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Cornell University

Education & Training

Personal Safety Planning

What is a Personal Safety Plan?

A safety plan is a personalized, practical, interactive plan to improve your safety when experiencing digital harassment, stalking and/or abuse, preparing to leave an abusive situation, or after you leave. Much of the associated planning and tools can also serve as valuable prevention measures.

Tailored to your individual circumstances, a personal safety plan will help you prepare for and respond to difficult scenarios and increase your safety at school, home, online, and other places you regularly visit.

While some of the steps in preparing a safety plan might seem obvious, it can be difficult to make clear, logical decisions in moments of crisis. Having a safety plan laid out in advance can help you protect yourself and others in high-stress situations.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution for safety planning, but there are multiple, free, campus, community, and online resources that can help you create a safety plan that is right for you.

(Sources: National Domestic Violence Hotline: Stalking Safety Planning and Loveisrespect.org: What is a safety plan?)

Getting Started: General Tips for Victims

Most service providers agree on the following general tips for victims:

  1. Trust your instincts. Victims of stalking or abuse often feel pressured by friends or family to downplay the stalker or abuser’s behavior, but these behaviors pose a real threat of harm. Your safety is paramount.
  2. Call the police. If you feel you are in any immediate danger or fear a threat of harm, please call 911 immediately! Explain why the stalker or abuser’s actions are causing you fear and concern.
  3. Document incidents, behaviors, and interactions. Keep a record or log of your contact with the stalker or abuser. Also, document any reports made to the police or interactions with resources.
  4. Save evidence when possible. Stalkers and abusers often use technology to contact their victims. Save all emails, text messages, photos, and postings on social networking sites as evidence of their behavior. You can also take steps to use your own technology and devices more safely (see the “Technology and Digital Safety Planning” section below).
  5. Connect with campus and community service providers. Get connected with a campus or community victim service provider who can assist you in developing a personal safety plan and connect you with a network of resources.

(Source: SPARC: What to Do if You are Being Stalked)

Campus and Community Resources

Cornell University Police

The Cornell University Police Department (CUPD) offers a variety of personal safety resources for students:

  • RAVE Guardian App: Download the free RAVE Guardian App to access important phone numbers, a virtual escort, a panic alarm, and allows you to text with the public safety center instead of calling to file a report or for assistance, emergency resources and notifications, text public safety officers, and more. Note that the texting feature in RAVE Guardian includes the option to communicate anonymously.
  • Individualized Personal Safety Planning: Meet with a community engagement officer in CUPD’s Office of Community Engagement to develop an individualized personal safety plan. The officer will help you identify concerns, assess your digital footprint, review reporting options and supportive measures, determine jurisdiction for on- or off-campus issues, and teach you self-defense techniques. Meetings are available in person or via Zoom. You may access this resource directly or receive a facilitated referral from COCR staff.
    • Email: cupd_engagement@cornell.edu.
    • Call: 911 or 607-255-1111
    • Additional information about CUPD is included in the downloadable Course Resources document in Canvas.

Confidential Resources: Cornell SHARE Office Victim Advocacy Program & Tompkins County Advocacy Center

Confidential resources are available for individuals who are looking for support or an opportunity to consider next steps, who need care, or who may be unsure whether to report incidents to the university or police. Conversations with “confidential resources” are kept strictly confidential, and except in rare circumstances, will not be shared (including to faculty, coaches, parents, etc.) without explicit permission.

At Cornell, the SHARE Office Victim Advocates, and staff in the community-based Tompkins County Advocacy Center (TCAC)—both confidential resources—can assist with a broad range of support and client services, including personal safety planning, administrative or legal advocacy, and guidance, referrals, and support in obtaining No Contact Orders (university directives restricting contact) or Orders of Protection (legal documents, issued by courts to restrict contact). Contact:

  • SHARE Office Victim Advocates:
    • Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00 am -5:00 pm
    • Email: victimadvocate@cornell.edu(note: email is not a secure form of communication for private or confidential information)
    • Phone: Leave a voicemail message at 607-255-1212
    • Note: the SHARE Office Victim Advocacy program is not a crisis service but strives to return messages promptly and schedule appointments as soon as possible.
  • Tompkins County Advocacy Center (TCAC):
    • 24 Hour Hotline: 607-277-5000
    • Note: Contacting TCAC through the 24-Hour Hotline will connect you with both crisis services and ongoing support.

Technology and Digital Safety Planning

Cornell Library’s Self-defense Against Digital Harassment tool, outlines step-by-step guides and resources for: doxxing defense, securing accounts, and encrypted communications.

Information Technology at Cornell’s Digital Harassment information hub details types of online harassment, guides and resources for preventing harassment, protecting oneself, and support for victims, and relevant university policies.

The Safety Net Project provides multiple resources for technology safety in the context of intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and violence against women, in both English and Spanish:

  • Their Technology & Sexual Assault/Sexual Violence page provides an overview of Technology and the Dynamics of Sexual Assault, Privacy Concerns, Technology and Root Causes, and resources.
  • Technology Safety Plan: A guide for Survivors and Advocates includes practical information to prioritize safety, identify the abuse, steps to increase security, and steps to increase privacy.
  • And, the Technology Safety and Privacy: A Toolkit for Survivors includes detailed resources for Basic Technology Safety, Data Security, Internet of Things (IoT) & Connected Devices (like smart home devices, cameras, cars, and mobility data like scooters, rideshares, and taxis), Online Privacy & Safety, Personal Information & Data Privacy, Phones, Securing Accounts & Devices, Stalkerware & Location tracking, Technology & Sexual Assault, and Teens & Technology.

EndTab (End Tech-Enabled Abuse) provides cyber-abuse safety training to help keep people safe in the digital age. EndTAB has published a series of free, on-demand webinars that can help you understand and combat technology-enabled abuse, including:

Online and National Resources

The National Domestic Violence Hotline has an interactive online tool to help you develop a personal safety plan and includes tips for technology-facilitated abuse.

SPARC: Risk Assessment & Safety Planning, published at stalkingawareness.org, includes:

Sources