Where you might be
I'm frightened and need to feel safer
If you're in danger right now, call 999. If you can't speak, listen to the operator and, on a mobile, press 55 when an automated message asks you to. This page is about feeling safer day to day, small steps, no big decisions.
If you're in danger right now
Call 999. Can't speak? Listen, cough or tap if you can, and on a mobile press 55 when an automated message asks. Free, 24/7 helpline: 0808 2000 247.
General information only. This does not replace advice from a solicitor or specialist domestic abuse service about your own situation. The law and court procedures differ between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and they change.
- Sources last checked:
- not yet re-checked against current law
- Qualified legal review:
- pending, please check details with a solicitor or advocate before relying on them
What this can involve
- Worrying about what might happen tonight, or when they come home.
- Feeling watched, at home, online, or when you go out.
- Not knowing who you could call in a bad moment.
- Children seeing or hearing things you wish they didn't.
Safety first
- Only make changes they won't notice. A suddenly deleted app or changed password can raise questions.
- Think about which phone, computer and account are safest to use for looking things up.
- If you keep notes or downloads, keep them somewhere they won't be found, or don't keep them at all.
Three steps you could take
In any order, over any timescale. One is enough.
Save one safe number
The National Domestic Abuse Helpline is free, 24/7: 0808 2000 247. Save it under a name that won't mean anything to anyone else, or just remember it.
Think through a bad moment
Where could you go? Who could you call? Even a rough mental plan can help. A helpline can think it through with you.
Check your technology
Our technology guide explains trackers, shared accounts and location settings, read it before changing anything, so changes don't draw attention.
Blank downloads
Nothing to sign up for. Downloads open in your browser, only save them somewhere safe.