If you are being abused, please call your local domestic violence program. You don't have to go through this by yourself. All domestic violence programs have staff who can help you make a safety plan. You are the expert on your own life. Think about what has or has not helped you stay safer in the past as you consider the ideas below.

Talk about your situation with a friend or relative you trust. That person may be able to offer you support. Establish a code word or sign that you can use to let friends, family, teachers, or co-workers know when to call for help. Contact your local domestic violence program to find out about community resources and laws. Call now and they can help you develop a safety plan. Ask how you can get a protection order. If you have a protection order, keep a copy of it with you at all times. If you are in danger call 911, if it is possible to do so.

Plan with your children. Identify a safe place for them, such as a room with a lock or a neighbor’s house. Assure them that their job is to stay safe, not to protect you.

If you decide to leave, and it is safe to do so, take important items with you. You may want to pack these items in advance and keep them at the home of a friend or relative.

Important items may include:

1. Passports, green cards, work permits
2. Lease agreements/House deed
3. Birth, marriage and/or divorce certificates
4. Address book
5. ID card or Driver's license
6. Medicine
7. School and medical records
8. Keys (house, car, office)
9. Insurance Papers
10. Clothes
11. Money (cash, bankbooks, credit cards)
12. Pictures or other sentimental items
13. Car registration
14. Your children’s favorite toys

If your abuser has moved out, change the locks on your doors and get locks for the windows. Screen your calls and/or get Caller ID. Consider changing your phone number and/or trading in your mobile phone. Your home computer use may be monitored, so use a safer computer at a library/public area, change passwords, and create a new and anonymous email address.