Safety Planning

Safety Planning for Teens

Teens should think ahead about ways to be safe if they are in a dangerous or potentially dangerous relationship. Here are some things to consider in designing your own safety plan.

• What adults can you tell about the violence and abuse?
• What people at school can you tell in order to be safe–teachers, principal, counselors, security?
• Consider changing your school locker or lock.
• Consider changing your route to/from school.
• Use a buddy system for going to school, classes and after school activities.
• What friends can you tell to help you remain safe?
• If stranded, who could you call for a ride home?
• Keep journals describing the abuse.
• Get rid of or change the number to any beepers, pagers or cell phones the abuser gave you.
• Keep spare change, calling cards, number of the local shelter, number of someone who could help you and restraining orders with you at all times.
• Where could you go quickly to get away from an abusive person?
• What other things can you do?