Making a Safety Plan: Small Steps That Help You Feel Safer

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Heard & Believed · 2026-10-20 · 5 min read

Reviewed by Heard & Believed · Updated 2026-10-21

Safety planning is not about expecting the worst. It is about having a few things ready so you do not have to figure everything out in a hard moment. Here are ideas you can adapt to your own life.

In short

A safety plan is personal. Use the ideas that fit your life and leave the rest.
A code word, a trusted person, and a few memorized phone numbers can make a big difference in a crisis.
If you are planning to leave, an escape bag with important documents, medications, cash and keys can be kept hidden and ready.
If the danger involves a partner, RAINN advises going to the police or a shelter first. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 800-799-7233.

Why a plan can help

After abuse or assault, safety can be something you think about every day. RAINN describes safety planning as preparing to get safe, stay safe and feel safe. Having a plan does not mean something bad will happen. It means you have already made a few decisions, so you can lean on them if you need to.

If someone is hurting you now

RAINN suggests ideas like these:

Learn where your safe places are, such as a local shelter or a family member's home, and memorize the routes.
Create a code word with your children or your support network that means "get out" or "I need help."
If someone may be watching your computer, clear your history regularly or use a computer at a friend's house or a library.
Have a few believable reasons ready for leaving the house in case you need to go quickly.
Find someone you trust who can respond if you need help.

If someone is following or watching you

Keep your phone charged and emergency contacts saved, possibly under different names, and memorize a few numbers in case you lose your phone. Change up your routine and routes over time. Tell someone you trust what is happening; stalking does not have to be kept secret.

If you are planning to leave

Pack an escape bag with important papers, such as your ID, birth certificate, passport and Social Security card, plus prescriptions, medical records, cash, keys and cards. If someone finds it, RAINN suggests calling it a "hurricane bag" or "fire bag."
If you have children, include their identifying documents too.
Know where you will go, and plan a main route and a backup route.
Let your support people know how to respond if the person contacts them.

You do not have to plan alone

If the danger involves a partner, RAINN's guidance is to go to the police or a shelter first. The National Domestic Violence Hotline, at 800-799-7233, can help you think through a plan that fits your situation. Advocates at local programs can help too.

Heard & Believed is a free survivor-support information site, not a law firm or a counseling service. If you want to talk to someone right now, RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline is free, confidential and open 24/7 at 800-656-4673.

This is supportive information, not legal or medical advice. If you need someone now, the RAINN hotline is 800-656-4673, free and confidential, 24/7.

Sources

Safety Planning for Survivors of Assault, Harassment, & Stalking, RAINN

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Questions

You might be wondering

A word or phrase you agree on ahead of time with someone you trust, so you can ask for help or signal them to leave without explaining out loud.

RAINN suggests important documents like your ID, birth certificate, passport and Social Security card, plus prescriptions, medical records, cash, keys and cards, and your children's documents if they are coming with you.

The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233, RAINN's hotline at 800-656-4673, and local advocacy programs can all help you plan.

You don’t have to do this alone

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