Which practice regarding safety planning includes changing routines and passwords to reduce risk?

• A. Not changing any routines
• B. Caring for animals
• C. Changing routines and passwords to reduce risk
• D. Informing the abuser of changes

Answer: (C)

Changing routines and passwords to reduce risk is a practical safety planning step that aims to disrupt the abuser’s ability to predict where you’ll be and what you’ll access. In crisis and violence response, reducing predictability and control gives you more room to stay safe. By varying daily patterns, routes, or routines and updating passwords or access codes, you limit opportunities for stalking, surveillance, or unauthorized entry and make it harder for harm to escalate. This approach focuses on tangible, immediate actions you can take to lower exposure to danger.

Not changing routines won’t lower risk because it creates predictable patterns that could be exploited. Caring for animals is important for well-being and can be part of a broader safety plan, but it doesn’t directly reduce risk in a violent situation. Informing the abuser of changes tends to increase risk, as it signals plans or intentions and can provoke retaliation. So, changing routines and passwords directly targets risk reduction in a practical, safety-focused way.