List of Protective Strategies

Protective Strategies That May Help in Safety Planning

This list of over 150 strategies can be used with the VIGOR to help come out with possible steps to take. At the time of writing, this is the longest available list of protective strategies for domestic violence.

Download The VIGOR List of Protective Strategies in English→
Download The VIGOR List of Protective Strategies in Catalan→
Download The VIGOR List of Protective Strategies in Spanish (Spain)→
Download The VIGOR List of Protective Strategies in Spanish (U.S. Latin)→

These focus on longer-term options. For an in-depth discussion of immediate situational strategies, see Chapter 6 of Battered Women’s Protective Strategies: Stronger Than You Know.

Housing

Go to shelter
Stay in your own home/ask partner to leave
Get a roommate to cover rent or mortgage
Stay with family
Stay with friends
Put children in safe housing
Apply for subsidized or public housing (such as Section 8)
Move to another house or apartment, buy or rent new housing
Stay in a hotel
Seek assistance with getting a down payment for a new home

Financial and employment option

Keep current job
Seek new full-time or part-time work
Get a second job
Get job training
Establish a retirement account
Pay down debt
Save money
Develop a budget
Sell or pawn extra items
Borrow money from family, friends, or bank
Declare bankruptcy
Open new account and/or get separate bank accounts
Apply for “welfare’ (TANF, food stamps, or other public assistance)
Save to buy a car
Use only cash
Change insurance
Apply for Medicaid
Continue education (apply for college funding such as Pell Grant)
Take GED exam (earn certificate of high school equivalency)
Stash money with family or otherwise hide money from partner
Have family help with finances
Get financial help from friends at work
Pay his bills so easier to divide property
Apply for disability (SSDI in the U.S.)
Keep bank statements and other financial records
Put all financial assets in own name (remove spouse’s name)
Apply for church assistance
Learn from past financial mistakes
Vocational rehabilitation
Cook own meals/eat out less to save money
As boss or co-workers to re-arrange schedules
Ask for security plan at the workplace

Legal and law enforcement options

Call the police
Notify police/sheriff if Protection/Restraining order not being followed
Ask police to drive by home frequently
Don’t be afraid to reach out to police/sheriff for help
Become acquainted with law enforcement officers
Apply for Orders of Protection/Restraining order
Obtain a divorce or separation
Petition for custody of children
Petition for child support
Pursue alimony
Seek help from Legal Aid
Get a private attorney or lawyer
Report partner’s abuse to child protective services
Document all abuse (pictures, save texts, phone messages, pictures)
Keep all identifying documents in safe place (birth certificate, social security card, licenses, etc)
Find out about victim assistance programs in your area

Social options

Rely on support of friends
Make new acquaintances, expand social circle
Rely on family as social support
Spend time outside with children
Help children process experience
Share testimony/share story (tell other people your story to help others)
Get social support and advice from advocates at shelter
Volunteer in community or otherwise work to help others
Volunteer at children’s school
Become an advocate for nonviolence
Arrange to see family or friends when partner is at work
See family and friends at church or other safer venue
Put pets in “doggy daycare,” kennel, or other safe housing
Ask family or friends to go with you to court, social services, or other agencies

Psychological options

Exercise
Write about your experiences
Keep a journal
Stay clean (no drugs or alcohol)
Take a vacation
Believe in yourself
Look to your children for strength
Stop thinking he will change
Stay committed to school
Find a hobby
Focus on self and children

Religious and spiritual options

Visit with pastor, minister, reverend, or other religious figure
Rely on God as a counselor
Pray
Attend church more frequently
Rely on church community
Take comfort from inspirational stories in religious texts
Seek social support from other members of the congregation
Take advantage of free social activities at churches
Ask church for help with bills, home repair, transportation
Ask about donations of food, clothing, furniture, and other necessities
Seek help with immigration status

Community resources

Seek domestic violence advocate or social worker
Use domestic violence program services, such as transportation, referral, & court accompaniment
Research domestic violence resources available in area
Look for all types of help can obtain from the community
Use food bank
Use Goodwill or Habitat for Humanity or other thrift stores
Find daycare for children
Join Al-Anon (group for family and friends of alcoholics)
Use community resources to obtain food, clothing and help with prescriptions
Rely on sheriff’s department (ask them to drive by home frequently to make a presence)
Live near a police station
Participate in single mom programs
Participate in meal program
Look for job training
Develop safety plan with social services
Take a self-defense class or firearm safety class
Campus ministry
Seek counseling/therapy
Seek any needed health care, including medication for psychological problems
Seek information about domestic violence
Seek community mental health services
Seek therapy with partner
Attend support groups

Cyber protection/privacy/guarding against identity theft

Get a private phone number
Have two phones (don’t give second number to partner)
Increase Facebook privacy
Avoid Facebook/ do not use social media
Change password for phone, email, other accounts
Keep personal information private (in general)
Get a PO Box instead of having mail sent to home
Put a lock on mail box
Change accounts
Increase internet security (general)
Only use computer at work or public library to access personal information

Other Safety Steps

Leave town (relocate)
Get mace
Get a dog
Change locks and/or add new or stronger locks to home (dead bolts)
Avoid unnecessary alone contact with spouse or use a mediator for necessary contact
Change routines to avoid abuser
Avoid going out alone—try to bring a friend or family member
Get a home security/alarm system
Carry cell phone at all times
Be more cautious, be more aware of surroundings
Create a safety plan and share with kids
Change last name
Get a prepaid or emergency phone
Keep a landline phone so always on without charging, etc.
Alert neighborhood/community watch
Install outdoor lights all around the house
Use a rotary phone (always on, no caller id)
Use a daycare with security cameras installed
Provide daycares and childcare workers with a list of safe people who can pick up your kids
Use code words
Change vehicle (so partner won’t recognize)

Note: These are options generated by women in the VIGOR studies and by other women I have known over the years. Many of them are described in more detail in Battered Women’s Protective Strategies: Stronger Than You Know by Sherry Hamby (Oxford University Press, 2014).

Simply appearing on this list is not intended as an endorsement of any particular strategy for any particular person.