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Gordon, S. (2020, December 27). How to Exit an Abusive Relationship Safely. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/making-a-safety-plan-to-escape-abusive-relationship-5069959

Safety planning. (n.d.-c). 1800RESPECT. https://www.1800respect.org.au/help-and-support/safety-planning

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What strategies proved most effective.  If you had another similar assignment, what could you do differently?

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What strategies proved most effective.  If you had another similar assignment, what could you do differently?

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The strategy that proved the most effective was making sure that you tell someone of the abuse. It is very important that someone is aware of the abuse. Many times victims of abuse are silent and when they end up dead there is no evidence of such abuse. Trusting someone either a close family or friend is important as providing them with written or verbal evidence in case of any fatalities or major injuries. The other strategy that would be effective is to tell a neighbor. In Belize, as they say, “nobody’s business da secret”, telling a neighbor will be a great help in case you or your children need to escape from danger.
If I had another similar assignment what I would do differently is to include Family.  As a survivor of Domestic Violence, I believe that your family background plays a major role when seeking help as a victim. I remember being abused but not wanting to share it with my family because of fear of being judged. So instead of leaving the relationship I chose to stay because of fear of being judged. It then turns to not only physical but psychological abuse because as the victim you feel as if you have no way of leaving the relationship safely. Parents need to teach their children that it is okay for them to turn to them for help when in danger and to never be ashamed.

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Plans or strategies for completing this assignment. How and to what extent did they change as your work progressed?

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Plans or strategies for completing this assignment. How and to what extent did they change as your work progressed?

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The plans and strategies that I had for doing this assignment were clear. The plans and strategies objective was to always make sure that the victim and children were safe. Making sure that someone was aware of the abuse and that in the case of danger, the victim and children could access safety easily. The plan was also to make sure that the victim and children stay safe after the safety plan is put into action and they are physically and psychologically stable. The plan would allow the victim to feel a sense of preparedness when the need arises because she is still in the relationship.
The strategy that proved the most effective was making sure that you tell someone of the abuse. It is very important that someone is aware of the abuse. Many times victims of abuse are silent and when they end up dead there is no evidence of such abuse. Trusting someone either a close family or friend is important as providing them with written or verbal evidence in case of any fatalities or major injuries. The other strategy that would be effective is to tell a neighbor. In Belize, as they say, “nobody’s business da secret”, telling a neighbor will be a great help in case you or your children need to escape from danger.

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Take Care of your well-being and mental stability by

·         Finding a hobby you love to do for example cooking, reading, or playing sports

·         Place yourself with a counselor that can be someone you can talk to without fear of being judged

·         If you don’t want to take to a counselor find a close family member or friend that can talk openly

·         Turn to spirituality to find a sense of peace and tranquility in your life

·         Surround yourself with positive people

·         Do what makes you happy without worrying about judgment from others.

·         When you escape an abusive relationship apply a protection order from the court

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·         Explain to your children of age the situation

·         Have a safe room for kids so they can hide when in danger

·         Have an emergency bag ready for children that include Social Security Cards, Passports, Birth papers, medication, clothes, snacks, and a toy.

·         Having secret codes with your children could be a simple eye wink when in danger

·         Let older children if more than one be the leader of the other children

·         Give the children a phone and provide them with emergency contacts

·         Let the children be aware that they can run to a neighbor’s or friend’s house when in danger

·         Find escape routes that children can use to exit the house like back doors and windows

·         If the children are at school and there is a protection order inform the school of the order especially if the child is not biologically for the abuser.

·         Give the school a list of people that can contact the child.

·         Daily reassure your children that the abuse is not their fault and that they are loved

·         Be a functional parent in your children’s lives by being a great mother or father

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In case you get involved in a new relationship after using the safety plan you will need to:

·         Inform your partner of the situation

·         Let your partner know the identity of the abuser

·         Let your partner know of his strengths and weakness

·         Let your partner talk to you to and from work

·         Let your partner be aware of when he contacts or threatens you

·         Put your partner on speed dial when you are in danger

·         Share emergency code like a signal or text emoji with your partner whenever you are in danger

·         Trust your partner and tell him or her of your whereabouts regularly

·         Inform your contact if a day goes by and he or she cannot get in contact with you to inform the police

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Technology is a very important aspect of a safety plan because times are changing and cybercrimes are becoming very relevant in Belize and around the world.

·         It is important to have a password on all your devices only if necessary share it with one person you trust

·         Do not share your social media passcode with the abuser

·         Change your password regularly on your social media accounts

·         Do not let friends tag you in posts so in case you have gotten away from the abuser he or she knows of your whereabouts

·         Try to change your phone number

·         Get the number registered in another person’s name

·         Do not use your correct name on social media

·         Do not post pictures of yourself on social media

·         Do not put GPS or location on your accounts

·         Log out after every use of any social media account

·         Do not borrow anyone’s device to use social media or check emails unless it is a trusted friend or family member.

·         If the abuser tries to contact you block him or her and report the page

·         If not necessary do not keep any social media accounts

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·         Give work emergency contact if you missed work and they cannot contact you

School

·         If you are attending school inform the administrator of your situation

·         Inform a classmate of your situation

·         Do not walk to a from school by yourself

·         Stay in a clique at school

·         In case of emergency always keep your cell phone close by

·         You and your friend share codes so they know when you are in danger

·         Give your school and your friends your emergency contacts

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·         Get to know your neighbors

·         Try to build a relationship with the neighbor you believe you can trust

·         Inform him or her of your situation

·         Inform him or her if they hear you yelling for help to call the police and assist you or if they hear any violence

·         Ask him or her for permission to run to their home in case of an emergency

·         To them to call the authorities if they have not seen you for anything more than a day

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·         Inform the supervisor of your situation to let them be aware.

·         Ask your employer to change your schedule regularly so abuser cannot keep track of your time at work

·         Ask the employer to provide a safe environment for you to work

·         Provide employer and security at work with your abuser’s picture, physical description, and personal information like his or her name

·         Ask the employer if they can provide transportation like a shuttle to take you to from work

·         Ask security or an employee to walk with you to your car or destination

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·         Surround yourself with persons you can trust

·         Do not get close to mutual friends with the abuser

·         Tell a friend or a few friends about your situation to let them be aware

·         Keep friend number on speed dial in case of emergency

·         Always keep in contact with a friend and inform him or her of your whereabouts

·         If they have not heard from you inform the authorities

·         Create a secret code with your friend whenever you are in danger

·         Ask a friend if you feel safe staying at their home to assist in occupying their residence

·         Give a friend written or verbal recordings of your testimony in case the situation gets worst so it can be used as evidence in court.

Keep extra clothes and your documents at your friend’s house

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·         When you create the safety plan make sure to keep it safe away from everyone.

·         Keep track of your abuser’s triggers for example if you know when your abuser drinks alcohol he becomes aggressive be on alert or avoid the situation completely by not being at home.

·         Keep all sharp objects in the home concealed

·         If you know the abuser has a weapon like a firearm  hide it you know that he has become triggered

·         Have a safe room in the home where only you have access to or keys to

·         In the home make sure you identify places that you can be used to easily escape when are being attacked

·         Keep your phone close by a charge to contact the police in case of any incident

·         Keep the vehicle with gas if you need to escape or be ready to run or find a shortcut to seek help.

·         Keep an emergency kit with clothes and necessities like passports and Social Security Card if the need arise for escape.

·         Apply for a firearm license to protect yourself don’t let the abuser know of the weapon

·         Keep pepper spray or a small weapon to protect yourself if the needs arise

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Domestic and family violence can include physical violence, emotional abuse, sexual violence, psychological abuse, financial abuse, and threatening harm to your loved ones, children, and pets (Safety Planning, n.d.-c). According to (Gordon, 2020) a safety plan is a personalized and practical plan on how to remain safe in an abusive relationship while preparing to leave when the timing is right and safe to do so. According to (Safety Planning, n.d.-c), safety planning is a way to work on increasing safety when you are experiencing domestic and family violence. Every plan is different as every person has different needs (Safety Planning, n.d.-c). Creating a safety plan when a person is in an abusive relationship is very important especially when you live with the abuser.  As social workers at times, we are tasked to make safety plans to assist clients who are victims of abuse.