Personal Safety

Say Goodbye to the abuse

Say Goodbye to the abuse
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If you need any free, confidential support or infomation about issues relating to domestic abuse, please call our freephone helpline: 0800 3282430 or click here to send us a secure message.

Making a safety plan

You cannot stop your partner's violence and abuse – only he can do that. But there are things you can do to increase your own and your children's safety and prepare for leaving.

Think about ways you might escape if you need to. Only share your plans with people you can trust.

Here are some important suggestions:

  • Keep important telephone numbers with you, for example, the Scottish Domestic Abuse Helpline, local Women's Aid groups, the police domestic violence unit, your GP, social work department, your children's school, your solicitor.
  • Keep a small amount of money on you at all times for travel, or change for the telephone.
  • Teach your children to call 999 in an emergency, and what they would need to say (for example, their full name, address and telephone number).
  • Call trusted friends or neighbours where you could go in an emergency. In this instance tell them what is going on, and ask them to call the police if they hear sounds of a violent attack.
  • Rehearse an escape plan, so in an emergency you and the children can get away safely.
  • Pack an emergency bag for yourself and your children, and hide it somewhere safe (for example, at a neighbour's or friend's house). Try to avoid mutual friends or family.
  • Know where the nearest phone is, and if you have a mobile phone, try to keep it with you, or hide a spare mobile somewhere safe.
  • If you suspect that your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower risk area of the house – e.g. where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
  • Avoid the kitchen or garage where there are likely to be knives or other weapons; and avoid rooms where you might be trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
  • Be prepared to leave the house in an emergency.