What are the essential components of a safety planning session for someone at risk of intimate partner violence?

• A. Identify exits and safe places, transportation options, housing, finances, safe communication, code words, emergency contacts, protective orders, and steps to seek help.
• B. Identify exits and safe places.
• C. Legal representation as part of the plan.
• D. Safe communication and emergency contacts are the only components.

Answer: (C)

Safety planning in this context is about equipping someone with a practical, multi-faceted set of actions and resources they can use to stay safe now and access help later. A complete plan covers where to go and how to get there (exits and safe places, transportation options), where they could stay (housing), how to manage money and essential items (finances), how to communicate safely without tipping off the abuser (safe communication, code words), who to contact in an emergency (emergency contacts), and how to obtain protection and connect with services (protective orders, steps to seek help). Each piece addresses a different risk area: reducing immediate danger, maintaining stability and independence, preserving privacy and safety in communication, and linking to protection and support networks. Legal representation can be part of the plan, but if the focus is only on legal avenues, it misses the immediate safety steps and practical logistics that are essential in a crisis. A well-rounded safety planning session integrates all these components so the person has concrete, actionable options across various situations.