Focus on Victims & Survivors
Take the First Step to Freedom
You’re not alone. We understand how hard it is to leave, but help is here. Start with a safety plan, connect with a counselor, or find a safe shelter near you. Every journey begins with a single step.
Download free resources to escape abuse and rebuild your life including a 10-step safety guide.
Preview:
10-Step Safety Plan for Intimate Partner & Domestic Abuse
(For Those Experiencing or Escaping Abuse)
- Recognize the Signs
- Understand emotional, physical, financial, and psychological abuse.
- Trust your instincts—if you feel unsafe, you likely are.
- Create a Code Word
- Choose a word or phrase that signals danger to trusted friends, family, or coworkers.
- Teach your children how to call for help using the code.
- Plan Your Exit Routes
- Identify safe ways to leave your home in an emergency.
- Keep doors and windows unlocked if necessary.
- Pack an Emergency Bag
- Include cash, spare keys, important documents, medication, and essentials.
- Store it somewhere safe or with a trusted person.
- Save Emergency Contacts
- Keep numbers of trusted friends, shelters, hotlines, and law enforcement handy.
- Memorize key phone numbers in case you lose your phone.
- Secure Important Documents
- Have copies of IDs, passports, birth certificates, insurance, and bank records.
- Store them in a safe place outside the home.
- Use Technology Safely
- Change passwords, turn off location tracking, and use incognito mode when searching for help.
- Consider getting a second phone if possible.
- Document the Abuse
- Keep a journal, take photos of injuries, save threatening messages/emails.
- Store this evidence in a safe place.
- Identify Safe Places & Support
- Find shelters, support groups, or trusted friends who can help.
- Inform workplace security or school staff if necessary.
- Create a Safe Exit Plan
- Choose a time to leave when the abuser is not around.
- Arrange transportation and a secure place to stay ahead of time.
Need Help?
Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233 (SAFE) or Text “START” to 88788
Download our guide today.