Which action is identified as a safe plan recommendation for IPV safety planning?

• A. Confront abuser
• B. Call police
• C. Hide in closet
• D. Pack a bag with essentials

Answer: (D)

A fundamental part of IPV safety planning is having a portable exit option ready so you can leave quickly if danger rises. Packing a bag with essentials is the best safe-plan choice because it keeps everything you might need in one place and reduces the time you’d spend gathering items—or trying to leave while the situation is unstable. With a ready-to-go bag, you can reach a safer location, a shelter, or a trusted person more quickly, which can be crucial when violence escalates.

What to include helps this plan work: identification and important documents (like a driver’s license or birth certificate), any necessary money or a debit card, keys, a phone and charger, medications, a spare set of clothes, contact information for trusted friends or family, a list of emergency contacts, and any essential legal or medical documents. If possible, keep the bag in a safe, accessible place or with a trusted person you can trust to hand it off if you need to leave.

Other options aren’t as reliable for immediate safety. Confronting the abuser can trigger more violence. Calling police is important and may be necessary, but it isn’t always immediately safe or possible to do in the moment. Hiding in a closet might protect you briefly, but it often doesn’t help you exit quickly or reach a safer location, which is the core goal of a safety plan.