"Read this if…" you are ready to think about safety — whether you plan to stay for now, prepare to leave, or need urgent help because gender-based violence is escalating.
Safety planning is not surrender. It is practical thinking when someone else's conduct has made your environment unpredictable.
DBTG cannot run a shelter or emergency line. This article is a capstone overview — for focused reads see Leaving Safely and Finding Trusted Support for GBV.
If you are in immediate danger
Contact local emergency services. In South Africa:
- Police: 10111
- GBV Command Centre helpline: 0800 428 428 (toll-free)
- SMS "help" to 31531 (GBV Command Centre)
Do not wait for the perfect plan if violence is happening now.
Safety planning basics
A plan may include:
Documents and essentials
- ID, passports, birth certificates (copies if originals are unsafe to take)
- bank cards, cash, keys
- medication list
- evidence stored securely — photos of injuries, threatening messages (see privacy risks)
People and places
- who you can call at any hour
- trusted neighbour or colleague code word
- shelter or family address tested in advance
Digital safety
- new email account on a safe device
- change passwords from a device the abuser cannot access
- check location sharing and cloud accounts
- assume shared phones are monitored
Children and pets
- school contact who understands confidentiality limits
- pet fostering if shelters cannot take animals
Plans should be personalised. GBV services help with this — you do not have to invent it alone.
Telling professionals
Useful helpers include:
- GBV hotlines and NGOs (TEARS Foundation)
- social workers and counsellors with violence training
- police and courts for protection orders where appropriate
- medical staff who document injuries
Bring dated notes. You do not need a perfect case file to be taken seriously — see When Should You Ask for Help?.
If you are not ready to leave
Staying for now can be a valid choice. Safety planning still helps:
- reduce isolation — one trusted contact
- identify triggers and exit routes from rooms
- hide essential items gradually
- rehearse excuses and transport
Leaving later is easier with small preparations now.
After leaving
Risk may remain. Update:
- addresses and school notifications where lawful
- workplace security if the abuser knows your schedule
- online privacy
- legal advice on protection orders and custody
For allies
Offer help they choose — storage, transport, childcare, attending appointments.
Read Supporting Someone Experiencing GBV.
Final thought
Asking for help is not betrayal. It is how many people survive gender-based violence.
Plan where you can. Reach specialists when you can. And if tonight is dangerous, let emergency services be part of the plan — not the thing you postpone until tomorrow.