Planning for Safety
Without help, domestic violence often continues to get more severe over time. It can sometimes become deadly.

•	Tell others you trust such as friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers, what is happening and talk about ways they might be able to help.
•	Memorize emergency numbers for the local police (such as 911), support persons and crisis hotlines.
•	Identify escape routes and places to go if you need to flee from an unsafe situation quickly.
•	Talk with your children about what they should do if a violent incident occurs or if they are afraid.
•	Prepare an emergency bag containing money/checkbooks, extra car keys, medicine, birth certificates, social security cards, immigration documents, and medical cards. Keep it somewhere safe and accessible, such as with a trusted friend.
•	Trust your instincts—if you think you are in immediate danger you probably are. Get to a safe place as soon as you can.
•	After visiting this web site, clear your computer's cache, so traces of your visit are not left on your computer.

Help is just a phone call away.