it. You can read it online, print it immediately, or have a PDF sent to your email. The PDF will be active for 24 hours; after that, your information will be deleted from the website.

Keep in mind

For this safety plan to work for you, the information you fill in must be honest and accurate.

Once you complete your safety plan, be sure to keep it in an accessible but secure location. You will also have an opportunity to email a copy of your safety plan to someone that you trust.

If you don't feel safe keeping a copy of your safety plan or sharing it with anyone, then you can still use the safety tips. Try to memorize at least one phone number of someone you can call any time.

You can also download a PDF version of this tool to save, print, or review offline here.

You know your situation better than anyone else; trust your judgment and weigh your options before taking any steps.

To increase my safety, I can do (some or any of) the following

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 have a choice about how to respond and how to best get myself to safety.

When I have to talk to my abusive partner in person, I can:

When I have to talk to my abusive partner on the phone, I can:

If I have ended the relationship, I can tell the following people and ask them to call the police if they see my abusive partner bothering me.

Teacher:

Friend:

Relative:

I will decide for myself if and when I will tell others that I have been abused, or that I am still at risk.

Friends, family, co-workers, my boss, teachers, and other school personnel can help protect me, if they know what is happening, and how they can help.

I feel safe telling these people about my situation:

Click or tap the plus button to add more people to the list. Include their email address or phone numbers if you can.

I can ask these people to help screen my phone calls at home or work:

Click or tap the plus button to add more people to the list.

When walking, riding or driving home, if problems occur, I can:

If I use the school bus or public transportation, I can:

Safety and my emotional health

The experience of violence is usually exhausting and emotionally draining. The process of building a new life for myself takes much courage and incredible energy.

To conserve my emotional energy and resources and to avoid hard emotional times, I can do some of the following:

If I feel down, I can talk to sources of support, like friends, neighbours, a teacher, or crisis line. The people and numbers I can call include:

I can attend a support group for youth that have been abused. Support groups are held:

Other things I can do to make myself feel better:

Safety during an argument

When I feel a fight coming on, I will try to move to a place that is lowest risk for getting hurt, such as:

Think about places at school, at home and in public.

If we have an argument on a date and I feel unsafe, I will:

Who could you call to get a safe ride home? What would you do if left in an isolated area?

If we have an argument at school and I feel unsafe, I will:

Who could help you? Where could you be safe at school? What teacher/counsellor/friends do you trust?

Safety where I live

If my abusive partner comes over and I’m alone or feeling unsafe I will:

Who can you call to come over? Who can you call if you need help?

If we get in an argument and I feel unsafe I will:

What exits are there in your house? Where are all the phones that you can use to call the police?

If I don't feel safe at home, I can go to:

Friends/family members houses you feel safe at and could stay over night if necessary.

Online and Cell Phone Safety Planning

The following steps are my plan for increasing my safety online and on my phone.

To increase my safety, I can do (some or any of) the following:

I will set all my online profiles to be as private as they can be.

I will save and keep track of any abusive, threatening or harassing comments or posts.

I will never give my password to anyone.

I will change my usernames, email addresses, passwords and/or cell phone number if the harassment does not stop.

I will delete/block any followers who harass me.

I will only accept friend requests/followers from people I know.

I will not share my phone number or home address on my profile.

I will report fake profiles.

I will only post things that I am comfortable with the public seeing.

I will not answer calls or text messages from unknown, or blocked numbers.

I will see if my phone company can block my abusive partners’ phone number from calling my phone.

I will save any information that suggests a violent threat.

If I choose to contact the police I will do my best to provide specific details such as any tangible evidence collected.

If someone posts a private photo of me online without my permission I will:

Report it to the police

Tell a teacher/counselor

Tell a parent/ guardian

Call a crisis line

Report online

Other

When my abusive partner calls and I feel threatened I will:

Screen your calls with voice mail? Change your phone number?

Please email a PDF copy of my safety plan to this email address:

You can enter your email address, or a person you trusts' email address and we will send you a PDF copy to your inbox.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

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